Overview#
A 911 centre that goes dark during a storm is not just a system problem. Every call that can't connect, every dispatcher that can't reach a unit, has real consequences. The Argus Redundancy & Failover module is designed around a single principle: 911 does not go offline.
The module delivers mission-critical system resilience for emergency communications centres, ensuring near-continuous uptime through multi-layered redundancy, automatic failover, and comprehensive disaster recovery capabilities. Single points of failure are eliminated across telephony, applications, networks, and power infrastructure. When something fails, the system detects it, switches to backup components, and keeps call-taking running. Dispatchers may not even notice.
Key Features#
- Multi-Layered System Redundancy: Diverse carrier routing with geographically separated paths, redundant infrastructure at every level, and elimination of single points of failure across all critical systems
- Automatic Failover: Rapid automatic failover for telephony and application systems that detects failures and switches to backup components with minimal service interruption and near-complete call preservation
- Health Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of trunk availability, call paths, audio quality, network infrastructure, and power systems with predictive alerts that detect issues before they cause operational impact
- Disaster Recovery: Tiered recovery plans covering single-component failures, site-level outages, and regional disasters with backup PSAP activation, mobile command deployment, and zero data loss during transitions
- Backup PSAP Operations: Fully equipped backup facility with duplicate systems, real-time data replication, dedicated network connectivity, and trained staff ready for rapid activation
- Mobile Command Capability: Deployable mobile command units for field operations when fixed facilities are unavailable, with full dispatch capability and connectivity to backup systems
- Predictive Maintenance: Proactive alerting based on system health trends reduces mean time to repair and prevents many failures before they affect operations
- Testing and Validation: Structured testing programmes for component-level failover, site failover, and full disaster recovery scenarios to verify readiness and measure actual recovery times
Use Cases#
- Maintaining uninterrupted 911 call-taking and dispatch operations during infrastructure failures such as server outages, network disruptions, or power loss through automatic failover to redundant components
- Activating backup PSAP facilities during site-level emergencies such as building evacuations, natural disasters, or prolonged utility outages with rapid transition and zero data loss
- Deploying mobile command units for field-based dispatch operations during special events, multi-agency incidents, or when fixed facilities are temporarily unavailable
- Conducting regular failover testing and disaster recovery drills to validate system readiness and ensure staff are prepared for actual emergency scenarios
- Supporting regional dispatch consolidation with resilient infrastructure designed for multi-agency shared services
- Providing island and remote emergency services with failover paths that account for satellite connectivity and limited terrestrial redundancy options
Integration#
The module connects with telephony systems, CAD platforms, network infrastructure, power systems, radio gateways, incident management platforms, and building management systems to provide comprehensive monitoring and coordinated failover across all critical dispatch infrastructure.
Open Standards#
- NENA i3 Standard (NENA-STA-010.3): The NG9-1-1 i3 architecture defines the Emergency Services Routing Proxy (ESRP) primary and failover PSAP chain; the module implements this chain, including Border Control Function x.509 material and inter-PSAP routing policy evaluation.
- NENA-STA-006.3 NG9-1-1 GIS Data Model: PSAP boundary layers from this standard are used to determine which PSAP is primary or failover for a given call location, underpinning every routing and failover decision.
- Location-to-Service Translation Protocol, RFC 5222 (LoST): The module queries a LoST server with a PIDF-LO location to resolve the correct PSAP routing URI, including fallback to the failover chain when the primary PSAP is unavailable.
- Session Initiation Protocol, RFC 3261 (SIP): Call routing, carrier path switching, and telephony failover are built on SIP; the ESRP selects and activates backup SIP trunk paths when primary routes fail.
- Transport Layer Security (RFC 5246 / RFC 8446): Inter-PSAP buddy health probes and failover notifications use HTTPS with mutual TLS, consistent with the NENA-STA-010.3 Border Control Function security requirements.
- DFB Common Core Standard DFB-BCDR-001: The active/active buddy partner capability, where two PSAPs mutually register, perform periodic health probes, and notify each other on failover, is implemented directly against this statutory requirement.
Last Reviewed: 2026-02-04 Last Updated: 2026-04-14