When you decide to archive email and other online communication data, choosing the right archiving appliance is the first and most crucial step. To be able to ingest, index, store and quickly retrieve enormous quantities of email data, your archiving solution needs to be powerful and very reliable. It can’t be susceptible to data corruption, hardware failure or power outages. That’s why server or enterprise-grade hardware features are the foundation of a top-notch email archiving solution.
Just like a server, your email archiver needs to run non-stop and handle massive amounts of data. Server grade hardware is built to endure continuous use and the heavy workload of enterprises. There are several features that ensure smooth and error-free operation of your archiving solution. These include server grade chipsets, ECC RAM, SAS hard drives, RAID array and a redundant power supply unit (PSU).
What is redundant PSU?
Redundant PSU is an example of hardware redundancy, a topic we wrote about recently. In computing and email archiving, redundancy refers to the practice of duplicating critical components (in this case, your power supply) in order to provide backup in case of component failure as well as increase reliability and dependability.
How does it work?
Redundant power supply contains two or more power supply units, each of which is capable of powering the entire archiving appliance. However, only one will run at a time. In case one power supply unit fails, the other one will take over and keep your appliance going. This switch between the power supplies is seamless and it doesn’t disrupt the normal use of the device.
Redundant PSU is a vital feature in enterprise computing, where stability and continuity are key, because it minimizes the chance of appliance shutdown or failure.
In modern business where online communication is key, downtime and hardware failure can result in email archive unavailability and have a bunch of negative consequences, especially if your organization is in the middle of a lawsuit or an FOI request.
Do I really need this extra layer of protection?
Absolutely! Research shows that a power supply unit failure is likely to occur at least once in 4 years. This type of failure is serious because it causes the entire archiving appliance to be knocked offline. The causes of failure can vary from fans, capacitors and voltage spikes to environmental issues. A PSU can fail in the middle of the night or over the weekend, when it can’t be replaced for hours or even days. With a redundant power supply unit, you can rest assured that your archiving solution will be working without interruptions and that no emails will be missing when you need them.
And finally, while it is true that the costs of getting a redundant PSU are a bit higher, this is cheap insurance against failure and loss of data for organizations that truly value the security of their archived data and want to ensure complete compliance with relevant regulations.
All Jatheon’s cCore archiving appliances contain enterprise-grade hardware and are equipped with redundant power supply units. To learn more about the importance of server-grade hardware, read our eBook 5 Reasons to Choose an Archiving Appliance with Server-Grade Hardware. To find out more about how Jatheon can assist you in implementing an email archiving solution, schedule a demo today.
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