In a previous blog post, we discussed what redundancy is and what its benefits are for both businesses and individuals. As a business, you stand to gain a lot from using redundant systems, especially in terms of security and reliability. But what does it actually take for a business to transition to a redundant way of working? Of course, it’s not just a matter of flipping a switch and calling it a day. In this article, we’ll explain how your business can implement redundancy!
1. Opt for a separate infrastructure
People often underestimate how important it is for redundancy to set up a physically separate infrastructure. Many organizations believe they have already achieved redundancy simply by using two different infrastructure providers. Unfortunately, this is not the case, because the connections from both providers could very well run through the same conduit. That means that if something goes wrong there, it will impact both providers. There goes your backup. Physically separate infrastructure is and remains a better way to implement redundancy. After all, if something goes wrong at one location, the other location remains intact.
2. Back up critical systems
To achieve redundancy as an organization, it is important to identify the critical systems and processes within your company so that you know what needs to be backed up. These are the systems and processes that are essential for keeping your daily operations or services running. Ensure that you always have a second instance of these components, preferably at a different location, so that you have a backup if a system or process fails. This could include, for example, a second hard drive, a backup of software or hardware, backup servers, or a copy of critical processes. To achieve optimal redundancy, ensure that the backup automatically takes over in the event of a malfunction or failure.
3. Conduct a comprehensive risk analysis
If your company wants to successfully implement redundancy, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the risks relevant to your processes and systems. After all, these are the risks you want to minimize through redundant systems. Before you get started, it is therefore wise to conduct a comprehensive risk analysis. This will give you a clear picture of the most relevant risks for each process or system and how you can avoid or minimize them.
4. Choose redundancy measures that are appropriate for the analysis
A thorough risk analysis like this should identify measures you can take to ensure that critical systems and processes are always backed up. Examples include setting up a backup server or using redundant power supplies and network connections.
5. Continue to test and monitor the backups
Always continue to test and monitor the redundancy solutions you implement to ensure that everything is working as it should. Especially when you’re about to implement new measures, it’s important to test them thoroughly at the outset. For example, simulate errors or outages to see if the backups are doing their job. Keep testing and maintaining all solutions regularly to ensure your redundant system is always up to date!
As you can see, redundancy doesn’t mean you no longer have to worry about your systems and processes. Redundancy measures will always require testing and monitoring to ensure they continue to function properly. Of course, the goal of redundancy isn’t necessarily to take work off your hands, but rather to provide systems and processes with greater reliability and availability.