Hi Everyone,
No topic area really covers my question and I suppose it best applies to Network Administration, so I will post it here.
Currently I work for a small network consulting business which services small to medium sized networks in both new installs and ongoing maintenance. However we are looking to expand into the area of high availability network systems and I was wondering if anyone here had any experience with that aspect of consultation and could shed some light on a few areas of confusion which I have.
Firstly, is the deployment and planning of high availability network systems the primary function of your company, or is it a service that is offered when necessary, but the ?meat and potatoes? of your company is in another area? Second, is the demand for high availability network systems high enough to support a consulting firm, or is the need usually met by internal staff? And lastly, are clients that require the services of high availability network systems found by the traditional routes (sales people making cold calls to the decision makers) or are they found indirectly, such as by giving seminars and making contact with the IT staff of a company that is looking to expand and requires help with high availability network systems?
I should also define my perception of high availability network systems. I see high availability network systems consisting of the precise planning and implementation of a system with multiple levels of redundancy to guarantee that even if the Apocalypse rains down upon us tomorrow the system will remain 100% functional. At a bare minimum that means absolutely everything is completely redundant, security and disaster planning is well defined and practiced, and in general the stability of the system is guaranteed 99.9% or better.
Thanks in advance!
Eric
