Identifying Your Risks

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Identifying your risks

When you identify network risks, you identify the possible failures that can interrupt access to network resources. A single point of failure is any component in your environment that would block data or applications if it failed. Single points of failure can be hardware, software, or external dependencies, such as power supplied by a utility company and dedicated wide area network (WAN) lines.

In general, you provide maximum reliability when you:

• Minimize the number of single points of failure in your environment.

• Provide mechanisms that maintain service when a failure occurs.

In the case of Network Load Balancing, you also provide maximum reliability when you:

• Load balance only applications appropriate to Network Load Balancing.

• Make sure that the application servers are properly configured for the applications they are running.

This section covers the following areas:

• Addressing your risks

• Determining which applications to use with Network Load Balancing

For more information about monitoring recommendations for high-availability systems, see the "System Performance and Troubleshooting Guide" at the Microsoft Windows Resource Kits Web site. For more information about maximizing the availability of a Network Load Balancing cluster, see the "Server Management Guide" at the Microsoft Windows Resource Kits Web site.