Comments on: Understanding availability http://blog.amber.org/2008/07/21/understanding-availability/ Thoughts of a minor lunatic Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:55:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: petrilli http://blog.amber.org/2008/07/21/understanding-availability/comment-page-1/#comment-52184 petrilli Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:31:31 +0000 http://blog.amber.org/2008/07/21/understanding-availability/#comment-52184 I worked with some of the early softswitch implementations (SS7), and I can say that the telecom world, at least around the voice items, still operate with a level of conservatism that isn't seen in many places. It's not just the hardware that's largely redundant -- though a lot of it is -- it's also the approach to rolling out _any_ change to the environment. Having said that, when September 11th happened, my company's VoIP environment survived, where as Verizon's didn't. Resilience comes in a lot of forms. I worked with some of the early softswitch implementations (SS7), and I can say that the telecom world, at least around the voice items, still operate with a level of conservatism that isn’t seen in many places. It’s not just the hardware that’s largely redundant—though a lot of it is—it’s also the approach to rolling out any change to the environment.

Having said that, when September 11th happened, my company’s VoIP environment survived, where as Verizon’s didn’t. Resilience comes in a lot of forms.

]]> By: Alan Little http://blog.amber.org/2008/07/21/understanding-availability/comment-page-1/#comment-52183 Alan Little Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:28:21 +0000 http://blog.amber.org/2008/07/21/understanding-availability/#comment-52183 Some people can. I work for , although in business systems not in actual telecommunications software. I asked one of the guys who works on the Real Telco side of the business when they last had a total outage in his area of responsibility. He knew the answer instantly: "four minutes in February 1999". A different world entirely - although not, these days, using particularly exotic hardware; just lots of it, in a very redundant configuration. Some people can. I work for , although in business systems not in actual telecommunications software. I asked one of the guys who works on the Real Telco side of the business when they last had a total outage in his area of responsibility. He knew the answer instantly: “four minutes in February 1999”. A different world entirely – although not, these days, using particularly exotic hardware; just lots of it, in a very redundant configuration.

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