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How to replicate exchange to DR site
Hello Experts,
i am in charge of setting up a DR solution for my office, we are wunning a windows 2003 standard domain controller , a exchange 2007 server, an application server and a file server. the data on the file server is large but does not change very frequently, we want to be able to recover from a major disaster. the plan is to have a DR site at a colocation facility.
we can setup a site to site vpn tunnel and setup a domain controller and global catalog server on the DR site, we can also copy all the data on the file server and run rsync everynight to keep the files updated, but my problem comes when looking for a solution for exchange and sql, my exchange information store database file is about 20 gigs and SQL is 5 gigs. is not something that i want or can move over the tunnel everynight.
i been looking at solutions like doubletake and inmage, can you guys provide me with suggestions, pros and cons about those products or any other products that may do the job.
lately i have also been considering, migrating my exchange server to a VM, using VMXi (wich by the way is free now) and use the VMWARE ESXreplicator or a product from Vizioncore call vreplicator, but i am not sure if those products will move the complete VM file or would only sync the changes. i would appreciate any comments.
Thanks
i am in charge of setting up a DR solution for my office, we are wunning a windows 2003 standard domain controller , a exchange 2007 server, an application server and a file server. the data on the file server is large but does not change very frequently, we want to be able to recover from a major disaster. the plan is to have a DR site at a colocation facility.
we can setup a site to site vpn tunnel and setup a domain controller and global catalog server on the DR site, we can also copy all the data on the file server and run rsync everynight to keep the files updated, but my problem comes when looking for a solution for exchange and sql, my exchange information store database file is about 20 gigs and SQL is 5 gigs. is not something that i want or can move over the tunnel everynight.
i been looking at solutions like doubletake and inmage, can you guys provide me with suggestions, pros and cons about those products or any other products that may do the job.
lately i have also been considering, migrating my exchange server to a VM, using VMXi (wich by the way is free now) and use the VMWARE ESXreplicator or a product from Vizioncore call vreplicator, but i am not sure if those products will move the complete VM file or would only sync the changes. i would appreciate any comments.
Thanks
ExchangeVMwareWindows Server 2003
Last Comment
jghelfman40
For realtime failover you can use Doubletake or XOSoft products. For near realtime I've used Vizioncore's VReplicator at customer sites with DR capacitly. The main issue with Doubletake and XOSoft is cost since you have to have another windows, exchange, etc.. server license. With VReplicator it replicates the VM.
You didn't mention if you're running a SAN, if you are you may want to take a look at the options. For instance NetApp has Snap-in Manager for Exchange with another module for mailbox snaps.
My $.02
You didn't mention if you're running a SAN, if you are you may want to take a look at the options. For instance NetApp has Snap-in Manager for Exchange with another module for mailbox snaps.
My $.02
Purely looking at Exchange 2007, as you haven't said which version (Std or Enterprise) I will presume standard and say you want to use SCR to the other site. Setup a domain controller over there and you can recovery pretty quickly. It isn't live, but it will be quick.
For SQL, I have heard of log shipping, so that is something to look at.
For the file server, DFS. The version in Windows 2003 R2 and higher works really well.
Personally I use a combination of SCR for Exchange and DFS to replicate data to another machine elsewhere (actually an ESXi server sat in the corner of my mother's study). Works very well.
-M
For SQL, I have heard of log shipping, so that is something to look at.
For the file server, DFS. The version in Windows 2003 R2 and higher works really well.
Personally I use a combination of SCR for Exchange and DFS to replicate data to another machine elsewhere (actually an ESXi server sat in the corner of my mother's study). Works very well.
-M
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this sounds like a good idea, what exactly do you mean by DDRs? what are you using to ensure that only the changes get replicated?
i will still continue to backup the exchange IS using the backup exec agent for local recovery.
i will still continue to backup the exchange IS using the backup exec agent for local recovery.
ASKER
Thanks
Sorry never saw your reply before, but a DDR is a Data Domain Restorer (www.datadomain.com) ... they are magic boxes!
We have a very similar situation where I am now, and I was in charge of doing something similar to what you are looking to achieve.
We are using NetApp. Problem is we have huge MySQL db's that need to be backed up, however operations are too large on them to have them down for too long to backup.
Given an outage window of 1 hour, that allows me to shutdown the database, and do a snapshot for daily recovery, and a snapvault (transfer of all changed blocks) to our DR site on receiving NetApp. Although an hour is set aside nightly, it takes less than 30 seconds for both operation to complete.
After this, the databases are brought back up.
Beyond this, I can create a clone of the snapvault and mount it on another system to put to tape backup.
I hope this is of some help.
We are using NetApp. Problem is we have huge MySQL db's that need to be backed up, however operations are too large on them to have them down for too long to backup.
Given an outage window of 1 hour, that allows me to shutdown the database, and do a snapshot for daily recovery, and a snapvault (transfer of all changed blocks) to our DR site on receiving NetApp. Although an hour is set aside nightly, it takes less than 30 seconds for both operation to complete.
After this, the databases are brought back up.
Beyond this, I can create a clone of the snapvault and mount it on another system to put to tape backup.
I hope this is of some help.
It does require that you have two sites, and the exact same equipment at either end to replicate and of course bandwidth.