A network with high availability provides alternative means by which all infrastructure paths and key servers can be accessed ax all times. The Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP) is one of those software features that can be configured to provide Layer 3 redundancy to network hosts. HSRP optimization provides immediate or hnk-specific failover as well as a recovery mechanism. Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) and Gateway Load Balancing Protocol (GLBP) are derivatives of HSRP, providing additional Layer 3 redundancy features such as load balancing.