Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?

Subject: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 02:29 PM

For those of you not acquainted with the terms it is probably an irrelevent question but out of interest POC = proof of concept and HA = high availability!

For those of you that do know, I need to do a presentation in which the above subject is quite high on the agenda. The other bits - designing HA systems and comparing 2 different offerings (HP ServiceGuard and Veritas HA Clusters) I am quite happy with. But I am unclear on providing POCs in this environment. In all the work I have done it has been, by definition, Mission Critical. How do you provide a POC that may or may not suit the business when the application is vital to the business? I mean - if the POC doesn't work don't we loose business? I know we can run in a test environment but that is not realy a POC is it? Hmmmm.

I am of course investigating other sites and asking all the technologists I can think of but the Mudcat has been a great source of inspiration and ideas - I am sure it won't let me down now:-)

Cheers

Dave the Gnome

Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: Amos
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 04:22 PM

POC is often accomplished by building a prototype and running it to the customer's satisfaction. This inspires enough confidence to get them to fund the full development.

Is that what you are asking?


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Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 04:54 PM

Sounds good to me, Amos. The issue is with an HA solution though is that it often costs an awful lot of money to build. If it works well the theory is, as you say, the client then pays the full cost. However, it is often the case that the POC will do the job that you say it will and no further deveopments costs are required! What if the client decides not to fund it? For a small company (Like ours!) that could be disastrous. Even if they do agree it works, there has been an 'up front' cost that would seriously affect cash flow:-(

What I mean is how does a small company justify building the clients HA system without knowing if they are going to be paid or not? Would one of the 'big boys', like HP in our case, subsidise the development costs on the premise that they will get paid eventualy? I don't think that they would. Perhaps part of my POC presentation should be how to get funding in the first place? Hmmm.

Thanks for the input anyway. It is very much appreciated. Any thoughts at all, technical or not, may well help!

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: GUEST,ClaireBear
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 05:13 PM

When you first posted your question, it didn't occur to me that you were asking at as a would-be HP "business partner" (albeit an informal one) rather than as the company requiring the HA solution.

Dave, have you poked around on the HP Web site? HP is very crafty at selling services that do exactly what you are talking about. For example, go to this page and check out the "Evolution Pilot" service description (has to do with their NonStop server platform, but I think they have other such programs -- I just don't have time to hunt them up).

Not being an HP employee (I just edit some of their marcom collateral for an outside agency), I can't speculate whether they would have anything to offer your company, but I would think it couldn't hurt for you to ask. They are in the business of doing POCs in HA business scenarios, and they may have a way to take some of the risk out of it for would-be partners like you. Surely they have the facilities to make it happen -- the HP Solution Centers, for example, which you should also read up on -- and they must understand that they are in a better position to provide the POC than your firm would be.

Good luck!
Claire

Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 05:22 PM

Yes! Magic stuff, ClaireBear. I should have seen it before, but I didn't:-( That is exactly the type of thing that will help. The wierd thing is the presentation is about getting me moved from an HP partner to, potentialy, working for someone else who shall remain nameless for now. No - It isn't Lord Voldemort before any HP (Harry Potter) fans ask...

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone know anything about POC's for HA?
From: Amos
Date: 19 Nov 04 - 08:26 PM

LOL! Sounds like you found what you needed for starters!


A