How does redundancy in technology protect your business? Learn the benefits of redundancy!

Operational continuity and data protection are integral components of IT asset management. Redundancy mechanisms are used to ensure high availability and integrity of systems and information. This article examines the concept of redundancy, its various applications and benefits for businesses. The use of redundancy is often a necessity in professional management of data and technology resources.

What is Redundancy?

Redundancy, in the context of information technology, refers to redundancy – the duplication of data, system components and physical infrastructure components to increase the reliability and availability of systems. It is a strategic mechanism to ensure that processes continue to operate when one component fails.

Why the need for redundancy?

Redundancy minimizes the risk of downtime and data loss, resulting in continuity of operations and customer satisfaction. Its use is essential in critical systems such as data centers, banking systems, as well as in infrastructures that ensure the availability of critical services. Resistance to various types of failures, from hardware to cyber, is an invaluable asset.

What are the forms of redundancy?

• Snapshot replication: This form of redundancy is based on creating copies of data at specified intervals, regardless of changes in the database. This approach is effective for systems where data changes are infrequent.

• Transactional replication: In this case, data synchronization between servers is triggered based on transaction logs. This enables dynamic data management and ensures that information is not lost even if a failure occurs before the scheduled synchronization time.

• Two-way replication: In this form, data synchronization is done on demand by both the client and the server. This is a flexible approach, but it carries the risk of data conflicts that must be properly managed.

Redundancy management also includes network load analysis and process optimization to balance the need for availability with the need to use resources efficiently.

Scope and areas of redundancy

We outline three main areas where redundancy finds its application: data storage, physical infrastructure and geographic deployment.

1. Data redundancy – how to secure vital information?

Securing information through data redundancy involves creating and storing multiple copies of information. The most popular methods are technologies such as RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks), which allow data to be stored simultaneously on several hard drives. Regular backups and the use of cloud solutions are also worth considering. At ITH, backups are performed within a single network but to different Data Center facilities, most often using the Acronis Cyber Protect tool.

2. Physical redundancy – securing the IT infrastructure

Redundancy at the physical level refers to the protection of components such as power supplies, servers and network devices. It is common practice to use additional power supplies and power generators to guarantee business continuity in the event of power problems. Similarly, redundant network connections and additional servers can secure the operation of communication and data processing systems.

3. Geographic redundancy – why have copies of data in different locations?

Geographical redundancy involves storing copies of data and system resources in different locations. This approach is particularly beneficial in extreme situations such as earthquakes or floods. The ability to move operations to another center in the event of a disaster increases the reliability and availability of systems. For the implementation of geographic redundancy, ITH has at its disposal a number of colocation facilities in which it can maintain clients’ equipment, public cloud environment as well as its own resources. All of these facilities are connected to a single ITH Net.

Implementing effective redundancy mechanisms in the aforementioned areas can significantly improve the resilience of an organization’s systems to various types of failures.

Impact of redundancy on security and operability

Redundancy plays a critical role in maintaining a secure and stable technology infrastructure in organizations. Its impact is particularly evident in the context of automation, cyber security, as well as in assessing the benefits and costs associated with its implementation.

How does redundancy affect business continuity?

Redundant mechanisms enable automation of many operational processes, which promotes business continuity. For example, if one server fails, its functions can be automatically taken over by a backup server. Similarly, in microservices architecture, if one microservice fails, other instances of the same microservice can take over its tasks. This minimizes the risk of interruptions in service access or data processing.

Protection against various types of threats

In the context of cyber security, redundancy is one of the pillars of ensuring data integrity and availability. Strategies such as the use of multi-level firewalls or multiple authentication systems can protect an organization from a variety of threats, from DDoS attacks to insider threats. Redundant backup systems and encryption can also protect against data loss due to cyber attacks such as ransomware.

Analysis of the benefits and possible drawbacks of redundancy

There are undoubtedly benefits to implementing effective redundancy mechanisms, but it is not without its drawbacks. On the one hand, redundancy significantly increases the resilience of systems to failures and cyber threats. On the other, it entails additional costs, both capital and operational. For example, maintaining additional servers or backup systems can generate higher energy and server room space costs. A final assessment of the effectiveness of redundancy implementation should therefore take into account both its positive aspects and potential challenges.

Redundancy is an integral part of security and operations management in modern organizations. Its skillful implementation can significantly minimize the risk of business interruption and increase resilience to various forms of threats.

ITH – guaranteed security and redundancy for your business

ITH is a company that goes the extra mile in providing reliable and secure IT services. With integrated solutions, ITH is a single source for all your Internet, network and data security needs. Learn how this company provides security and redundancy:[1]

• Symmetric or asymmetric Internet access for businesses: Reliability and connection speed are the cornerstones of doing business online. ITH offers a variety of network access options, thus providing redundancy at the link level.

• Managed Network Services(Network as a Service): With this service, ITH helps automate and manage the network, resulting in higher levels of security and reduced risk of interruptions to critical resources.

• ITH Cloud Firewall: This service provides advanced security features, including protection against various types of attacks, which in turn affects business continuity and security.

• Anti-DDoS Protection: Dedicated protection against DDoS attacks, ensuring that your resources remain available even under intense attacks.

• Backups: ITH also offers backup solutions, which is important for data redundancy and recovery.

• Redundant Internet connections: This service further protects against possible network outages by using multi-channel redundant Internet connections.

With this integrated approach, ITH offers comprehensive services that address security and redundancy needs, enabling business continuity and efficiency in a dynamically changing business environment.

How does redundancy in technology protect your business? – Summary

In the digital age, where service outages or data loss can cost companies millions, redundancy is no longer an option and is becoming a necessity. It is not only a safeguard against failures, but also an investment in reputation and customer trust. From backup data centers to multi-tiered network security, redundancy strategies are key to a sustainable and resilient business. Reliability is already a standard that both consumers and business partners expect. While increasing redundancy generates some upfront costs, the long-term benefits in terms of business continuity and protection against unforeseen events are priceless. As a result, by investing in redundancy, we are investing in the future and sustainability of our organization.