Continuous Protection Server Implementation Requirements

[Jonamerica]

I'm curious if anyone has experience implementing a CPS and what machine requirements there are for installation.

I'm not looking for system requirements, but implementation requirements.

We currently have a WIN 2003 SBS using 10d to do weekly full backups to tape. We're adding a 8 drive iSCSI based NAS with 2T raw storage running WSS 2003 R2. What I'd like to do is create two 4 drive raid 5 arrays with one as the CPS and the other array and additional storage.

On the Veritas website it looks like you need at least two machines, that the CPS cannot protect data from the same machine that it's running on. Is this true? Should I get a cheap server to run on top of the NAS as the CPS?

 

[steveot]

If you install CPS on the SBS then no you cant replicate data with cps. You would need to install CPS on another server for example you R2 server then put the CPS agent on the SBS server. This would allow you to select data on the SBS server and replicate it a volume on the R2 server.

 

[Jonamerica]

Ok, but would I be able to replicate data that is on RAID array 1 on the R2 server to the CPS that is on RAID array 2 on the R2 server?

I don't need 2T storage for the CPS so I'd like to use half for the CPS and have for storage, but I need to come up with a method that will allow me to protect the storage half using CPS.

 

[steveot]

Nope that would not make since. You not really protecting anything at that point. You just replicating locally which is really not a backup/replication solution.