Protecting MMS / Remote Dedupe stores

[kevin_golding]

Does anyone have any suggestions for pretecting an MMS server?  I have a dedupe store on an MMS, and want to have a way to restore the data in the event of a DR.  Normally, we would suggest using a CASO with a centralised SQL DB for the Jobs and Media, however, the WAN link can be troublesome and if it fails, the MMS is going to be pretty unusable.   

One last suggestion I had was to have a set of jobs on the CAS to backup the same selection lists as the MMS.

I just wondered is there a way to have a distributed SQLDB, or distributed DEDUPE store?

Any suggestions/documents would be appreciated..

[teiva-boy]

You can backup the Dedupe database and dedupe folder in BE today!  Just dont do it like you think...

Expand out the MMS, then the system components/system state, and somewhere under there, you'll be able backup both the Db and folder.

It must be done this way, so that a special VSS driver pauses the dedupe db, and backs up the files without rehydrating them to tape.

[kevin_golding]

Thanks for the reply, that would work very well, and I suppose I could back them up to a backup to disk folder across the WAN just as easily?

But what about the Jobs and Media.  If I backup the dedupe store, how can I get the data that is backed up in there out in the event of a disaster, or my MMS melting?

[Colin_Weaver]

As you have an MMS you could try setting up optimized dedup so that the dedup data on the MMS is copied to either the CAS or another MMS - this might have problems if your WAN links are iffy though

[kevin_golding]

I take it by optimized job you mean a duplicate backup jobs template?  The problem with this is, if the MMS goes down, then the database will also be lost.  would a backup of the MMS system state and SQL Database be required?