N Is For Networking N4N043: Redundancy vs. High Availability Part 1
Nov 20, 2025
Holly and Ethan dive into the nuances of redundancy versus high availability, highlighting their importance in network design. They share real-world examples, particularly from hospitals and financial institutions, and discuss the common budgetary pushback. Techniques for achieving redundancy include active/standby setups and multi-node clusters. The conversation also touches on advanced concepts like anycast, DNS strategies, and WAN link design. Listeners can expect a tease for upcoming discussions on fragility and cost in network management.
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Redundancy Is A Tool Not A Goal
- Redundancy is a tool, not the same as high availability.
- Use redundancy among several strategies to achieve high availability.
Clarify Requirements Before Designing
- Ask whether the customer means redundancy or high availability before designing.
- Match design choices to the customer's critical functions and budget constraints.
Use Paired Devices With State Mirroring
- Use active/standby device pairs for immediate failover with state mirroring.
- Ensure you provision a dedicated link so the standby has real-time state.