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DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations)
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DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 31.Mar.2008 4:37:28 AM
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TheTrickster
Posts: 10
Joined: 2.Jan.2008
Status: offline
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Hi All,
Looking for infomation on setting up a automatically (if possible) fail back solution for exchange.
Okay heres the deal..
I have 1 Server with Exchange 2007 (and active directory) at our main office running 2003R2 x64, we have a static IP address on our DSL line and have that configured as our incoming mail server so mail.my-company.com is pointing directly at our server... Everything works - great!
I also have an exact duplicate of the server (exact same hardware) for DR proposes at a remove location (no active users), which I keep (manually) upto date, via backup tapes. This also is connected to a static IP Address and mail.my-company.com also points to this server, however the MX priority is lower..
At this point the two locations are not linked via any vpn or anything - but could be...
I trying to figure out if its possible to have the DR server replicate the exchange stores in real time and then if the main office went down (office fire, server breakage etc) all incoming email would route to the DR server (using the MX priorty) - and all user mailboxes would be 'current', not 24hrs out of date, like at the moment using backup tapes. User wise, we would relocate them to the other office.
Any advice would be most appriecated...
_____________________________
Regards
Rich
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 31.Mar.2008 4:52:27 AM
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Henrik Walther
Posts: 6835
Joined: 21.Nov.2002
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Status: online
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If you want to use native Exchange 2007 functionality, I would personally go for SCR here. Remember SCR doesn't restrict you from installing the Client Access and Hub Transport server roles on the Mailbox server acting as the SCR target (endpoint).
However, SCR isn't instantly updated since asynchronious technology is used (log file replay).
_____________________________
HTH
Henrik Walther
Exchange MVP | MCM: Exchange 2007
MCITP: EMA, MCITP: EA, MCSE: M+S
Order my Exchange Server 2007 Book!
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 31.Mar.2008 5:52:40 AM
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TheTrickster
Posts: 10
Joined: 2.Jan.2008
Status: offline
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Hmms - does look pricey!
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 1.Apr.2008 1:43:06 PM
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dnair
Posts: 9
Joined: 20.Dec.2007
Status: offline
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I am i the process of evaluating SCR and other third party products like Xosoft, inmage and double take. I know the third party products are expensive. I liked XOsoft .It does automatic non destructive testing of exchange disaster recovery. What we are looking for is a single Disaster recovery product for Exchange, SQL ,Oracle, Peoplesoft.
If you have any experience with similar products please share your ideas.
Thanks.
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 1.Apr.2008 4:49:19 PM
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hywaydave
Posts: 57
Joined: 9.Mar.2006
Status: offline
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I am actually using double-take right now between my live Backend Exchange 2003 server and a Backend Exchange 2003 server at a remote office installed on a virtual machine. I actually had a server failure last week on my production server and had to fail over to my remote server via Double-Take. I didn't have any problems. It did take about 30 minutes to failover though, mainly due to the huge public folder database that we have.
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 1.Apr.2008 5:39:40 PM
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dnair
Posts: 9
Joined: 20.Dec.2007
Status: offline
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Thanks for the update. I will be evaluating the doubletake pretty soon. But first i have to finish evaluating SCR and Xosoft.
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 3.Apr.2008 4:22:21 AM
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TheTrickster
Posts: 10
Joined: 2.Jan.2008
Status: offline
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Been looking at all the documentation I can find in regards to SCR and too be honest my brain is gonna melt...
So for purposes SCR looks ideal, but I can't for the life of me figure out from the MS document how to configure my primary server to 'remotely' store the SCR logs and data files...
I tempted to look at LCR, but across a VPN link for storing the replicated files, so if the main office went up in smoke, I could bring the offsite office online using the /recover switch with the LCR files...
I sometimes feel they (MS) want small companies to use exchange, yet I over whelmed with cluster this, cluster that technet articles!
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 3.Apr.2008 4:29:07 AM
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Henrik Walther
Posts: 6835
Joined: 21.Nov.2002
From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Status: online
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quote:
ORIGINAL: TheTrickster
So for purposes SCR looks ideal, but I can't for the life of me figure out from the MS document how to configure my primary server to 'remotely' store the SCR logs and data files...
SCR uses the same asynchronious replication technology that is used by LCR and CCR. So basically when a log file is closed on the source SCR server, it will be copied to the target SCR (by the target SCR server), then it will be verified and then comitted.
Does this help?
_____________________________
HTH
Henrik Walther
Exchange MVP | MCM: Exchange 2007
MCITP: EMA, MCITP: EA, MCSE: M+S
Order my Exchange Server 2007 Book!
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 3.Apr.2008 4:55:36 AM
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TheTrickster
Posts: 10
Joined: 2.Jan.2008
Status: offline
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I understand that part (i think!) - however as my two server are the same, I'm wondering if the below would work? I have a feeling I need to rename my DR server to say 'SERVER1DR'...
Enable-StorageGroupCopy SERVER1\First Storage Group - StandByMachine SERVER1
Also from all the documentation I've been reading, to looks like I will have to somehow connect the two sites either by vpn or other ways, otherwise this will not work - still not sure on if our internet bandwidth with take it...
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 16.Apr.2008 8:42:48 AM
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TheTrickster
Posts: 10
Joined: 2.Jan.2008
Status: offline
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Hi All,
Firstly many thanks for taking the time for answering my posts and questions...
Okay still looking at SCR as I looked at doubletake - looked ideal - but £4400 - ouch!
So, I have renamed my DR server (SERVER1DR) and changed the internal IP address. I have not connected them in anyway yet - as I'm still insure of the best way - VPN? (I have a cisco vpn enabled router)
Sooo SCR...I'm still not sure 'where' its stores the duplicates of these files - on the source server for me to manually copy to say a usb drive or does it copy them to a location on the target server - if so - how would I 'join' them together?
Another thought was to LCR to a removable usb drive, which I unplug every day, however unsure if I need to 'dismount' and 'enmount' everytime I plug it in. that way I could in theory have all of todays emails update when I leave....and if the office burnt down overnight I could take the LCR usb drive to the DR location and mount it...
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RE: DR Solution? (Two Servers - Two Locations) - 8.May2008 1:01:50 PM
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smokinjoe
Posts: 2
Joined: 2.May2008
Status: offline
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Sorry to jump into this thread, but I have a similar situation, with a different approach. I'm wondering if this sounds like a valid way to work this.
I also have two sites, one for DR. However, our DR site is also a "live" site, so I have VPN access to that site. We also have 2 SAN's. I'm configuring the SAN's to do replication, so I don't need Exchange to do that for me.
Here is the potential configuration.
Site A will have an Exchange server, and the storage group / mailbox role will reside on the SAN.
Site B will have an Exchange server, but no mailbox role. It will have the hub transport and client access roles on it. (Since it will be in the same organization, I assume they will have access to the mailboxes over the VPN)
The theory is that if there is a disaster at Site A, I could mount the storage group (replicated by the SAN) on to the Exchange at Site B.
Does this sound reasonable and doable?
Thanks!
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