I recently wrote an article Essential Guide to supporting a HA environment which talks about how you would manage the research and implementation of a HA environment. Recent news Vision Solutions Aquires Lakeview Technology does put a new spin on the content in some ways because the competition has been reduced somewhat. However you should still use the same logic when looking for the right product for your environment. I regularly visit the forums which are dedicated to the i5 and Availability, you will see many people recommending a solutions because it what works for them. I would recommend that you take many of the entries with a pinch of salt! I see many people only pushing a single product and make what are incorrect statements about its capabilities and position in the market place. Your environment including the skills you have to manage it will be a factor in the suitability of the solution, marketing statements are not necessarily facts!
Even though Vision now commands a very strong position in the HA market you should not stop your homework about the products available for your requirements. They still have income targets to meet and want your business. Doing your due diligence is more important now than ever before, if you go into any negotiation without all the facts you will be in a weaker position and probably end up paying for it.
Check out our Website to see what products exist to meet your requirements. We don’t distribute any of the products and don’t even know if all of the products are really suitable for those customers who need true HA solutions. But they are there to help the users see what alternatives they have and make educated decisions about the product they eventually decide to purchase.
If you only need data protection check out those solutions which are only for this purpose, HA products are really important if you need to switch to the target system and back again on a regular basis because they have object replication technology outside of journalling and they are designed to switch either automatically or with minimal user intervention. Our RAP/400 product is designed to meet a growing requirement for data protection without the overhead of a full blown HA product. Others listed on the website offer alternatives to the Vision selection of products and should be checked out as part of your research.
If you only need DR like solutions don’t think that going for a HA solution is going to be a better deal, these solutions have more complexity to allow them to perform effectively in a switch ready environment. Significant strides have been made to make them easier to use, but they still need a very savvy technologist to ensure it is going to meet your goals in the long term.
I hope this and the article help you in your quest for a solution which meets your requirements.
Chris..