[nflug] Routers... anybody?

[Robert Meyer]

Well, right now, we have a huge UPS with an auto-starting generator.  We have multiple server redundancy for just about every service that we're handling now.  For critical databases, we have two or three servers with automatic partitioning out of failed servers (thank you mon and LVS), round robin load balancing of our web servers via the current firewall/router (manual partitioning of failed servers ATM), and have migrated some of our databases to a fully redundant SAN.  I think that covers most things.  I use SSH and keys with scripts to handle administration of multiple servers.

Right now, I'm evaluating the ISP/firewall issue since we only have a single pipe.  We would like to have two connections (via different paths) so that we don't get killed in the event of a fiber-seeking backhoe.  I don't know if we're going to be able to afford to upgrade that at the moment but I'm investigating.  We may just get a new firewall and a spare and just keep the single line for now.  Apparently, in six years of operation, there hasn't been a single failure attributable to the ISP but as soon as I write this, it may happen.  We actually have a special, environment controlled room for the equipment with it's own A/C and power feeds from the UPS.  The UPS is currently running at about 19% capacity so we have room to grow.  The generator was sized to match the UPS.

Our application is web based with a MySQL backend (there's other stuff, too but ancilliary).  We know that the growth will be in numbers of queries.  The web servers are essentially sleeping most of the time, so there's head room there.  We just migrated the heaviest hit databases to blade servers with fiber connects to the SAN which has greatly improved that performance to the point where it's not an issue and won't be for at least a doubling of the database size and a factor of 10 in database hits.  Increasing the database size is as simple as extending the LUNS on the SAN and extending the filesystem (using LVM).

Yeah, we've thought about this stuff.  I just need to get the external network to a similar level of redundancy.  We're not taxing our bandwidth at this point but a loadbalanced, auto-failover connection to the ISP would be nice.

Cheers!

Bob
 
--
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."
   --Leonardo da Vinci

----- Original Message ----
From: Erek Dyskant <erek at blumenthals.com>
To: nflug at nflug.org
Sent: Friday, December 28, 2007 3:42:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nflug] Routers... anybody?



On Fri, 2007-12-28 at 11:14 -0800, Robert Meyer wrote:
> Well, that's where I'm trying to go with this.  We have a single
 internet connection and our business 
> clients use the web to get to us so if the ISP connection drops, we
 lose business, quickly. 

By the time you go up to redundant connection and all the things that
 go
with it, it's time to also look at issues like server redundancy,
 power,
administration style, etc.  With the extra infrastructure factors,
you'll need to evaluate if it's still worthwhile to host in your office
or if you should switch to colocation/managed service.

There are exceptions, but for business-critical servers, the colocation
route is just about always better.  You'll pay less for more reliable
bandwidth, and not have to manage the connection redundancy, physical
security, or backup power, assuming that you go with a provider you
trust.

Before going forward with a second local loop, you should put some
serious thinking time into how you want to grow the infrastructure.


--Erek


_______________________________________________
nflug mailing list
nflug at nflug.org
http://www.nflug.org/mailman/listinfo/nflug






      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.  http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nflug.org/pipermail/nflug/attachments/20071228/f9197524/attachment.html