REDUNDANT SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

[Lanez]

Hello guys,

I have just joined a new banking institution under the IT department and am supposed to implement all new policies and systems that can help the institution function smoothly IT-wise and have 100% uptime.

I want to implement redundancy on all the core banking systems such that each and every system has a mirror system, in case of any failure of one, we just switch to the other system. 

Please advise on the best way I can achieve this.

[Lurick]

So what you're asking is for us to help you completely redo an entire company's systems for redundancy?

[Radium_Angel]

4 minutes ago, Lanez said:

Please advise on the best way I can achieve this.

What is their current architecture please? Be specific....

[BrinkGG]

2 minutes ago, Lanez said:

Hello guys,

I have just joined a new banking institution under the IT department and am supposed to implement all new policies and systems that can help the institution function smoothly IT-wise and have 100% uptime.

I want to implement redundancy on all the core banking systems such that each and every system has a mirror system, in case of any failure of one, we just switch to the other system. 

Please advise on the best way I can achieve this.

First of all, I feel like you got thrown in the deep end here. If you get hired for IT positions like this they usually go through job history to make sure you can implement a system like this. Usually if you're asking on a forum for how to do this, you shouldn't have this job. 
BUT I have too much free time and like helping people.

Second, unless this is a very tech savvy bank, you are probably working with transaction systems that have 90s era interfaces. Black background with green text. If it has cubicles with loan officers, those are the ones that will have Windows based systems for ease of use with first party software installed for data privacy. (New client entry, etc.)

 

Can you explain what they currently have? This will probably be a long thread. 

[aezakmi]

1 minute ago, Brink2Three said:

if you're asking on a forum for how to do this, you shouldn't have this job.

oof

[YaBoiWill]

I have no input what so ever, but the possible answer does intrigue me as I kind of want a redundancy system of my own for home. 

[BrinkGG]

1 minute ago, YaBoiWill said:

I have no input what so ever, but the possible answer does intrigue me as I kind of want a redundancy system of my own for home. 

Redundancy for the home is WAYYY easier then an office implementation.

Simple redundancy? Use something like Minitool partition wizard to clone your drive once a week. 

More complex setup but set and forget? "Server" type backups using another pc and something like freenas and one of their free System backup solutions. (This is the solution I use.) 

DM me if you want more info about this as not to clutter up OP's thread.

[Radium_Angel]

6 minutes ago, aezakmi said:

oof

He simply said what we are all thinking.

3 minutes ago, YaBoiWill said:

I have no input what so ever, but the possible answer does intrigue me as I kind of want a redundancy system of my own for home. 

Primary Domain Controller with a backup/failover domain controller, Active Directory replication and a whole lot of hardware and SANs

[LogicalDrm]

They clearly hired the wrong guy. Start by asking how much they are willing to spend and start searching for other professionals to help you. Depending on size of the bank, this might be too big job for single clueless person.

[Lanez]

14 minutes ago, Lurick said:

So what you're asking is for us to help you completely redo an entire company's systems for redundancy?

That is not what I meant. The systems are running smoothly, we do system backups, I just want to have another server to have the same data on the main server mirrored to the other secondary server so we can switch to it in case of a fail over.

[AMAL VIJAY]

13 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

Primary Domain Controller with a backup/failover domain controller, Active Directory replication and a whole lot of hardware and SANs

What the hell is this

[YaBoiWill]

1 minute ago, Lanez said:

main server mirrored to the other secondary server so we can switch to it in case of a fail over.

Have a look at Linus' video about their servers where they are showing off some gimbal thing, they have a similar kind of system. Ill try and find the video and edit in the URL

[YaBoiWill]

1 minute ago, Tech Guru said:

 

5 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Primary Domain Controller with a backup/failover domain controller, Active Directory replication and a whole lot of hardware and SANs

What the hell is this

 

NG: was thinking that as well. 

[epikgamerwmp]

Just now, YaBoiWill said:

Have a look at Linus' video about their servers where they are showing off some gimbal thing, they have a similar kind of system. Ill try and find the video and edit in the URL

its called "Why do we have so many servers?".

[BrinkGG]

1 minute ago, YaBoiWill said:

Have a look at Linus' video about their servers where they are showing off some gimbal thing, they have a similar kind of system. Ill try and find the video and edit in the URL

le Blurb: 

 

[firstchrono]

Reach out to a few contracting firms and get some estimates. See if those estimates are ok with management and have an experienced team do this task. It's not some fly-by-night server setup. This is a financial institution. Don't cut any corners.

[Lanez]

30 minutes ago, Lanez said:

Hello guys,

I have just joined a new banking institution under the IT department and am supposed to implement all new policies and systems that can help the institution function smoothly IT-wise and have 100% uptime.

I want to implement redundancy on all the core banking systems such that each and every system has a mirror system, in case of any failure of one, we just switch to the other system. 

Please advise on the best way I can achieve this.

Thanks

[Radium_Angel]

7 minutes ago, Tech Guru said:

What the hell is this

A way to ensure zero downtime.

If the PDC goes south, the BDC kicks in, full system functionality with a loss of zero data and a work interruption measured in the seconds.

Or were you being sarcastic? It's sometimes hard to tell in a text forum 

[Lanez]

5 minutes ago, Brink2Three said:

le Blurb: 

 

Thanks

[Lanez]

1 minute ago, Radium_Angel said:

A way to ensure zero downtime.

If the PDC goes south, the BDC kicks in, full system functionality with a loss of zero data and a work interruption measured in the seconds.

Or were you being sarcastic? It's sometimes hard to tell in a text forum 

That is exactly what I meant. Even if it does not automatically switch over but if it has the exact files and processes running

[Radium_Angel]

Just now, Lanez said:

That is exactly what I meant. 

What's your budget? Because that kind of redundancy ain't cheap

[Franck]

You are getting into a difficult thing if you don't even know the terms of the business. What you are talking about is a Disaster recovery (DR for short) or Failover system. Some works under milliseconds. It is impossible to be 100% sure to not lose anything it depend on what part fail. But losing rate is so low that you shouldn't worry about it. Losing 1 transaction over 6 millions in that 10 milliseconds switching time it is actually "acceptable". To lose anything you either need the break to happen at the wrong place in the structure or have a double failure over the same system which never happen to me on recent implementation which are much better than what we had 15 years ago.

 

You knowing pretty much nothing about the subject  i highly suggest you deal with external consultant for this.

[AMAL VIJAY]

13 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

A way to ensure zero downtime.

If the PDC goes south, the BDC kicks in, full system functionality with a loss of zero data and a work interruption measured in the seconds.

Or were you being sarcastic? It's sometimes hard to tell in a text forum 

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

3 hours ago, Brink2Three said:

First of all, I feel like you got thrown in the deep end here. If you get hired for IT positions like this they usually go through job history to make sure you can implement a system like this. Usually if you're asking on a forum for how to do this, you shouldn't have this job...

 

3 hours ago, aezakmi said:

oof

It was worded a bit harshly but it is true. Sadly, too often, I have seen the same scenario where IT Departments hired people (including in management) who didn't know squat about their job. t's one reason, now that I'm retired, I do not miss working for Corporate America (the other being it felt like I was working in a Dilbert cartoon).

[aezakmi]

Just now, Lady Fitzgerald said:

 

It was worded a bit harshly but it is true. Sadly, I have seen the same scenario where IT Departments hired people (including in management) who didn't know squat about their job too many times.

Wish I had that fucking luck

 

I mean earning probably 20k+ /mo and not knowing anything about the job? where do I apply?