Server Replication

[hcts]

Hi,

We have a client that us using a MS Windows 2000 Small Business Server with MS SQL Server and MS Exchange Server. They want to implement a disaster recovery strategy which includes purchasing a new server and mirroring the entire system from one server to the other and then taking the backup server off site.

Does anyone have any recommendations for this. Any experience? I have researched and found several software apps that claim they can do this, just want to see how it has worked in the trenches.

Thanks in advance,

James D. Howard

 

[ShackDaddy]

How often do they want to take a snapshot, or do they want continuous log shipping? Will the off-site server be online?

What EXACTLY is the outcome that the client is wanting? What's their target recovery window? Do they just want mail and SQL to be available, or do they want all SBS features, including authentication, to be back online? The fact that this is an SBS server makes some of this very tricky.

Why prefer backup server off-site over a recent <i>image</i> of the server off-site and a system handy to drop that image on?

ShackDaddy

 

[kmcferrin]

Because SBS is targetted to small businesses, it will lack many of the enterprise-class features that would make this easier. The SQL log shipping is just one such suggestion. For most businesses in that situation the only DR plan is a weekly tape backup (full backups one day, incremental backups the other 4/6 depending on your work week).

Typically if you're going for a hot site situation you would have clustering, replication, SAN mirroring, etc. Very little of that will be available on SBS.