Diversity
Many organisations have addressed the challenge of ensuring the high availability of their mission critical business systems by developing business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
Each element in a system is considered in terms of the risk, probability and impact should that element become unavailable. Physical connectivity is a critical element of this planning and will normally include redundant network links as well as redundant network equipment like switches, routers and firewalls.
In evaluating the availability associated with each form of network connectivity, much of the risk is associated with the so called ‘last-mile’ between an exchange and the end service location. When more than one link relies on this ‘last mile’ the route to the local exchange, the local exchange itself and single building entry points become single points of failure for the whole network. In sharing this common infrastructure (cabling, pits, pipes and entry points), the value and effectiveness of the redundant service is decreased or lost.
Our Solution
Using microwave links as part of an overall network solution overcomes these single points of failure. Microwave based links avoid the single building entry point (usually the basement or ground floor) by utilising the building roof as the service entry point. The risks with the route to the local exchange (and the exchange itself) are also eliminated because the microwave link is not bound to the local exchange network.
Benefits of Microwave for Diversity
- Separated link path and technology with no risk of intrusion or physical damage along path.
- Diverse building entry point - the roof.
- Diverse and independent carrier infrastructure.
- Simple integration - Ethernet and TDM interfaces.
- Scalable bandwidth (2Mbps to 622Mbps).
- Fast installation and potential for redeployment.
- Equivalent service level agreements and typically greater mean time between failure figures than fibre optics.
- With over 150 sites under direct management and or ownership and another 3000 sites available through a site sharing arrangement, Vertel can deliver a redundant service to most major and capital city locations.
