Reliability Statement
MNI's services, including IndustrySelect and IndustryNet, are critical applications used by thousands of customers every day. System stability, uptime, and safety is a top priority for us.
System Reliability
How does MNI make its websites and services reliable?
We build our software platform so that MNI's services, including IndustrySelect and IndustryNet, are available and accessible in a variety of disaster scenarios. This includes situations such as server hardware failures, loss of internet connectivity, loss of AC power, and more (explained in detail below). Disaster recovery (DR) planning is an essential part of our operations, and we conduct routine DR testing to verify preparedness.
Are MNI's websites and services always available?
Our goal is to ensure you can always access your IndustrySelect or IndustryNet account. There may be times when our services are unavailable due to scheduled maintenance, hardware failures, or connection outages. In the event of an outage, MNI's technical team is dispatched as soon as the failure is detected, working diligently to restore service. We are proud to maintain a rolling 12-month 99.85% uptime average across our services. For real-time service status, please visit our Status page.
What steps does MNI take to mitigate hardware failures?
We have built a high level of redundancy into our tech stack. Our services are distributed across multiple servers. All servers run RAID-5 (or higher) hard drive configurations with hot-swappable drives and power supplies to ensure that common hardware failures do not result in downtime. For more serious failures, we maintain on-site backup hardware for virtually every scenario, from servers and switches to more specialized systems like firewalls and backup appliances. Our ability to quickly replace or swap hardware helps us maintain reliability. Every issue we encounter becomes an opportunity to refine our processes and improve future resilience.
What steps does MNI take to mitigate power loss and/or internet connection outage?
Our server facility includes a commercial-grade battery backup system that can power the entire facility for up to an hour. Because MNI operates a natural gas-powered generator that starts automatically after about 30 seconds of power interruption, the battery backup time is usually more than sufficient. To mitigate internet outages, MNI contracts with multiple internet providers, each delivering connectivity through distinct infrastructures. This reduces the likelihood of simultaneous connection failures. Our firewall is configured with automatic failover, so if the primary connection fails, the backup connection activates instantly.
Data Safety
Is my data safe with MNI?
Our databases are designed following best practices for data safety and recovery. All data stored on the MNI platform is encrypted and replicated to both a local backup appliance and to the cloud. The local backup allows for swift data recovery with minimal downtime. The offsite cloud backup is an emergency solution in case of a catastrophic event, such as fire or flood, and is physically located in a different geographic region to protect against regional disasters. Both local and offsite backups are versioned so we can revert data to a previous point in time. Local backups are kept for 1 year, while offsite backups are retained indefinitely.
Is my data secure with MNI?
Our backups utilize a robust combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical encryption. We implement 256-bit AES encryption, surpassing the standards commonly used by government agencies. Your data remains encrypted both while it is transferred offsite and during storage. We use SSL/TLS to protect data in transit between our servers and our offsite backup. For complete information on how MNI handles data security, we encourage you to view our Security Policy.
Recoverability and Reliance
What is the geographical location of the site where my data is stored?
MNI data is primarily stored in our datacenter in a northern suburb of Chicago, USA. This central Midwest location provides fast connection speeds nationwide. Data replicated to the cloud is stored in geographically separate locations to guard against regional disasters.
How does MNI ensure all my data is backed up and can be restored in case of a disaster?
MNI's disaster recovery plan employs both local and offsite backups, ensuring multiple copies of data are available if needed. Local backups enable us to restore data swiftly, often within minutes. Offsite backups provide a safety net in case of large-scale disasters, such as a severe regional weather event.
Can I recover my data if I accidentally delete it?
Depending on the context of the deletion, it may be possible to restore your data within one day of accidental deletion. Customers can contact MNI to determine whether recovery is possible and how best to proceed.
Automatic Monitoring and System Status
What does MNI do to monitor its systems?
MNI uses industry-leading monitoring tools and independent 3rd party services to oversee server, network, and application performance. Any detected failures or anomalies trigger automated actions (e.g., failover to a secondary internet provider) or alerts for our technical team to investigate manually. Our goal is to detect and resolve issues proactively, often before customers become aware of any interruption.
We're not able to connect to an MNI website or service. How can we resolve this?
Numerous factors can lead to a website being temporarily unavailable. We recommend checking our Status page first to see if there is a known issue with MNI services or a regional internet outage. If the Status page does not show an active issue, contact our technical support team for further assistance.
How does MNI keep customers informed during service issues?
If an issue arises that might affect the availability of MNI services, and our websites remain online, we will post an update immediately. We also post non-critical maintenance updates on our websites. In the event of a serious outage, we may send an email update to users. Additionally, our Status page provides ongoing updates regarding any outages or known service incidents.
Questions, comments, or feedback can be directed to:
MNI
Attention: Legal
1633 Central Street
Evanston, IL 60201
Email Legal
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