Re: Options for a backup server (disaster purposes)

Our backup is good, at least as of 1AM of that morning. As I read the new
Backup Exec features, it may be more of a "real time" backup as we have a
separate storage server applicance I will be putting in the mix.

As to the hardware, I mentioned in my post it is going to be a "base"
server, just one that I can play with at home (practice, as you put it). It
will not be a long term solution.

The main reason I am looking to be able to have a good spare that I can know
(based on the "practice" at home), is that we have had issues when upgrading
server hardware and it always seems like it takes two days to get up and
going. We are 1/2 way between St Louis and Memphis TN in a small town in
southeast MO, and are reliant on a tech person in the area. We don't have
a lot of options for tech support in the area.

I want to be able to say (thru testing) that I know we could be up on a
temporary machine in a few hours (or at least overnight) if necessary.

"Anna Clark" wrote:

Hi Eddie:

You started this subject on Nov 21 of this year. Specifically, what are you
asking?

Can it be done in less than X minutes? Don't know? Depends on how long it
takes to move out Server1 and move in Server 2, replace the UPS if the
failure was a lightning hit that takes out both, and restore the last known
good data backup.

Will it be seamless? Don't know. Depends on the previous backup and what
time of day after how much data has been entered since the last good backup.

Will it be painless? Probably not, see above.

Can you create Server 2, put it in cold storage and have a seamless move to
it when Server1 fails. Don't know. Depends on the number and extent of
service packs and patches that have not been applied to Server 2

Will sbsmigration's Swing Migration make it easier for you to create a
second server? Don't know. How similar is the hardware.. how many users...
how many workstations must be disjoined and rejoined to the domain once you
create a new one? The advantage to Swing is that you can use completely
different hardware and arrive at the same SBS Domain with the same SID's and
not have to touch the workstations. You should be able to interchange/swap
the servers and not know the difference, except for any performance
differences, and the condition of the data files either in time or condition
based on the quality of the backup.

Since in 10 or so years of supporting dozens of SBS servers I have NEVER had
one go down, I guess I would worry more about the quality of the backup. If
you have a good backup you should be able to be up in about 4 hours on
completely bare metal hardware (practice). How much time are you willing
to expend in the interim to safeguard the eventual possibility of perhaps
being off for 4 to 6 hours?

What ever you do, treat it like a fire drill. Practice. Or establish a
relationship with a local resource that has the expertise... demonstrated,
references, to be able to assist you should you have a catastrophe.

And if you are in hurricane or tornado or flood country, make sure your base
install is imaged and that the updated image is kept at your
mothers/brothers/sisters house in another part of the country. One of the
SBS MVP's tells how he was able to get "18" servers and "100" or so
workstations back in business within two days of receiving the hardware
after Katrina wiped out his customer entire infrastructure.

Did I say practice?

--
Regards:

Anna Clark
-----
Please do post the conclusion or solution
to your issue so that others may benefit.



"Eddie" <Eddie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:D1741D32-BF6B-4E65-88E9-14523B5AD5DB@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Right now we run our entire operation (CPA firm) on a SBS 2003 server. We
use Exchange for our email, ISA firewall (behind a hardware firewall), etc
and the server hardware is a strong dual processor with RAID-5 configured
drives. We use Veritas (now Symantec) Backup Exec (9.1 now, but soon to
upgrade to 11d). Recently we installed larger hard drives and reinstalled
from the tape (with a few headaches).

We are concerned about the time to get a new machine up and running if a
disaster occured. We are considering purchasing a lower level spare
server
to have as an offsite spare (at my home) and would like suggestions on how
to
go about the process.

Our server licensing is retail on the operating server. I also have the
Microsoft Action Pack which I thought (possibly) could be used on the
spare??

I have read a lot some about swing migration kit...is this what we need?

I have seen that Symantec has a product called Backup Exec System Recovery
Windows Small Business Server Edition...has anyone used it?

I am just looking for good ideas or what has worked for others.



.

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