| le="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 150%;" | | | | A simple and inexpensive solution to recovering from |
| align="justify">Introduction | | | | failure is to take backups of all your databases. |
| Businesses of all sizes must take backup and disaster | | | | Out-of-the-box Microsoft SQL Server disaster |
| recovery seriously. As companies grow and data | | | | recovery operation allows for Native SQL Server |
| becomes more and more prevalent, users of all | | | | Backups that can take full, differential or transaction |
| types, either internal or external, require access to all | | | | log backups of a database. Another disadvantage to |
| this information. This is essential at a time when even | | | | SQL Server Native Restore procedures involves high |
| the smallest business may find operations impossible | | | | downtime. In cases of disastrous failure, time is a |
| with any single point of failure. With the launch of MS | | | | crucial factor. Unfortunately, significant delays are |
| SQL Server 2005, MS SQL Servers are becoming | | | | introduced when trying to find the correct backup |
| increasingly popular for use in mission critical | | | | files and locations from which to restore databases. |
| environments. With such important dependencies on | | | | Typically, when these restores need to be |
| software solutions, recovering from failures is crucial | | | | performed, the inability to restore is something most |
| for business continuity. | | | | organizations cannot tolerate. |
| To initiate movement towards redundancy and failure | | | | Automated Standby Solution |
| protection, Microsoft offers SQL Server Log Shipping | | | | A Standby Server is a server where the data from |
| (SQL Server 2000 and 2005) and SQL Server | | | | the primary databases is restored periodically using |
| Database Mirroring (SQL Server 2005) in its core | | | | scripts, Microsoft Log Shipping or through a third |
| products. In addition to Microsoft, third party | | | | party software. It acts as a hot standby which can |
| vendors, including Microsoft Gold Certified Partners | | | | be promoted to a primary role if the primary server |
| such as Sonasoft, provide enhanced software | | | | goes down so that business operations continue to |
| solutions that simplify disaster recovery scenarios | | | | function. An automated standby solution bridges the |
| through easy to use Management Console and | | | | gap between a highly expensive Failover Clustering |
| automating most of the manual steps. These | | | | solution and time-consuming Native SQL Server |
| components are focused on minimizing downtime | | | | Backups and Restores. An automated standby |
| while maximizing data retention in the event of | | | | solution provides a high-availability solution, protecting |
| catastrophic failure. | | | | data from hardware and software failures as well as |
| High Availability Solutions for SQL Servers | | | | from human errors. |
| Failover Clustering | | | | Sonasoft Standby Solution |
| Microsoft Clustering enables users to prevent against | | | | The Sonasoft Standby Solution builds |
| hardware failures by stringing redundant hardware, | | | | easy-to-manage standby plans that effectively |
| called nodes, together through a central cluster | | | | replicate your data without interfering in normal |
| manager that coordinates load balancing and data | | | | business operations. Because the Sonasoft Standby |
| activity. Microsoft SQL Server supports both | | | | Solution transfers only data that has changed since |
| active-active and active-passive cluster environments. | | | | the last backup as well as uses high speed |
| As protection against hard disk failure, RAID | | | | compression through the network to the standby |
| configurations are also common. However, from a | | | | server, data transmission can be handled by a |
| performance standpoint, this significantly slows down | | | | low-bandwidth T1 or a low-cost DSL line. When |
| I/O in the subsystems due to writing the data to | | | | disaster strikes, role switching is just one click away, |
| multiple disks at the same time. Again RAID option is | | | | as a series of complex database operations are |
| to protect against any hard disk failure but it cannot | | | | performed in the background to switch the |
| prevent site disasters. | | | | destination server(s) to the primary role. |
| In direct contrast to this storage dependency, using a | | | | Sonasoft’s product, SonaSafe for SQL Server |
| Standby solution prevents against hardware, | | | | contains a unique architecture that not only creates |
| software and storage failures. Standby servers or | | | | easy to use backup tasks and schedules, but allows |
| databases are normally installed on unique, usually | | | | for efficient and simple recovery options all while |
| geographically independent, SQL Servers which serve | | | | minimizing chances of data loss. |
| as a barrier to failures of any type. SQL Server | | | | Conclusion |
| Clustering environments are more cost-intensive | | | | Standby servers are a cost-effective and viable way |
| compared to the Standby option. The primary reason | | | | for businesses to maintain SLA and business |
| for this is the high hardware and software | | | | continuity efficiently. While other solutions do exist, |
| requirements. On the other hand, a Standby server | | | | they are limited by either being error-prone or failing |
| does not have any special hardware requirements | | | | to protect against site failures. One can deploy |
| and is simply a software solution to meet disaster | | | | standby servers using third-party software that utilize |
| recovery needs. An additional cost, LAN connectivity | | | | easy to use interfaces for a fraction of the cost |
| is required between SQL Server cluster nodes to | | | | associated with some alternatives as discussed |
| send and receive what is called a heartbeat signal, | | | | above. Also, these standby servers can be functional |
| among other communications. | | | | for reporting or testing purposes. |
| SQL Server Native Backups/Restores | | | | |