Cluster/Failover scenario to run by ya'll.

[cajuntank]

I am a K-12 school district and have seven sites. Four of these sites have 3300 IP PBX(s) on them now (although they are my smaller sites). I believe the 3300's are the CX model if that helps. What my thinking is, is to take 3 of those 3300 CX(s) and place them at more stategic locations (1 at my district office where I have a PRI coming in that gives service to us and 3 smaller schools, and 1 at each of my larger campuses...there is a PRI at each of those campuses as well). We are all connected to each other over MetroEthernet that bursts up to 1Gb.

So my thoughts were to have us at the district office and my three smaller schools use one 3300 CX as the primary controller and then one of the others as the secondary. I understand I would have to purchase licensing enough for the greatest total denomonator. Then say one of the other larger campuses use theirs as the primary and then the district office as the secondary, etc...

This way even if our controller,switch,or fiber was down, the other schools would still be able to work off of one of the other controllers.

Is this a legetimate scenario?

 

[kwbMitel]

2 Major Considerations.

911 Dialing - Will the sites with only sets (no Controller) be able to dial 911 and give the correct caller ID for address etc. If not, as this is a school, you have some major liability issues to address.

Points of failure - If the WAN connection goes down, the sites without a local controller will lose all connectivity resilient or otherwise. Again this would be a 911 liability

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Occam's Razor - All things being equal, the simplest solution is the right one.

 

[cajuntank]

My PRI is through AT&T and they are implementing (don't ask me what the proper name for it is) where the address reported is based on the specific DID number even though it's one PRI.

I had that thought also. My first inclination is Line Interface Modules so we can plug in a POTS line to key hand sets (maybe like the secretary and the principal). We also have our "Bat phones" as we affectionately call them. Each principcal has a POTS line and phone at his or her desk so the superintendant has a direct line to them even during extended power outage situations. They are rarely used anymore as Blackberrys have become the "go to" means, but the other is still in place.

I am in need of some relief at my bigger campuses as I am continually wasting money on AVAYA TDM equipment as stuff breaks.