Upgrading from SBS 2003 SP1 to R2, Backup Exec 11d or System Center Data Protection Manager 2007?

Hello,

I have a number of questions while I prepare to setup R2.

1- In Server Management, Licensing I see:
Installed licenses: 5
Maximum usage: 10

Where do I find all the information on Licensing? Is there
something I am missing, I want to find out what are the 10
usages: servers, users? The subform is empty in License
Codes, Number of Licenses and Activation Date.

2- Currently the SBS has Veritas Backup Exec 10d installed.
The backup is being done to a USB driver. I am currently
doing research both on hardware and software.

Let's start with the network environment first.
The client have their main servers in a data center. They have
one SBS 2003 SP1 (the plan is to move it to R2), 1 separate
SQL 2005 Std Edition and there are 4-5 other servers which
are IIS servers, another SQL Server and some other servers.

Then the client has a dozen other computers (some servers,
MS virtual servers and the rest are workstations XP and Vista)
in other remote locations.

The network is properly setup, all 5-6 subnets are connected
properly and all seems to be functionning well through the
Internet and VPN connections.

The client is interested in 3 areas:
1- Backup
2- Disaster Recovery
3- Being able to create virtual servers (using VMWare or
MS Virtual Server) to copy production servers in order
to be able to use those newly created virtual servers for
testing purposes.

I've been reading the data*** on Veritas and it seems to have
a simple Disaster Recovery option. I called and asked what is
the difference between the DR option that comes with the SBS
version of Backup Exec vs the separate Veritas Disaster Recovery
Option application, they said the simple DR takes hours to restore
whereas the other product takes minuets. The simple product
backs up to tape-based whereas the SRO one backs up to disk.
I have read also that Veritas (not sure if the main product or only
the SRO) can backup/create VMware or Virtual Server images.


http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/enterprise/fact_sheets/ent-datasheet_bewsbs_11d_03-2007.en-us.pdf



What I've read so far about SCDPM, especially for SQL

backups is that it gives much more options when it comes

to restoring mainly. I can see a lot of options that I don't

believe Veritas offer.





What are you using? Do people like SCDPM? Is there a

document or an article where someone has written their

differences, the pros and cons of each, why choose one

over the other?



And for DR, what do people use to prepare and backup

their servers so in case of disaster, things are setup

for easy recovery? I looked at VMWare demo online

which is selling the notion that disaster recovery with

VMWare is much easier and quicker than other traditional

methods. However, I might be wrong, I would have to read more,

but with their solution, I am supposed to convert my physical

OSes into Virtual Servers then these virtual servers are setup

to be copied as DR images? Anyone knows?



http://www.vmware.com/solutions/continuity/disasterrecovery.html#



What are my options for DR? When i have remote offices, no

hardware yet, and the client is asking if there are affordable solutions

consisting of software and hardware for the three requirements.



I appreciate your feedback.



Thank you



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