DRP and server options

I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction for a good analysis of
the benefits of competing DRP options. I am currently finalising a plan for
a medium sized enterprise, and was wondering if there are any sites or
papers that cover this topic.

For example when is it better to:
- make an image or VM of Server A and have it ready for commissioning at the
DRP site (bare metal to VM); or
- install Server A as a VM and have a copy of the VHD at the DRP site (VHD
to VHD); or
- have Server A running with a twin, Server B at the remote site ready to
commission after data backups have been applied (Server A plus backups to
Server B plus restore)

In the third case, are there any particular issues that need to be noted for
SQL or IIS replication?

Thanks,
David

 

Hello David,

To give you helpful suggestions we need more info about the different server
roles/applications installed on the servers. For example using VM copies
from a DC is not supported backup solution and will result in USN rollbacks.
So please describe more detailed inlcuding the OS version you have.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction for a good
> analysis of the benefits of competing DRP options. I am currently
> finalising a plan for a medium sized enterprise, and was wondering if
> there are any sites or papers that cover this topic.
>
> For example when is it better to:
> - make an image or VM of Server A and have it ready for commissioning
> at the
> DRP site (bare metal to VM); or
> - install Server A as a VM and have a copy of the VHD at the DRP site
> (VHD
> to VHD); or
> - have Server A running with a twin, Server B at the remote site ready
> to
> commission after data backups have been applied (Server A plus backups
> to
> Server B plus restore)
> In the third case, are there any particular issues that need to be
> noted for SQL or IIS replication?
>
> Thanks,
> David

 

Thanks Meinolf,

All servers are running Windows Server 2003 installed on bare metal.

Key servers are:
Server A is a DC with the FSMO roles, DHCP and DNS
Server B is an IIS server running a third party LOB web app
Server C is a SQL Server with data for the app interface on Server B
Server D is at a remote (designated as DRP) site.

Regards,
David

"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" <meiweb(nospam)@gmx.de> wrote in message
news:ff16fb66246f38cba6a08ec0e0f0@msnews.microsoft.com...
> Hello David,
>
> To give you helpful suggestions we need more info about the different
> server roles/applications installed on the servers. For example using VM
> copies from a DC is not supported backup solution and will result in USN
> rollbacks. So please describe more detailed inlcuding the OS version you
> have.
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> confers no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
>> I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction for a good
>> analysis of the benefits of competing DRP options. I am currently
>> finalising a plan for a medium sized enterprise, and was wondering if
>> there are any sites or papers that cover this topic.
>>
>> For example when is it better to:
>> - make an image or VM of Server A and have it ready for commissioning
>> at the
>> DRP site (bare metal to VM); or
>> - install Server A as a VM and have a copy of the VHD at the DRP site
>> (VHD
>> to VHD); or
>> - have Server A running with a twin, Server B at the remote site ready
>> to
>> commission after data backups have been applied (Server A plus backups
>> to
>> Server B plus restore)
>> In the third case, are there any particular issues that need to be
>> noted for SQL or IIS replication?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> David
>
>
>

 

Hello David,

For DC's it is recommended to have at least 2 in a domain. So in case of
failures you still have the AD database available. Also it should be GC and
DNS server. For a restore you need at least the system state of a DC, as
said before images of a DC are not recommended backup solutions for them.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216993

For IIS and SQL you should at least backup the database's so you can restore
them also to a new machine.

IIS:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...6ee-90d4-45e1-9b82-4aaea90eb02e.mspx?mfr=true

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc736787(WS.10).aspx

SQL:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms191239(SQL.90).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187048(SQL.90).aspx

See here about system state backup in general:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc938537.aspx

A basic server image that is shutdown with sysprep you can prepare, so in
case of a server failure you can easy install a new machine, this should
just be the server OS without any role installed, so you can use it for any
kind of role/application.

If that options are not enough you have to implement a clustering solution
for IIS and SQL, DC's on a cluster are not recommended.

SQL clustering:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc162479.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/detail/webcastdetails.aspx?seriesid=73&webcastid=502

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...dc-a17b-4f09-b282-c6830fead499&displaylang=en

IIS NLB:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc778748.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742600.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc756931(WS.10).aspx

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Thanks Meinolf,
>
> All servers are running Windows Server 2003 installed on bare metal.
>
> Key servers are:
> Server A is a DC with the FSMO roles, DHCP and DNS
> Server B is an IIS server running a third party LOB web app
> Server C is a SQL Server with data for the app interface on Server B
> Server D is at a remote (designated as DRP) site.
> Regards,
> David
> "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" <meiweb(nospam)@gmx.de> wrote in message
> news:ff16fb66246f38cba6a08ec0e0f0@msnews.microsoft.com...
>
>> Hello David,
>>
>> To give you helpful suggestions we need more info about the different
>> server roles/applications installed on the servers. For example using
>> VM copies from a DC is not supported backup solution and will result
>> in USN rollbacks. So please describe more detailed inlcuding the OS
>> version you have.
>>
>> Best regards
>>
>> Meinolf Weber
>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
>> confers no rights.
>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>>> I'd appreciate being pointed in the right direction for a good
>>> analysis of the benefits of competing DRP options. I am currently
>>> finalising a plan for a medium sized enterprise, and was wondering
>>> if there are any sites or papers that cover this topic.
>>>
>>> For example when is it better to:
>>> - make an image or VM of Server A and have it ready for
>>> commissioning
>>> at the
>>> DRP site (bare metal to VM); or
>>> - install Server A as a VM and have a copy of the VHD at the DRP
>>> site
>>> (VHD
>>> to VHD); or
>>> - have Server A running with a twin, Server B at the remote site
>>> ready
>>> to
>>> commission after data backups have been applied (Server A plus
>>> backups
>>> to
>>> Server B plus restore)
>>> In the third case, are there any particular issues that need to be
>>> noted for SQL or IIS replication?
>>> Thanks,
>>> David

 

Thanks for that, much appreciated.

David.