How It Works
x10sure software is introduced on the same network as the production and failover servers to be managed for high availability. A Windows configuration boot copy of each OS + production application is created and stored on an available SAN device connected to these servers.
When x10sure is started, the software automatically remote boots any available x10sure production server from these images on the SAN device.
x10sure uses echo services or a ping to monitor these servers.If a monitored production server failure is detected, the x10sure high availability process manages the recovery:

• x10sure automatically monitors the production servers using an echo service to detect server failure.
• If a server failure is detected, x10sure first powers off the failed server to ensure no data corruption.
• Then x10sure remaps the Logical Unit Number (LUN) of the failed server image to the spare server.
• After remapping x10sure starts the identical image on the spare server.

In other words, the image of the crashed production server now boots and runs on the spare server.

Managed Servers
x10sure manages servers for high availability. Managed servers are listed by the user when the software is initially booted, and pre-registered during the initial configuration.
When x10sure starts up, it detects each boot image and begins the remote booting of that server. If the managed servers are already online, x10sure will start monitoring them. In case of a subsequent restart the same process will be followed. A failover will change the physical server underneath, but the same boot image will be used. Failed servers are optionally marked as unavailable or are restarted, depending onthe configuration setting. Failback of the original OS image is not automatic, to avoid potential problems, but a failback can be forced manually if the original server is not brokenand can come online again.

Images and Storage
Before x10sure is started, images of the Windows OS and each application must be createdf or each server and stored in a LUN on a SAN storage device. Creating images begins after the servers and the storage array have been set up and networked together. With
the first release there are two image creation options:
• Local installation with ServerView's Server Start via CDROM
• Remote Installation with ServerView's Server Start and/or Remote Deploy

Fault tolerance - at low cost with x10sure
Thanks to x10sure, the days when high fault tolerance meant high costs are over. Before, companies that wanted high availability could only attain it for their most important server services. Plus they had to adopt the traditional cluster approach: every operational server was flanked by a substitute one. The result: double the hardware, double the capital expense and double the licensing and maintenance costs. That kept many
small and medium-sized enterprises from introducing the security that today's dynamic business operations demand.
Now there is x10sure, a low-cost, lean alternative, even an expansion option for further servers. The solution monitors server operation around the clock. When it identifies a server failure, it initiates automatic
switchover to a substitute server, which then assumes the operation of the affected application within the briefest of times. That goes down well in the market, since x10sure not only pays off immediately in the form of far less investment and minimized running costs, but also offers a lot of other advantages. Because x10sure replaces manual monitoring of the quality of service with automated, rule-based real-time management without any user intervention, administration overhead is immediately reduced. A further advantage is in the »storage core« of x10sure. Since the solution boots the substitute server from a SAN system, implementation of x10sure also entails a centralized storage solution. Many small and medium-sized enterprises are inclined to take this step anyway in order to ensure faster and more secure backups and effective file management.

  The advantages of x10sure at a glance

•   - Automated backup of business processes
•   - High availability for low budgets
•   - Can be used for any application, even custom applications
•   - Support for PRIMERGY blade, rack and tower servers
•   - Simple implementation, easy administration and low maintenance costs

More:  www.fujitsu-siemens.com/x10sure                Also download: x10sure Data Sheet