Backup Remote Servers entire config..

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Hi,
Just a query if I may. I have 2 PowerEdge Servers [Windows 2003/8] in a remote data center that I cannot really afford any downtime on. I am connected to these via a Site2Site VPN over 2Mb leased line.

I am looking at taking complete copies of these machines in case of hardware failure so I could in effect get them back online in hours rather than days if I had to reconfig them.

I have been looking at VMWare Server to create an image of the machines but am unclear how easy it would be to convert back to physical when required. Is there a better solution that anyone has used such as Symantec Ghost, seems fairly inexspensive and straightforward?

1 server is a webserver with 9 websites and some bespoke apps, the other is a SQL2000 server, obviously in this case I would have to restore backups to the last period an image was taken but thats no problem.

Any help appreciated?

Regards

 

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acronis is a nice imaging alternative to ghost, they also have disaster recovery solutions for individual services such as sql server and exchange , however, i haven't seen those in action. I was actually thinking of trying DriveImage XML on one machine once, problem is it a slow pig. (i dont know how well shadowcopy works with sql server whilst its running)

but yes i would take the occasional system image then carry out regular daily data backups to a NAS, some dedicated hosting companies have a NAS alternative called Discsync.

You could then download copies if you wish

 

Thanx andi I will check dissync out perhaps. Acronis was my chosen option but its gonna cost us nearly a grand, not expensive in the scheme of things to me but our Finance Director starts sweating at the cost of usb sticks so no chance!!!

 

The planet is a hosting company that use disksync

FAQ's and DOC

http://downloads.theplanet.com/disksync/

Like NAS its used as a service to store backups, it doesn't actually carry out complex backups or at least it didnt when i used it a while back. eg create image then store on disksync vault, sql backup then store on disksync vault etc

but it will do basic file backup, which can be used on image files and backup file sets.

To be honest it just as easy to have an account on a NAS or even a second harddisk on each server (then create remote copy via VPN )

NAS boxes are normally remote in relation to your servers

are you using vmware?

 

Vmware

I believe there is a tool to convert VMs back into dedicated machines.

I am sure i heard that somewhere. ????