Technical Architecture
Client
The At Risk Registry can be accessed from anywhere in the world via a web browser. It uses a highly robust and flexible framework to provide the user with a rich user interface and secure access to data. It is compatible with all of the major browsers including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Safari.
Server
The At Risk Registry is a web-based application that employs a combination of redundant, fail-over Xserve rack-mounted servers using multiple Dual Core Intel Xeon processors. The application is built on an open source stack comprised of Apache, MySQL, PHP, and the Zend Framework. The servers are monitored 24 hours a day by a team of UNIX specialists. Servers are hosted in multiple data centers across the country utilizing:
- Multiple fiber connections via SONET rings
- Load balancing as well as fail-over redundancy across these connections are carried out with BGP v4 (Border Gateway Protocol)
- Strategic peering agreements with other large networks at multiple locations such as PAIX (Palo Alto Internet Exchange) and Commix (formerly Utah Rep)
Hosting Environment
Security: The facilities have 24 hour, biometric building access, on-site security personnel and video monitoring of facility 24/7.
Power: Diesel generator in combination with a next-generation UPS and automatic transfer switch system to provide steady, clean, hospital grade, uninterruptible electricity to the servers.
Environment: Raised floor with neutral, grounded, anti-static tiles.
Disaster Recovery
Data on the production servers is mirrored each night to backup production servers. The data is also stored on near-line backup servers for five days and copied to tape and transported to a secure offsite backup facility. In the event of a production server failure, the application automatically fails over to the backup production servers. Additionally, the fact remains that SCS is headquartered in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina provided the opportunity to carry our contingency plans well beyond planning or testing phases. SCS successfully confirmed its system contingency plans work. The result of Katrina on the SCS system was: No lost or compromised data and no user ever lost access to the system.