Setting-up a backup server

[Former Member]

Dear Expert,

My SAP is running on SQL2000 server using Win 2K as the platform. We are getting new servers as a backup to minimise the downtime in case the production server is down.

Need some advice /info on setting up the back up server.

1- Is d/b replication a good choice ?

2- What is good and bad about it ?

3- Any documentation regarding SAP d/b replication

4- Can replication be done thru a direct connection via server to server instead of using the network. ?

Any reponse are much appreciated.

Thanking you in advance

Satar

[Former Member]

Satar,

Do you need any other info?

[Former Member]

Hi Kim,

Thanks for the info. Just need some key words to search the nets and you gave me the answers and a little bit more.

Thanks again for the help.

Regards

Satar.

[Former Member]

points plz

[Former Member]

Hi,

I hope this might be help.

We had DR Backup setup at different location (about half mile away from the production location) using log-shipping.

I use windows 2k3, and mssql 2000 server.

1- Is d/b replication a good choice ?

Yes. better than nothing.

2- What is good and bad about it ?

Good - It is good. It saved me once few years ago. We had our prod system down for h/w failure, and I took the DR off the location and put it as production in 15 min.

Bad - there are bad things. for me the connection problem was big. once it gets disconnected and drops the log shipping, and I had to re connect, and sometimes, most of the times, I had to take the backup again and restore. This is a work.

3- Any documentation regarding SAP d/b replication

I don't have the init. setup document, but I have re-setup procedure.

4- Can replication be done thru a direct connection via server to server instead of using the network. ?

I don't think it has to be a direct donnection. It is ok using the network.

But, I don't really recommend this is the perfect solution. Actually, I don't use it any more. I am looking for another solutions. For mssql 2005, there is a database mirroring (Note 965908)

If you can upgrade your OS and DB, you may be interested in it.

Thanks.

[Former Member]

Hi Kim,

Thanks for the feedback.

Additional questions

1- Was your DR backup set identical to the production , I mean in-term of computer name, ip address,os version etc.

2- Was it on stand-by ( up but not connected to the network).

Can you elaborate further on the 'log-shipping' mechanism that you did. From the document that I read (SAP note 493290), it seems that log-shipping is a manual process, copy from the source and restore it back on the destination server. But from your feedback, it was done automatically.

Thanks and regards.

[Former Member]

Hi,

1. it has the same SID but different hostname and IP. It should be up on the network. SAP is down, and only DB is working receiving logs from production DB.

2. Log-shipping is done automatically once you setup. It is a part of MSSQL.

Thanks.