Disaster Recovery Test

[ZmanZONK]

I have been assigned the task of performing a disaster recovery test at the end of this month.<br><br>My task is to restore 3 Netware 4.11 servers SP6a (there are about 40 servers in our primary OU and all are currently the same version):<br><br>Backup server<br>File server <br>File server (NDS master)<br><br>NDS is going to restore only the OU's where these 3 servers reside.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hardware will be similar (but not exact).<br><br>Has anyone been involved in a similar test who could refer me to some useful guidelines for performing this test?<br><br>In the end I will be happy with network connectivity (I have never restored NDS before).<br><br>

 

[DrGreen26]

First off, make sure your Backup software has the ability to not only Backup the NDS objects, but also backup the NDS ID's.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is very critical.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have one without the other you wont be able to restore NDS safely especially if your NDS becomes corrupted.<br><br>Second.&nbsp;&nbsp;From each server you should do a LOAD DSREPAIR -RC on each server,&nbsp;&nbsp;this creates a dump file of NDS which can be restored.<br><br>Third, in your backups, make sure this file is included.&nbsp;&nbsp;DSREPAIR.BAK i believe the name is called.&nbsp;&nbsp;You may want to logon to SUPPORT.NOVELL.COM and verify the switch of DSREPAIR and backup file name. <br><br>In your restore, you can restore NDS using this file.&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a TID on this process and Novell recommends using it especially if you are not sure if your backup software backs up NDS.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>One recommendation we have made is that the DSREPAIR -rc command be used each night and that this file be backed up from every server.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>one misconception is that if you backup the MASTER you are safe.&nbsp;&nbsp;This is not true because each server maintains its own information on NDS.&nbsp;&nbsp;So if a server crashes and you lose NDS on that server, restoring the master will not restore NDS on the crashed server.<br><br>Hope this makes since.<br><br>Thats all I can offer for now.<br><br>Mark <p>Mark C. Greenwood<br><a href=mailto:m_jgreenwood@yahoo.com>m_jgreenwood@yahoo.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>