Re: mirroring 2 servers for disaster
From: Adi Oltean [MSFT] (aoltean_at_microsoft.com)
Date: 12/01/04
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Date: 30 Nov 2004 21:00:34 -0800
Hi Dana,
It is possible to implement a fully automatic solution using hot
swapping shadow copies to restore your DS or Exchange server. You have
to use the VSS (Volume Shadow copy Service) infrastructure in Windows
Server 2003.
See this whitepaper for more details:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/wss2003/techinfo/plandeploy/W2K3ActDirFastRec.mspx
Thanks, Adi
P.S. This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
"Dana Brash" <dbrash@NOSPAM.gmail.com> wrote in message news:<e633BsQ1EHA.1152@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl>...
> Ah, yes, I mis-interpreted the name issue as meaning both servers were the
> same name-brand (to establish they were identical systems) but that's
> obviously covered by them being 'identical hardware'. It seems like the
> name issue then is probably about giving clients (the ones that haven't
> burnt down with the rest of the building) access to resources. If the
> offsite DC was pulled into the production environment, clients could be
> easily redirected to new shares by modifying the logon scripts, but all the
> DSN's would have to be recreated. There's probably a way to script that as
> well, but I wouldn't know how to do it right off. So the same name
> requirment makes some amount of sense, but could probably be worked around.
>
> I agree that DFS replication would probably not be suitable for replicating
> large amounts of data frequently, but if the data volume is not great then
> it would work, particularly after the initial sync. This problem is made
> worse by the use of DSL's slower upload speeds. I also agree that regular
> backups (and taking the tapes offsite) is probably the best way to protect
> the data, though it doesn't cover the immediate recovery requirment as well
> as DFS, IF DFS is an appropriate solution for his file data volume.
>
> Using hot swapped mirrors is a great idea, but is not exactly an automatic
> solution. Swapping them out on the production DC is easy, but at the
> offsite DC you'd need to break the mirror, introduce the shadow copy disk,
> rebuild a mirror from the copy onto the original disk, and then probably
> import foreign media in Windows. Do-able, but not immediate....
>
> Another issue with mirrors is expense, particularly if he's done anything
> about optimizing his drive configuration and created several different
> arrays on the servers. Also, if there is RAID5 involved (e.g. for
> SQL/Oracle data) this also wouldn't work for the data part of the solution.
> Still, mirrors would work wonderfully for making sure to get all the file
> data, particularly if all the data is on one drive/array.
>
> The way I interpreted the requirements:
> > > ...if the building burns down we can just take the
> > > duplicate offsite server and use it without loss of data or
> > > functionality
> Eric is looking for a way to keep the offsite server in sync to point of
> failure. With backups or mirrored drives, either way, he would lose one
> day's work. With DFS, database sync, and AD replication he'd lose less
> data, maybe none if the databases can finish committing their transactions
> before the link goes down.
>
> As with most things, it's probably better to tailor a combination of
> technologies to the specific environment and requirements rather than trying
> to find a one-size-fits-all solution, which seems inline with your
> suggestions. And it is also sometimes helpful to re-examine requirements
> with the perspective of the available techonolgies.
>
> --
> HTH,
> =d=
>
>
> Dana Brash
> MCSE, MCDBA, MCSA
>
> dbrash@NOSPAM.gmail.com
>
> "Herb Martin" <news@LearnQuick.com> wrote in message
> news:u4Vav5F1EHA.2572@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> > "Dana Brash" <dbrash@NOSPAM.gmail.com> wrote in message
> > > I'd set up an offsite DC, use DFS to replicate the files, and create a
> SQL
> > > Server replication partner. Once everything is sync'd this shouldn't
> take
> > > up too much bandwidth, but you'll want to analyze your traffic and make
> sure
> > > you set replication to happen accordingly.
> > >
> >
> > While you are correct that this comes close, it won't
> > work the way he defined it:
> >
> > > > The offsite server is completely identical in name and hardware.
> >
> > Name is just one of the issues.
> >
> > DFS is possibly not suitable for a large amount of
> > very dynamic replication -- so if this is the case it
> > may not be suitable.
> >
> > Yes, both Oracle and SQL have replication so that can work.
> >
> > If he is only making backup tapes weekly now, maybe nightly
> > backups would work better.
> >
> > Or how about this: Hot swappable mirrored disks.
> >
> > Break the mirror and pull the online shadow half of the
> > mirror each morning (or each week).
> >
> > Insert another disk, make a new mirror.
> >
> > AD can keep itself replicated but only if the two machines
> > are DCs connected on the network with DIFFERENT names.
> >
> > --
> > Herb Martin
> >
> >
> > news:ORBM7v90EHA.2180@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > > Hi Eric,
> > >
> > > I'd set up an offsite DC, use DFS to replicate the files, and create a
> SQL
> > > Server replication partner. Once everything is sync'd this shouldn't
> take
> > > up too much bandwidth, but you'll want to analyze your traffic and make
> sure
> > > you set replication to happen accordingly.
> > >
> > > I can't comment on the Oracle side, but I assume that an enterprise
> class
> > > server system like that has a way to replicate data across servers and
> keep
> > > it in sync....
> > >
> > > If you completely lose your first system, your client should be able to
> use
> > > the offsite server after seizing FSMO roles.
> > > This search provides info on seizing roles:
> > >
> >
> http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=88&View=en-us&qu=transfer+FSMO+roles
> > > or more specifically:
> > >
> > > Using Ntdsutil.exe to seize or transfer FSMO roles to a domain
> controller
> > > http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255504
> > >
> > > --
> > > HTH,
> > > =d=
> > >
> > >
> > > Dana Brash
> > > MCSE, MCDBA, MCSA
> > >
> > > dbrash@NOSPAM.gmail.com
> > >
> > > "Eric Foreman" <forerplaywithdonna@ericsbase.ment> wrote in message
> > > news:co7lie0rhu@news2.newsguy.com...
> > > > We have a server running Windows 2000 AD with MS SQL databases and
> Oracle
> > > > databases. It is also used for file shares. Is there a way to
> duplicate
> this
> > > > server offsite so that if the building burns down we can just take the
> > > > duplicate offsite server and use it without loss of data or
> functionality?
> > > > We have 2.2Mb down and 640kb up DSL.
> > > >
> > > > Currently I have the 2 identical servers running in different
> locations
> by
> > > > restoring weekly tapes but I'm now running into storage space issues
> because
> > > > the tape restores the files but it doesn't delete some of the files
> that
> > > > have been deleted by staff etc... We don't run Exchange.
> > > >
> > > > The offsite server is completely identical in name and hardware.
> > > >
> > > > We will be upgrading to Windows 2003 server next year.
> > > >
> > > > Any comments appreciated.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
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