Re: Remote disaster recovery of Exchange idea

Thanks for your ideas, I've been thinking about that. I have passed your
comments and site to the powers that be.

How's this for another idea. We build the DR server, no AD, no Exchange.
Use Backup Exec to backup the main server, System state and Exchange and the
program files\exchsrvr.

On disaster, we take the backup data to the DR server. Restore all from
tape.

Thanks, Neal


"Ben Winzenz [Exchange MVP]" <ben_winzenz@nospamdotmessageonedotcom> wrote
in message news:%23aNmlBgsGHA.4784@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You've got bigger problems than whether BackupExec will allow you to
restore to another server.

How are you planning on moving mailboxes from the first server to the one
in the DR site? You won't be able to use the Exchange Tasks, Move Mailbox
wizard. You can look at changing the Exchange attributes on user
accounts, but unless you are good with ldif export/import, or are good at
scripting, that can take some time.

Are you willing to lose the data between the time of the backup and the
time of the disaster, because that's what would happen with the current
plan. How are you planning on taking care of the Outlook clients? If any
profiles get set up prior to moving mailboxes, the profiles will have to
be modified.

If you want my advice, if you can't set up a true disaster recovery
config, it isn't worth doing. If you make your current server as
redundant as possible (RAID volumes, redundant Power Supplies, etc.) and
have as part of your plan to have spare parts for critical pieces (i.e
extra hard drive, extra power supply), about the only thing that won't
protect you from is a building disaster (full power outage, building burns
down, etc.), or failure of a main system component, such as a motherboard
(pretty rare) or raid controller (also fairly rare).

If you want a solution that will protect you against a disaster, then
there are several solutions that will provide for temporary failover that
don't cost an arm and a leg. I don't often promote my company's solution
here, but in this case, it would really be a perfect fit for what you are
wanting to do. If you haven't already purchased the equipment, take a
look at our website (http://www.messageone.com) and look at the EMS
product.

--
Ben Winzenz
Exchange MVP
MessageOne
Read my blog!
http://winzenz.blogspot.com
http://feeds.feedburner.com/winzenz (RSS Feed)


"Neal" <neal@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23x4LmgesGHA.4784@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sure, sounds like a nice idea, but it's happening at the end of this
month. Also the budget won't let us go there, nor will the customer let
us run Ex 2007 till it's tried and proven (after SP1 they say).

Thanks Neal

"Andy David - MVP" <adavid@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:qhpic2ta3u05bg0rkfnumehhdvbpu5je6t@xxxxxxxxxx
On Fri, 28 Jul 2006 12:27:40 +1200, "Neal" <neal@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi there

We are going to put a new server in a hosting center, and let users
access
it with TS if the main office is unavailable (fire etc).

We are setting up a VPN link between the sites, and user data will be
synchronized by a file synch program from the main office to the
disaster
recovery server. However it is Exchange that has me thinking. What is
the
best way to do it?

We can take the new server to the office, install Windows (2003),
promote it
to a DC, then install Exchange (2003) and make it a second server in the
same organization. All mailboxes would remain on the main server.

We do not want to spend a lot of money on very expensive Exchange synch
software such as neverfail, and would be happy with one day downtime.
We
are thinking of putting an external USB drive on the main server, and
running a backup (Using Backup Exec) during the day to it. This would
be
taken home each night. If there was a disaster, this disk would be
taken to
the disaster recovery server and the data restored.

Can we do that with Exchange data? Will backup exec on the DR server
allow
us to restore to the wrong Exchange?

Thoughts please (-:

Thanks in advance, Neal



Wait for Exchange 2007 RTM and Continous CLuster REplication.

You can check out Beta 2 now.








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