High availability (HA) digital signage ensures screens stay operational despite component failures — network outages, player hardware failures, power interruptions, and CMS downtime. SpinetiX achieves HA through autonomous architecture: each player caches content locally, operates schedules independently, and auto-recovers from power loss. For mission-critical installations (transport, emergency, 24/7 operations), additional redundancy layers — dual players, UPS power, and display input switching — push availability above 99.99%.
When High Availability Matters
- Transport FIDS — departure boards cannot go dark during peak transit hours
- Emergency signage — evacuation and alert displays must function when everything else fails
- 24/7 operations — control rooms, hospitals, and security operations that never close
- Revenue-generating displays — advertising screens where downtime means lost revenue
HA Design Principles for Signage
Principle 1: Autonomous Players
SpinetiX players are self-sufficient. Content, schedules, and data rendering all execute locally. The CMS (Elementi/Arya) is only needed for content updates — not for ongoing playback. This eliminates the CMS as a single point of failure. Compare with server-dependent systems: if the central server fails, all screens go dark. With SpinetiX, all screens keep playing.
Principle 2: Local Content Cache
Every SpinetiX player stores a complete copy of its content on internal flash storage. Network disconnection? Player keeps showing content. Server maintenance? No impact on playback. Content remains on the player until explicitly replaced by a newer version.
Principle 3: Auto-Recovery
SpinetiX players automatically reboot and resume playback after power loss. No manual intervention — plug in power, player boots, content plays. DSOS starts in under 30 seconds. This is critical for unattended installations where no IT staff is present (retail stores, transit stops, remote sites).
Principle 4: Dual-Player Redundancy
For mission-critical displays, deploy two players per screen. The display's auto-input switching detects signal loss on the primary HDMI input and switches to the secondary input (backup player). Both players receive the same content. If the primary fails, the backup takes over with zero downtime and zero content gap.
HA Tiers
| Tier | Configuration | Uptime Target | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Single player, local cache | 99.5% | Retail, lobby, general info |
| Standard | Single player + UPS | 99.9% | Corporate, hospitality |
| High | Dual players + UPS | 99.99% | Transport, emergency |
| Critical | Dual players + UPS + dual displays | 99.999% | Control rooms, military |
Key Parameters
| Parameter | SpinetiX Value | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Boot time | <30 seconds | Fast recovery after power restoration |
| CMS dependency | None for playback | CMS failure doesn't affect screens |
| Content cache | Complete on local flash | Network loss doesn't affect playback |
| MTBF | 100,000+ hours | Industrial-grade reliability |
| Power consumption | 6W | Small UPS provides hours of protection |
Common Mistakes
- Server-dependent architecture. If all players depend on a central server for playback (not just updates), the server becomes a single point of failure. SpinetiX's autonomous model avoids this by design.
- No monitoring. You can't fix what you can't see. Deploy fleet monitoring to detect player failures, network issues, and content staleness before users notice.
- Same-circuit power for dual players. Deploying two redundant players on the same power circuit provides no protection against circuit breaker trips. Wire primary and backup players on different circuits or add a UPS.
- Not testing failover. Install dual-player redundancy but never test the switchover? You'll discover the display doesn't auto-switch inputs when the primary fails in production. Test failover during commissioning and annually.