Operation Manual

SFX SERIES USER’S GUIDE
Rev 2.2 116
Redundancy Option
If you have the Redundancy Option installed and enabled in your SFX series receiver, then this Appendix applies.
This appendix describes the operation of the Redundancy feature and the procedure for configuring the feature using
the Web GUI. The receiver can be configured for 1:1 redundancy, where there is one backup receiver per master
receiver or N for M redundancy, where several receivers can be backups for several other master receivers.
All redundancy configuration parameters can be setup using the Web GUI, Terminal Interface, or SNMP. Redundancy
cannot be configured using NetManager2. The Web GUI operation is described in this Appendix.
The redundancy feature is based on a proprietary IDC Equipment Redundancy Protocol (IDCERP), which is a
multicast IP protocol. This protocol has been in use in previous families of SRA and SFX series satellite receivers.
The master receiver (device) functions as a normal receiver, processing DVB packets and generating Sync/Async/Net
output. If redundancy is enabled, the master device also outputs Advertisement packets to announce itself to the
backup device(s). Only the master device generates LAN traffic (Advertisement packets). The Advertisement packets
are sent at a prescribed Advertisement interval, the trade-off being less LAN traffic vs. longer switch-over times. In
other words, the smaller the interval, the more often Advertisement packets are sent, and the faster the backup device
will switch to master status, due to a fault.
All backup device(s) are on the same LAN as the master device and must be of the same type and configuration as
the master. They also process incoming DVB packets, but have their output ports muted so that the data does not
collide with the data output by the master device. However, the backup device(s) do listen for Advertisement packets
from the master device.
A backup device will un-mute its ports and become a master if one of the following events occur:
1) the master device loses carrier lock;
2) the master device stops sending Advertisement packets;
3) the master device voluntarily gives up its master status.
Receivers with this feature enabled employ a filtering mechanism, based on a Device type and Group number.
Redundancy can be offered to devices of the same Device type, which belong to the same Group. For example, a
receive site could be configured with 4 receivers of the same type (e.g. SFX3101R) listening on two different carriers.
Since all receivers are of the same type, receivers 1 and 2 (master and backup for the first carrier) could be placed in
one group, and receivers 3 and 4 (master and backup for the second carrier) could be placed in a second group. This
would prevent receivers on one carrier providing redundancy for the receivers on the other carrier.
Appendix C