Responding to Network Problems

On Tuesday of this week, around 7:45AM, a power fluctation knocked out a primary network device.  The device was a Cisco ASA firewall, which bridged the gap between the Blair network and the internet.  We identified the problem, brought a replacement device on campus, and brought the network back online around 12:15PM.  Total downtime was 4 1/2 hours.  This was an unusual event this year at Blair, all other causes of loss of internet have been due to telecommunication problems outside of the school.  Increasingly, everything we do, from payroll to classroom assignments, relies on internet access.  Behind the scenes, we been quietly upgrading systems for some time.  We have been installing redundancies to critical systems, and connecting systems to uninterruptable power supplies and circuits with generator back-ups.  The result has been a network which is vastly more stable and dependable.  There are a lot of network systems at Blair, and we still have work to do.  We understand the importance of reliable internet access. Two brand new firewall units are on order, with larger capacity and a full redundancy, which will be installed as soon as they arrive.