Re: newbie help: failover server

From: RP (rp_at_nospam.com)
Date: 06/01/04 

Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 16:08:45 -0400

Geoff, after doing some reading it appears that log shipping is only
available in Enterprise Edition. We are running Standard Edition. What
options am I left with to have a cold standby server with upto date data
incase the primary goes down? You had some reservations against replication
since all database elements are not replicated. What other options do I
have, other than restoring the last known good backup on the secondary
server?

thanks!

"Geoff N. Hiten" <SRDBA@Careerbuilder.com> wrote in message
news:O4KuwU1QEHA.2132@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> Actually, it is the same rules. Size and scale may determine which
solution
> is best, but the inputs of cost and availability don't change. The only
> difference is a business decision of whether the additional uptime is an
> effective way to spend the company's money. Of course everyone has budget
> limits. Sometimes major availability enhancements take a while to get
> approved and implemented.
>
> No matter what the decision is, you are fine since management will now be
> aware of the risks and has active input in deciding how to mitigate them.
> This works the same no matter how big or small your business.
>
> Again, you can work on procedures, documentation, and training even
without
> a huge budget. I guarantee you that will improve system availability and
> recoverability.
>
> --
> Geoff N. Hiten
> Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> Senior Database Administrator
> Careerbuilder.com
>
> I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> www.sqlpass.org
>
> "RP" <rp@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:eoURYM1QEHA.2468@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > Thanks for the options. I will look into Log Shipping & the SQL Resource
> > Kit.
> >
> > As far as business decision vs technology decision, easier said than
done
> > when working for a company of your size. When it comes to small
business,
> a
> > whole different set of rules come into play.
> >
> > thanks again!
> >
> > "Geoff N. Hiten" <SRDBA@Careerbuilder.com> wrote in message
> > news:Ot1BHW0QEHA.2704@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > > Without Enterprise Edition and its associated clustering feature, your
> > next
> > > best availability technologies are replication and log shipping. I
> > strongly
> > > discourage replication as an availability option since many database
> > > elements are not replicated. Log shipping is included with Enterprise
> > > Edition, but you can 'roll your own' without too much difficulty. The
> SQL
> > > Server 2000 Resource Kit includes a simple log shipping example that
you
> > can
> > > adapt for your site. This will allow you to keep the data fairly
> current
> > > with your production server, but will require a fair amount of manual
> > > intervention to 'go live'.
> > >
> > > My suggestion is to examine your disaster recovery policy now and
offer
> > > alternatives to your management based on expected cost and expected
> system
> > > availability. SQL Clustering is one option and log shipping is
another.
> > > (You can combine them by log shipping to another site and really be
> > > prepared.) Offer them a choice and show what the different levels of
> > > spending actually buy in terms of system availability. You may be
> > surprised
> > > what becomes affordable when the choice is presented as a business
> > decision,
> > > not a technology decision.
> > >
> > > No matter which technology path you choose, documentation and training
> > will
> > > be the keys to meeting your availability targets. You must have a
good
> > plan
> > > and the personnel to implement it. Otherwise the technology doesn't
get
> > you
> > > squat.
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Geoff N. Hiten
> > > Microsoft SQL Server MVP
> > > Senior Database Administrator
> > > Careerbuilder.com
> > >
> > > I support the Professional Association for SQL Server
> > > www.sqlpass.org
> > >
> > > "RP" <rp@nospam.com> wrote in message
> > > news:uxFMQTzQEHA.2404@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > > > Hi all, Firstly let me apologize if any of my questions sound
stupid.
> I
> > am
> > > a
> > > > newbie when it comes to SQL Server. We currently have 1 server
running
> > SQL
> > > > with a couple of databases collectively approaching 2GB. The HDD's
are
> > > > configured on a RAID 5 and everything has been running OK. We just
> > > recently
> > > > experienced downtime with one of our other mail servers and there is
a
> > > > sudden focus on backup failover servers. Unfortunately we do not
have
> > the
> > > > budget to invest in Windows Advanced Server and SQL Enterprise for
> > > > clustering etc. It is my understanding that I can have a standby
cold
> > fail
> > > > over server with SQL installed that I can switch on, incase the
> primary
> > > goes
> > > > down. Is that true? If yes, what is the best way to set this up? Are
> > there
> > > > any best practices?
> > > >
> > > > In our recent server failure, the server would not even bootup. As a
> > > result
> > > > we could not even get access to the data on the hard drives. We had
to
> > end
> > > > up biting the bullet by being down the the most part of the day,
while
> > the
> > > > server OS was re-built. Assuming something similar happens on the
SQL
> > > > Server, how can I move the latest copy of the database over to the
> > > failover
> > > > server? Any suggestions? I know there are some options like having
an
> > > > external rackmount storage system, but to my knowledge those are
> pretty
> > > > expensive and provided by EMC etc.
> > > >
> > > > thanks a bunch!
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

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