DRO Questions

[NikeGuy23]

Hi there, I am currently running a Windows 2000 Server SP3 with ArcServe 2000 SP3 with the DRO option. We are in the midst of doing a ERP and have asked a few questions. The server that we are currently running 2K server on is old. If there was to be a complete Disaster and we had to replace the box with a newer one would DRO run because it was not the identical machine? If the server was upgraded from NT4.0 to 2000 could we just load an OS on a new box and recover AD, user profiles, and data from tape without running DRO? What files are really needed to be backed up in order to recover 2K server in cases of a complete disater. Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks

 

[JimHarrison]

NikeGuy23,

If you are looking for some documentation, you can check this link (you have to sign in first)

http://esupport.ca.com/index.html?/premium/storage/manuals/as2000/as2000docs.asp

Jim Harrison
Computer Associates

 

[NikeGuy23]

Thanks for the link, I have read that documentation and it really does not answer my questions so that is why I decided to post my questions here to see if anyone has any answers/suggestions.

 

[BarbieGirl]

NikeGuy23, you may want to read this first. It is from the CA web site. (I noticed you said you were using SP3 in W2K server):

Important Windows 2000 SP3 information for Disaster Recovery Option users

At this time the portion of the Disaster Recovery Option boot kit creation which prompts for a Windows 2000 CD, does not support Windows 2000 CDs which are integrated with Windows 2000 Service Pack 3. Please check this section periodically for updated information regarding this issue.

 

[NikeGuy23]

BarbieGirl
From my understanding of that message from Arcserve that only applies when you are trying to insert a Win2K server CD that has SP3 applied to it already! I may be wrong and if I am please feel free to correct me on this. Becasue if I were to attempt a DRO I would be using my original WIN2K server CD which has no SP's on it!

 

[BarbieGirl]

NikeGuy23,

I think you are right. I will likely be testing this today.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

NIkeguy23....

You are correct. Make sure you make the bootdisks and do the DR with Vanilla (no sp) windows 2000.

g

 

[NikeGuy23]

Thanks everyone for the posts! Now does anyone know what happenes when there is a real disaster and your whole server has to be replaced by another server not the one that you originally had? how does the DRO function then because the boot disks are machine specific. I would think that, that would be a total disaster and worse case senario. Also do you really need the DRO option? or can you just reload an OS and recover Active Directory from tape? any ideas?

 

[Guest_imported]

NikeGuy. Disaster Recovery Option is machine specific and is not specifically designed to bring back alternate servers. You can try to "trick" the DR with similar hardware but it is never a sure thing. These are the supported hardware changes for DR:

----------------------------------------------------

Supported Hardware Changes

Windows 2000 Specific

Network Adapters
Supported on all local
For remote DRs, only if supported by Windows or are Plug and Play capable
SCSI Adapters
If hard drive is not connected to the SCSI adapter
SCSI devices should be kept at the same SCSI ID

NT 4.0 Specific

Network Adapters
Supported on Local DR only
SCSI Adapters
SCSI devices should be kept at the same SCSI ID

-----------------------------------------------

The DRO has a dramatic name, making it seem like a server could fall through a crack in the earth and that the diskettes and last full backup could bring a similiar server back. But it must be understood that what is meant by "Disaster" is something like virus corruption or a hardware failure.

The DRO is just PART of a good Disaster Recovery protocol. Let's say the DRO is Plan A. What would Plan B be? Installing the server from scratch, installing your applications, restoring your application data from your last good backup. In active directory environments where there is more than one Domain Controller, how about doing a non authoritative restore and letting the healthy AD replicate to the newly built server?

There are extensive MS white papers on recovering from a disaster.

For Exchange DR to an alternate server you must know the site and organization EXACTLY the way it was on the original server or else the restore of your IS will fail.

Again, there are extensive DR articles for Exchange 5.5 and 2000

My suggestion in assessing your disaster recovery needs would be to take a step back and start with the Microsoft materials on best practices for DR. Also try CA's DR Outline:

http://support.ca.com/techbases/as2000/as2k-18163.html

Also try CA's Restoring Active Directory, but understand many of the "rules" are to be understood from an MS perspective

http://support.ca.com/techbases/as2000/as2k-18150.html

Best of luck NikeGuy! Let us know how you're doing