Newbie Question.. Mirroring Port not available? Fault tolerance setup?

limdin · 02-04-2010, 11:27 AM

I've read about mirroring port on this forum and someone said it can't be done.
This is our current network. Internet - Firewall - Switch
If I install Untangle as a bridge mode, Internet - Firewall - Untangle - Switch.. what would happen when UT fails, hardware dies? I can't have our network go down at any given time unless it is ISP's fault. Is there a way to setup Untangle as fault tolerant?

I'm interested in web site monitoring, and protocol control.

Thank you in advance.

sky-knight · 02-04-2010, 11:47 AM

Welcome to the Untangle Forums!

There are fail through nics available out there, these devices will allow the network traffic to pass when the device owning the nic is powered down.

There is nothing you can do to forward traffic if the device locks up. But, with proper monitoring, and an alarm system capable of firing a script... it's a bit of work but possible to use a fail through nic, and an IP power switch to achieve what you ask.

Also, your expectation is a bit unrealistic. Things break, and that fact of life is unavoidable. Redundancy is an option, and high availability is possible too, but this slippery slope of "it can never break" will take you down a very dark, never ending, and increasingly expensive road. How far is your budget going to let you travel?

dwasserman · 02-04-2010, 12:21 PM

If the untangle in bridge mode fail, (power supply, mobo, etc), just by pass it by re cabling.
In router mode you must replace by other device with routing functions , aka router.

limdin · 02-04-2010, 02:25 PM

Thanks sky-knight and dwasserman for your suggestions.

If UT's fails, like you said I can just re-cable it. But if it happens overnight when no one is here - these are the things I'm trying to avoid. Furthermore, yeah the network can go down for few minutes but Sales Dept are gonna chase me down if it happens - lol. I guess fail through NIC is probably the way to go in my case pending budget approval from my boss.

Thanks.

sky-knight · 02-04-2010, 02:37 PM

Right... but why worry about the Untangle? If Untangle is a bridge so the fail through works you still have a router there that is your responsibility. You have greater odds of a soho router failing than you do a properly built untangle server.

I'm just curious what benefit you're getting from the fail-through interface.

dwasserman · 02-04-2010, 04:27 PM

The UTM's with redundant features are in the corporate field and are very expensive. If your business can not afford to stop for a few hours pay for that, and much.

02-04-2010, 11:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
limdin Newbie Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2	Newbie Question.. Mirroring Port not available? Fault tolerance setup? I've read about mirroring port on this forum and someone said it can't be done. This is our current network. Internet - Firewall - Switch If I install Untangle as a bridge mode, Internet - Firewall - Untangle - Switch.. what would happen when UT fails, hardware dies? I can't have our network go down at any given time unless it is ISP's fault. Is there a way to setup Untangle as fault tolerant? I'm interested in web site monitoring, and protocol control. Thank you in advance.

02-04-2010, 11:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
sky-knight Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ URLs submitted: 7 Posts: 9,951	Welcome to the Untangle Forums! There are fail through nics available out there, these devices will allow the network traffic to pass when the device owning the nic is powered down. There is nothing you can do to forward traffic if the device locks up. But, with proper monitoring, and an alarm system capable of firing a script... it's a bit of work but possible to use a fail through nic, and an IP power switch to achieve what you ask. Also, your expectation is a bit unrealistic. Things break, and that fact of life is unavoidable. Redundancy is an option, and high availability is possible too, but this slippery slope of "it can never break" will take you down a very dark, never ending, and increasingly expensive road. How far is your budget going to let you travel? __________________ Intouch Technology Rob Sandling, BS:SWE, MCP Office: 480-272-9889 rob@intouchtechllc.com Last edited by sky-knight; 02-04-2010 at 11:50 AM..

02-04-2010, 02:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
sky-knight Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ URLs submitted: 7 Posts: 9,951	Right... but why worry about the Untangle? If Untangle is a bridge so the fail through works you still have a router there that is your responsibility. You have greater odds of a soho router failing than you do a properly built untangle server. I'm just curious what benefit you're getting from the fail-through interface. __________________ Intouch Technology Rob Sandling, BS:SWE, MCP Office: 480-272-9889 rob@intouchtechllc.com

02-04-2010, 12:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
dwasserman Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Argentina URLs submitted: 29 Posts: 2,165	If the untangle in bridge mode fail, (power supply, mobo, etc), just by pass it by re cabling. In router mode you must replace by other device with routing functions , aka router.

02-04-2010, 02:25 PM	#4 (permalink)
limdin Newbie Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2	Thanks sky-knight and dwasserman for your suggestions. If UT's fails, like you said I can just re-cable it. But if it happens overnight when no one is here - these are the things I'm trying to avoid. Furthermore, yeah the network can go down for few minutes but Sales Dept are gonna chase me down if it happens - lol. I guess fail through NIC is probably the way to go in my case pending budget approval from my boss. Thanks.

02-04-2010, 04:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
dwasserman Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Argentina URLs submitted: 29 Posts: 2,165	The UTM's with redundant features are in the corporate field and are very expensive. If your business can not afford to stop for a few hours pay for that, and much.