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🛠 Project 11 — High Availability, Monitoring & Recovery

Network Systems

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Project 11: High Availability, Monitoring & Recovery

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Type: Packet Tracer + design Modules: 11 (Performance & Recovery), 01 (Hardware) Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

🎯 Objective

Build redundancy into a network so no single failure causes an outage, add monitoring, apply QoS for voice, and write a backup/DR plan that meets defined RTO/RPO targets.

🧭 Scenario

Harbor Logistics cannot tolerate downtime on its core. You will add redundant paths, a redundant gateway, monitoring, and a recovery plan.

📌 Part A — Redundancy (Packet Tracer)

  1. Redundant links + STP — connect two switches with two links; confirm spanning tree blocks one and fails over when the active link drops.
  2. Link aggregation — bundle two links into an EtherChannel (LACP) for more bandwidth and resilience.
  3. First-hop redundancy — configure HSRP (or VRRP) so two routers present one virtual gateway; test failover by shutting the active router.
R1(config-if)# standby 1 ip 192.168.1.1
R1(config-if)# standby 1 priority 110
R1(config-if)# standby 1 preempt

📈 Part B — Monitoring & QoS

  1. Enable SNMP (v3) so a monitoring station can poll device stats; identify what a baseline would capture.
  2. Configure QoS to prioritize voice (mark with DSCP EF, give it a priority queue) and explain the effect on latency/jitter.
  3. Describe using port mirroring (SPAN) to feed an analyzer/IDS.

📌 Part C — Backup & Disaster Recovery (design)

  1. Define RTO and RPO targets for the core service.
  2. Apply the 3-2-1 backup rule; explain how it defends against ransomware.
  3. Choose a DR site — hot / warm / cold — to meet the RTO, with the cost trade-off.
  4. Note relevant RAID level for the file server and the role of UPS/generator.

✅ Verification Checklist

  • STP blocks a redundant link and reconverges after a failure.
  • EtherChannel bundles links (show etherchannel summary).
  • HSRP virtual gateway survives the active router going down (hosts keep pinging out).
  • SNMP polling works; QoS marks/prioritizes voice.
  • DR plan states RTO/RPO and a matching site type.

📦 Deliverables

  • Packet Tracer file with STP/EtherChannel/HSRP (local).
  • A one-page backup + DR plan (RTO/RPO, 3-2-1, site choice).

🚀 Stretch Goals

  • Add a load balancer in front of two web servers.
  • Calculate the downtime allowed by a 99.99% availability target.

See also notes: [[11-03-high-availability]], [[11-02-monitoring]], [[11-04-fault-tolerance-and-recovery]]