In the digital age, a network is a crucial component that enables smooth business operations. Thus, firms must develop resilient networks through a non-negotiable agenda with the help of network engineers.
Through operational errors, power outages, failures, and other disruptions, networks can damage business functions and cause a loss of revenue.
Therefore, a highly robust network should be developed by every organization to safeguard their network from a myriad of threats.
These are the strategies to implement to develop resilient networks.
By implementing these strategies, a firm can ensure the reliability and continuity of network services, even during failures.
Diversified and Redundant Components
Essential network elements that include but are not limited to switches, routers, and links are duplicated. This ensures that even if one fails, the other is there to take over its role smoothly.
Hardware redundancy refers to using redundant devices for storage and power supplies to completely prevent the possibility of single point failures.
On the other hand, path redundancy is about creating multiple paths between network nodes, so if one path crashes, another is there for traffic to be rerouted.
Create Balanced Loads
Distributing the traffic throughout many pathways and servers can streamline resource allocation while ensuring there is no overload on a single component. There are two types of load balancing:
- Link Load Balancing: It handles various requests generated from the local LAN and distributes them over multiple WAN links.
- Server Load Balancing: It distributes server requests by clients over many servers to prevent overload.
Automated Failover and Failback Measures
Developing redundant components is necessary, but automating them is the next step. In the event of a disruption, the switch to backup components or pathways must be immediate to minimize the effect on business operations. This cannot be done manually and requires automated failover systems.
Once the original components have been restored, an automated failback system must be implemented to bring the traffic back to those components. It must be done smoothly, just as the transfer to secondary components was done.
Develop Disaster Recovery Measures
The first step is to regularly monitor the network for its performance and notice patterns of proper and improper functioning. An alerting mechanism can be created to notify all relevant personnel about the issue.
Then, develop a business continuity plan (BCP) to act as a detailed guide for stakeholders in the event of network failure.
Make sure to regularly backup all devices (both primary and secondary) and test the functionality of each. This will help you identify the areas for improvement.
Conclusion
A holistic approach must be undertaken to develop resilient networks. From developing redundant components to having automated failback mechanisms, a disaster recovery plan outlines the steps to be taken during network disruptions. Implementing these strategies will minimize downtime and optimize operations.