The Importance of Network Redundancy in Web Conferencing Services
One of the key characteristics of an effective web conferencing provider is network redundancy. A web conferencing provider’s reputation for reliability rides on a working network wherever and whenever clients need it. One of the main selling points of web conferencing is its convenience. The 99.9% “up-time” guarantee of a web conferencing service is possible due to the redundancy of their network.
A “redundant” network is one that contains a wide balance of duplicated data, network equipment, connecting links, etc that are able to function as backup in case of network or equipment failures. The primary purpose of having servers configured for redundancy is to avoid connection or data loss due to any single point of failure in the network.
If there is a minimum number of connections, servers, pathways etc to keep a network or technology completely functional, that amount must then be doubled or more. A non-redundant network has exactly that many connections. A redundant network has more, extras, spares, etc. In order to provide a path connecting all the commuting technology, they have more not one, but several possible connecting links. The more redundant the network, the more spares they have that can bear the burden of the technical load in case of failure to a key part, either hardware or software. Generally, industry leaders and technology providers that are highly dependant on their ability to always be available have high redundancy networks. Nuclear fission reactors and the CIA computer network are examples.
What that means for web conferencing, is that if you are a major corporation running an extremely important conference with 25-200 participants at varying geographical locations and time zones…having your web conferencing server go down mid-meeting is simply NOT an option. Redundancy answers this concern by routinely keeping the network running at 50% of its possible capacity. What does that mean, for the non-techno savvy? In simple terms, they don’t push their network to its capacity, in order to allow for the possibility of overload and equipment failure. Companies with redundant networks are able to offer their customers high service-level guarantees.
If at any given time, your network has enough power, connections etc for 10,000 people to be using it, and you only have 5,000 enrolled, you have 50% redundancy. Where it gets risky is when consumers opt to use networks that may cost less money, but have less redundancy. If your network can handle 10,000 consumers, and you have 11,000 enrolled, statistics would indicate that usually no more than 6,000-8,000 will be using it at the same time. But if for some reason, all 11,000 thousand wanted to use it at once, the system would fail, crash etc. for many of the users.
Every now and then, things malfunction or break. This is true with web conferencing. But if your network is only running at 50%, and is structured for extensive redundancy, when one element of the network experiences technical failure (called a ‘failover’), the burden of a running conference is smoothly shifted to the redundant, functioning equipment, which was the previously inactive 50% of the network.
In sports lingo, a highly redundant network keeps a solid line-up sitting on the bench in case one of the starters has an injury. The players can be switched out seamlessly without the game crashing to a halt. Even if the second string players spend the entire game sitting on the bench, they are still suited up and ready to report, vital for the conclusion of a successful game in case of emergency.