Learn the differences between Microsoft SQL Server high availability and disaster recovery technologies like clustering, database mirroring, log shipping, SAN replication and more.

1. Don‟t Wait for Disaster to Strike:
Part 1: Techniques & Technology
To hear the audio for this presentation, please dial the phone conference number
included in the meeting invitation. Audio will not come through your speakers.
© 2008 Quest Software, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2. Today’s Agenda
• HA vs DR: What’s the Difference?
• High Availability Options
• Disaster Recovery Options
• Backup Best Practices
• Resources and Q&A

3. High Availability is for: Disaster Recovery is for:
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from: Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melancon/280076809/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/meltedplastic/2854777253/

4. High Availability: Disaster Recovery:
• Clustering • Replication
• Synchronous Mirroring • Asynchronous Mirroring
• Replication • Log Shipping
• SAN Replication
• Virtualization Replication
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from: Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melancon/280076809/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/meltedplastic/2854777253/

5. HA: Clustering

6. HA: Synchronous Mirroring

7. Both HA, DR: Replication

8. DR: Asynchronous Mirroring

9. DR: Log Shipping

10. DR: SAN Replication

11. DR: Virtualization Replication

12. Brent’s Personal Favorites
High Availability: Disaster Recovery:
• Clustering • Replication
• Synchronous Mirroring • Asynchronous Mirroring
• Replication • Log Shipping
• SAN Replication
• Virtualization Replication
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from: Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melancon/280076809/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/meltedplastic/2854777253/

13. Backup Best Practices
• Never back up directly to
local disk
• Back up to file share
• Back up to different SAN
• Back flat files up to tape
• Get the tapes offsite fast
• If it’s really critical, mirror
the backups
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/465459020/

14. Avoid Agents
• Lose schedule control
• Can’t gauge success
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/314989744/

15. Do Fire Drills Ahead Of Time
• Build a standalone
restore testbed
• Document how
long a restore will
take for managers
• Update it quarterly
• Trust no one
Photo licensed with Creative Commons, used from:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/millzero/705902956/

16. Resources
• Visit our SQL Server technical resource blog
at: www.sqlserverpedia.com - feel free to send
your SQL Server related technical questions to:
ask@sqlserverpedia.com
• Visit our dedicated SQL Server community
site at: http://sqlserver.quest.com
• Check out our “Backstage” area with all of our collateral and
upcoming events including our „Pain of the Week‟ webcasts:
• www.quest.com/backstage
• www.quest.com/backstage/pow.aspx