Network Availability

The key link responsible for connecting and delivering CU*BASE/GOLD to all of the 200+ in-network credit unions nation-wide is the CU*Answers private Wide Area Network (WAN) consisting of redundant technology paths traversing multiple service providers. By combining both MPLS and Internet VPN technologies with auto-failover capabilities, data communication disruptions are minimized with the added benefit of performance at a reasonable cost.  Orchestrating a complex, highly available data communications network requires cooperation and coordination between the CUSO, credit union IT departments, and multiple third party service providers.

Network availability

 

Network availability is managed and monitored by CU*Answers Network Services at both the primary and secondary datacenters.

Data Encryption

Keeping member data secure is our highest priority. Not only is network traffic encrypted between networks over a secure router-to-router tunnel, data for each GOLD session is also encryption end-to-end, from the client all the way to the host.

Contact your CU*Answers Network Services associate for more information regarding CU*BASE data encryption.

Third Party EFT Vendor Network

The term “third party” implies that there is a third point of communications required to complete the B2B service transaction (credit union to CUSO to vendor). For critical services that client credit unions depend on for daily operations, it is in their best interest that they become familiar with the continuity and recovery plans for each party involved. Knowing what to expect in the event of a service disruption helps credit unions to plan accordingly.

CU*Answers has partnered with several EFT service providers (i.e. shared branching and ATM/Debit/Credit card processing) to enhance the availability of the EFT network at both the primary and secondary production datacenters through redundant data communication lines with auto-failover capabilities. CU*Answers is committed to network availability and will continue to pursue similar projects with all remaining vendors who to date have opted not to invest in redundant communication capabilities. Recovery procedures for these EFT vendors include client credit unions operating according to their “stand-in” processing arrangements until vendor connectivity is restored.

Contact your CU*Answers Network Services associate for more information regarding third-party EFT vendor networks.

For the Credit Union

Depending on the number of physical sites within your credit union, the amount of network traffic (bandwidth) required, and technology options available at each branch, multiple configurations for connectivity exist that help reduce the dependency on the main office by each branch location.  We recommend that network configurations with redundant lines are tested (failover) regularly to ensure connectivity during a service disruption.

For more information, see the Resilient Credit Union

Next Steps

CU*Answers offers professional and managed services to help you meet and exceed your recovery objectives. Contact a CU*Answers Continuity Consultant today to discover in-network solutions that best meet your business objectives.

 

AdvantageCIO

Professional Services available include:

  • Business Continuity Planning and Resilience Testing
  • Information Security Risk Assessment
  • Comprehensive Information Security Program (CISP)
  • Staff Security Training
  • IT Examination and Audit Preparation
  • IT Strategy Consulting
CU*Answers Network Services

Managed Services available include:

  • Network Management and Monitoring
  • Continuous Data Protection (CDP) including off-site data storage
  • Virtual Branch / Virtual Office
Updated
August 7, 2015

Reminder: Network Maintenance Scheduled for Sunday, February 6th

Reminder: Network Maintenance Scheduled for Sunday, February 6th

As a reminder, CU*Answers will be performing our next CU*BASE high-availability (HA) rollover on Sunday, February 6th.   That same morning, teams will be rolling over online and mobile banking systems to servers at our secondary data center. These rollovers are in preparation for a maintenance project at our production data center that will include… Read more »

Feb 3, 2022

Don’t Forget: The Next HA Rollover is This Weekend – We Need You to Perform a Connectivity Test!

Don’t Forget: The Next HA Rollover is This Weekend – We Need You to Perform a Connectivity Test!

Twice each year, CU*Answers tests our ability to redirect CU*BASE core-processing from our production data center to our high-availability (HA) data center.  The next HA rollover is scheduled for Sunday, February 6th. This rollover will enable support teams to perform planned network maintenance at the primary production data center without disrupting core processing.  The rollover… Read more »

Feb 2, 2022

[The Pulse] 2022 Business Continuity Plan Now Available

[The Pulse] 2022 Business Continuity Plan Now Available

CU*Answers Business Continuity Plan: 2022 Release Now Available As your core data processor, we continue to invest in high availability and recovery strategies to ensure that the products and services you count on us for are there when you need them. Implementing those strategies and responding when uncertainty happens requires a well-designed and thoroughly tested… Read more »

Jan 31, 2022

January 28 is Data Privacy Day – View Resources Available from CU*Answers

January 28 is Data Privacy Day – View Resources Available from CU*Answers

January 28th is observed as Data Privacy Day for all industries, including credit unions, to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices.  Much attention has been gained by the frequency and scope of recent data breaches and by privacy concerns on social media platforms. This attention to data privacy is paving the… Read more »

Jan 28, 2022

Network Maintenance Scheduled for Sunday, February 6th

Network Maintenance Scheduled for Sunday, February 6th

As previously announced, CU*Answers will be performing our next CU*BASE high-availability (HA) rollover on Sunday, February 6th.   That same morning, teams will be rolling over online and mobile banking systems to servers at our secondary data center. These rollovers are in preparation for a maintenance project at our production data center that will include… Read more »

Jan 27, 2022

The Next HA Rollover is Coming February 6th – We Need You to Perform a Connectivity Test!

The Next HA Rollover is Coming February 6th – We Need You to Perform a Connectivity Test!

Twice each year, CU*Answers tests our ability to redirect CU*BASE core-processing from our production data center to our high-availability (HA) data center.  The next HA rollover is scheduled for Sunday, February 6th. This rollover will enable support teams to perform planned network maintenance at the primary production data center without disrupting core processing.  The rollover… Read more »

Jan 14, 2022