Contents

Introduction

You can optionally deploy a pair of Edge 8000 devices for High Availability. High Availability (HA) protects SIP to SIP calls using SBC SWe Edge HA functionality. HA functionality enhances resiliency by offering Active and Standby SWe Edge instances. When the Active instance fails during a call, the Standby instance takes over call management to maintain the call.

The Active and Standby SWe Edge instances operate using a single HA license. At the time of initial setup, you install the HA license on the Active instance. Once accepted, the HA system replicates the information to the Standby instance.

Provisioning for HA can only be done at the time of initial installation and only for a pair of devices that solely support SIP to SIP calls. Additional limitations apply. See Limitations.

For installation and HA activation instructions, refer to Workflow for Initial Setup - High Availability.

Architecture

In an Edge 8000 High Availability setup, two Edge 8000 devices share the responsibility of the HA function. Each device’s gigabit Ethernet 5 (ge5) port (internal Bridge 4, SBC SWe Edge logical interface Ethernet 3 in the following example) serves the WAN side of the network. The ge1 port (internal Bridge 1, SBC SWe Edge logical interface Ethernet 1) serves the LAN side of the network. Each device has a unique IP address for its management connection (Admin port ge7). The two devices physically connect through a back-to-back Ethernet connection of their corresponding HA interface ports (ge6 in the following example).

During the initial setup, the Standby device (8300-2 in the example) receives its own Eth1 and Eth3 IP address assignments (IP Assign Method: Static). Once you enable HA, the Standby instance monitors the Active instance through the HA interface (port ge6). When a failover occurs, the HA function assigns the Eth1 and Eth3 addresses from the (former) Active instance to the Standby instance, and the Standby instance acts as the new Active instance to process calls.

The following diagram depicts a typical HA setup. Your network administrator will assign specific IP addresses to suit the needs of your particular network topology. The physical ports associated with the Edge 8000 Bridge 1 assignments supporting the LAN network can be any of the available ge1 through ge8 ports, exclusive of the port used for the HA interface (shown as ge6 in the example). Likewise, the physical port associated with the Edge 8000 Bridge 4 assignment supporting the WAN network can be any of the available ge1 through ge8 ports, exclusive of the port being used for the HA interface, or one of the available SFP ports, sfp9 or sfp10.

HA Architecture: Deployment Example

Limitations 

The following limitations apply for Edge 8000 HA functionality:

  • Deployment
    • HA can only be provisioned at the time of initial installation. Ribbon does not offer a path for stand-alone (SA) to HA conversion.
    • High Availability through a pair of Edge 8000 devices only applies to SIP to SIP calls (excludes analog).
    • HA ports connecting two devices are only allowed on the same subnet.
    • The HA interface requires a single back-to-back Ethernet cable connecting the HA ports of the two Edge 8000 devices.
    • DHCP on the HA Interface is not supported.
    • Geo Redundancy is not supported. The two Edge 8000 devices must be co-located.
    • Edge 8000 devices only support floating IPs on the packet interfaces, not the HA or Admin interfaces.
    • Edge 8000 devices do not support card redundancy or port redundancy.
  • Data Replication

    • The Standby instance does not replicate Alarms, Counters, and CDR details. 
    • The Standby instance does not replicate caches.
    • The Active and the Standby instances do not store backup CDR and VQ files in the database.
    • The Active and the Standby instances do not share a Debug Facility, Monitor View, or Logging details. Each instance only shows its details.

  • Call Features
    • SIP recording, Video calls, and Music On Hold do not support switchover scenarios.
  • Others
    • SNMP Proxy from the Standby instance to the Active instance, so that SNMP requests always get a response regardless of which instance receives the request, is not supported.
    • Using Service Discovery to find a RAMP instance when RAMP is configured for HA is not supported.
    • The Edge Edge 8000 does not support card redundancy or port redundancy.

Licenses

You must purchase an HA SKU to deploy HA on your system. Once you place an order through the Ribbon Partner Portal for HA functionality, Ribbon sends you an email that contains information on where to obtain the license associated with your system. You will receive one license for the HA pair.