“The much-discussed convergence of separate voice, data and
video into an integrated network is creating a host of new product
opportunities, many with carrier-class reliability also known as
high availability (HA). HA refers to maximizing the availability of
systems and applications by decreasing downtime during both routine
maintenance operations and unplanned system failures. While not
guaranteeing 100 percent uptime, HA systems provide substantial RAS
(reliability, availability and serviceability) advantages over
conventional computer systems….”
“Leading system manufacturers-such as Force Computers Inc.,
Motorola Computer Group and Radisys Corp. have developed CompactPCI
racks specifically for HA applications. These manufacturers are
now looking at Linux implementations in CPCI systems to enhance the
cost-effectiveness of HA in software. CPCI is a commercial
bus, passive backplane, card and card-cage specification with many
features that make it ideal for high availability systems….”
“Commercial implementations of HA system software, like the
open-source BlueCat HA Linux from Lynx Real-time Systems, implement
the features in a fault-management cycle that describes and
controls the actions necessary for dynamically reconfiguring the
system to scan errors caused by faults, or by processor
failures.”