Compaq ProLiant 1200 Manual page 3

ECG0094/1197
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I
N T R O D U C T I O N
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Compaq researches and develops server subsystems expressly to eliminate single points of failure
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and minimize downtime through fault-prevention, fault-tolerance, and rapid-recovery technologies.
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Compaq emphasizes reliability, along with performance and other critical characteristics, because
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the cost of system downtime is a pressing concern to businesses of every size and variety.
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According to a 1996 study by Contingency Planning Research, the cost associated with system
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failure is enormous as much as $7.3 million per hour (Figure 1). Even in less network-dependent
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companies, the cost is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per hour.
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Brokerage
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Credit Card Sales Authorization Finance
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Catalog Sales
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Package Shipping
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ATM Network
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In light of the expense of lost business, data, productivity, and administrative time, companies now
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measure "acceptable" downtime in minutes
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Assessment Requirements Tracking Study, Executive Summary, 1996, by the Standish Group
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International (Figure 2). System availability is essential for companies in a broad range of
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industries.
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Finance $5.6-$7.3 M $6.45 M $107.5 K
$2.2-$3.1 M
Retail $60-$120 K
Transport $24.5-$32 K
Finance $12-$17 K $14.5 K
Figure 1: System failure is costly for today's businesses.
or even seconds
Eliminating Single Points of Failure (cont.)
Source:
Contingency Planning
Research, Inc.
$2.6 M $43.3 K
$90 K $1.5 K
$28 K $466
$242
according to Demand