cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

replication director? DFSR solution? Netbackup scheduled restore?

Braker19
Level 3

I could really use some advise to get me going in the right direction.  First let me explain my current environment and problems.

I have about 100 file and print servers, one server at each location, backing up to tape drives at each location.  We wanted to use Microsoft's DFS to replicate data off site to be available after a disaster quickly.  The problem is DFS will not replicate outlook PST files if they are open, huge pain for our situation so we started filtering them out of DFS replication, so PST files are not available after a disaster unless we go to tape restores (this is not good for us).  So my first thought was to use Netbackup to backup to disk, and then replicate the disk backup.  The problem is now we are dealing with backup img files and a new one is created after each backup so we cannot leverage the bit level replication, so too much data would be replicated constantly from the disk backups.  My next thought is to schedule restores from tape to an alternate drive and then use DFS to replicate that alternate drive off site.  Since the alternate drive isn't used by end users PST files will not be locked and I should be able to replicate them.   

This morning I just started reading some documentation about Replication Director.  I don't have a full understanding of it yet so I wanted to explain my situation to the guys that do understand it.  Is Replication Director a solution for me or is it over kill or irrelevant?  I'm open to suggestions if you guys have any, I have a feeling I might be making things more complicated then they need to be?  Thanks

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

I think what you really need is to use de-duplication

You could have a de-duplication pool 1. at each site or 2. one central one

With option 1 you do your backups locally to de-dupe and can stage them off to tape as well if you wish but can also replicate them back to the central location which would also have a de-dupe pool - this allows just the bit level (or lower) changes to pass across the link which is what you were looking for

With option 2 you just have everything at the main site and do all your backups across the links to the main site using client side de-duplication so that minimal data actually crooses the link. Combining that with the NetBackup Accelerator would also keep full backups to a total minimum of data crossing the link

Replication Director is aimed at people with netapp files and the like holding all of their data so i think it is deduplication that you really need

Hope this helps

 

View solution in original post

3 REPLIES 3

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

I think what you really need is to use de-duplication

You could have a de-duplication pool 1. at each site or 2. one central one

With option 1 you do your backups locally to de-dupe and can stage them off to tape as well if you wish but can also replicate them back to the central location which would also have a de-dupe pool - this allows just the bit level (or lower) changes to pass across the link which is what you were looking for

With option 2 you just have everything at the main site and do all your backups across the links to the main site using client side de-duplication so that minimal data actually crooses the link. Combining that with the NetBackup Accelerator would also keep full backups to a total minimum of data crossing the link

Replication Director is aimed at people with netapp files and the like holding all of their data so i think it is deduplication that you really need

Hope this helps

 

Braker19
Level 3

Thanks Mark, do you mind explain a little what netapp files what you mean about holding their files.  I'm interested in understanding more about Replication Director because some of the documentation seems like it does some cool stuff but I don't understand exactly what kind of enviroment has would have a use for it.

Mark_Solutions
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

For its full capabilities it is probably best to read through the admin guide for it - shows you it use and capabilities

http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC6465

Also a feature on Symantec TV: http://www.symantec.com/tv/products/details.jsp?vid=1483740597001

And a tech note linking "All you need to know about Repplication Director" : http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH164644

Hope these help