Network storage systems are increasingly used both by private users as well as companies and organizations. They are very present in the business environment, especially. It is used to allow access from different places and this means that in the event of a problem it could paralyze the work of many employees. In this article we are going to talk about what High Availability in servers is and why it is important.
What is High Availability in servers
High Availability, High Availability or simply HA, as we will see very commonly, allows for hardware duplication . This will make it possible to avoid certain problems that can leave an organization without service, for example. It is very common that servers can go down and that, ultimately, we do not have access to the information they store.
What you get with HA is that in case a server fails, we will not be left without service. This is so since it is automatically replaced by another. This is achieved by having hardware duplication, as we have mentioned.
Let’s say we have a server where workers have to access to use different programs of the company or to be able to enter files that it has stored. If that server for whatever reason goes down, those workers would not be able to perform their duties properly. This would be a problem that paralyzes the company. Now, thanks to having High Availability in servers , this duplication will automatically allow another server to be available.
This storage server will have a computer with the same characteristics and synchronized. This way, it will continue to function normally, without having to wait a few hours or even days to physically receive the possible component that has failed.
In short, we can say that High Availability makes mention of its name. It means that we will gain availability as soon as a problem arises. We will not waste time receiving a component or solving a problem that may affect a server.
Why is High Availability interesting and in what scenarios
High Availability, as we have seen, is very useful to significantly reduce downtime . This is essential for a business, for example. It is very important when workers have to access remote systems, servers that host vital files for their work, as well as day-to-day applications.
By having HA servers we can greatly reduce the problem if any issues arise. For example, if a server crashes due to a component, it would not be necessary to wait until it is restored.
File systems
One of the reasons to use High Availability servers is when it comes to file systems . Today it is very common to have valuable information stored both from private users and in organizations and companies, on servers on the network.
In the event that a problem arises and we cannot access that file system, we could have complications to work normally. We could even lose all that data. For this reason, having an HA server allows us to quickly recover normality in the event of a problem.
Database
The database is what allows to store the credentials and the necessary content for a website, for example. It is especially important when it comes to a content manager, where the information from the pages and publications is collected.
Once again, if the servers stop working, we could lose the work done or if problems occur that affect our website. Thanks to High Availability we can greatly reduce this.
Web server
On the other hand there is the web server . It is in charge of monitoring all content and allowing a website to load and function properly. It is certainly something essential that must be in constant operation. High Availability allows, in the event of a service failure, to be restored as soon as possible.
In short, we can therefore say that High Availability servers will save time when a problem arises. They will allow that once a server goes down, we can quickly regain access to the content, programs or systems that we use.
