Main/backup solution

When highest reliability is required in a building automation project, our NETx BMS Platform as well as our NETx MP Server can be integrated as a main/backup solution. This means that two server instances are installed on two different locations – either on two different physical servers/workstations or within two different virtual machines. Such a main/backup solution has the following advantages:

• Increased reliability: in case of a hardware failure (e.g. corrupted memory or a defect hard disk), the physical workstation will fail and crash. In such a case, the backup server can take over the control. 
• Eases maintenance tasks: reduced downtime for maintenance tasks. For example, if the Windows operating system has been updated, a reboot may be required. During such a reboot, the backup server can take over.
• Changing configuration without downtime: for some configuration changes, the NETx Server has to be restarted. Again, during this restart the backup server can take over.

The following sections provide for details about the main/backup functionality:

• Main/backup architecture
• Which components will be synchronized?
• Synchronizing the SQL database
• Main/backup: support for clients, interfaces and modules