Clustering May Save Your Day, And Your Video Data
By J.O.S. Svendsen, Corporate Communications Manager, Milestone Systems
Cluster computing is achieved by connecting a group of computers in a dedicated network so they can act like a single entity. The operating system can assign a unique number to each cluster and keep track of files according to which cluster(s) they use. There are a number of reasons people use cluster computers for business systems, from a need to extend the processing power of a single computer with the full computing capability of a cluster, to a desire to ensure a computing system is always available. The latter form of clustering is called High Availability (HA) cluster computing.
High Availability clustering is a method used to minimize downtime and provide continuous service when certain system components fail or need to be updated. HA clusters consist of multiple nodes that communicate and share information through dedicated real or virtual networks and are a great way to ensure high system availability, reliability, and scalability.
High Availability is essential for any organization interested in protecting their business against the risk of a system outage, loss of transactional data, incomplete data, or message processing errors. These risks, in some situations, can mean millions of dollars in revenue loss, or in the case of video security installations, put assets or persons at risk. For a business interested in being fully operational and secure at all times, HA clustering is a practical solution.
However, HA systems entail an extra cost as server hardware needs to be duplicated, special redundant networks established, and cluster-aware software deployed. The working principle in HA systems is any component that stops working will just be bypassed, and a similar component will be switched in to ensure no or minimal outage.
Think of a tandem bicycle. If one of the riders for some reason stops pedaling, the other rider will ensure the bicycle does not stop. Before HA systems can be deployed, the cost of downtime has to be evaluated since the failover process can take time. In general, the more redundancy built into the system, the lower the failover time, but higher the cost.
Advanced open platform video management software can be deployed in High Availability clustering environments. However, careful planning is needed to ensure system integrity. We strongly advise consulting all relevant documentation at www.milestonesys.com/support/. The white papers available on the support site are a prerequisite for the deployment of a VMS in virtual server environments.
For additional information about this topic, check out the white papers from Milestone Partner Stratus. They describe the technology behind HA clusters and the major categories of HA systems, as well as the pros and cons of each approach. http://www.stratus.com/resources/?resource-type=white-paper.