Disaster Recovery Support and Service for

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) offers near-continuous backup and rapid recovery for environments centered on Microsoft technology. SCDPM provides small and mid-size organizations application-aware protection for key workloads such as Microsoft SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint. SCDPM can be used to back up Windows and Linux virtual machines and supports VMs hosted on Hyper-V and VMware. SCDPM can back up and restore files, folders and volumes and can replicate and restore data between separate localities. For streamlined offsite backup, SCDPM can take advantage of Microsoft Azure Backup for temporary backup and the Azure Recovery Services vault for low-cost, long-term archival backup. (Learn about Progent's Microsoft Azure planning and cloud integration consulting services.)

Current versions of SCDPM include support for Windows Server 2019, SQL Server 2019, Exchange 2019, and SharePoint 2019. Current releases also feature greater storage efficiency, higher performance with tiered storage, support for ReFS volumes, offline Backup using Azure Data Box, and enhanced security.

Progent's Microsoft-certified consulting team can help businesses to plan, deploy, manage, and troubleshoot a backup system built on System Center Data Protection Manager. Progent can assist you to upgrade from prior versions of Data Protection Manager or from a different backup platform, and Progent can tune your SCDPM environment for on-premises, hosted, cloud-based, or hybrid deployment models. Progent offers remote or onsite consulting expertise and can deliver as-needed help in resolving your most challenging issues, or end-to-end project management or co-management services to ensure your Data Protection Manager initiative is successfully completed on schedule and on budget.

Data Protection Manager Architecture
Microsoft designed Data Protection Manager with special attention to protecting Microsoft servers and workloads. By supporting Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS) and other key protection features built into Microsoft servers and applications, SCDPM can transparently back up and rapidly restore Microsoft-specific entities such as Exchange DAG groups, the distributed components of SharePoint farms, and Windows Hyper-V Clustered Shared Volumes (CSVs). This allows administrators who are not experts in any or all of these technologies to recover data easily and accurately. SCDPM continuously protects the core Microsoft server workloads to a SCDPM server, which then allows disk-based recovery and tape-based, long-term archival storage for a complete backup and recovery solution. A single SCDPM server can support up to 800 virtual machines of 100 GB each and 3,000 Windows client computers.

Using System Center Data Protection Manager with Microsoft SQL Server
SCDPM can protect Microsoft SQL Server including SAP workloads, and handles advanced SQL Server cluster configurations. For enhanced reliability and performance, SCDPM supports the use of clustered SQL Server nodes for its database. DPM supports SQL Server Failover Cluster Instance (FCI) using Cluster Shared Volume (CSV). SCDPM includes the ability to protect an entire instance of SQL Server so all new databases are protected automatically, expanded capacity to handle up to 2,000 databases, and a self-service restore capability that allows administrators to restore their own databases.

SCDPM can back up regular data files as well as the system state of a server, and it also works efficiently with servers that maintain databases/transactional log files. SCDPM is especially efficient as a backup and restore mechanism for Microsoft SQL Server because it intelligently integrates with the SQL Server VSS writers. Since SCDPM uses core VSS services, it will back up all files, open or not, to at least a snapshot recovery level. As a result, you never have to worry about open file issues. SCDPM can also protect SQL Server databases that use the AlwaysOn feature, including database clusters and SharePoint farm databases with SQL Server AlwaysOn enabled.

In between express full copy captures, the standard SQL Server transaction logging mechanism is used to offer up-to-the-minute protection. The log files themselves are replicated by SCDPM. In case a recovery is required, the most recent SCDPM differential backup can be combined with the most recent set of transaction logs to provide rapid restoration.

For information about Progent's Microsoft-certified support services for SQL Server, refer to Microsoft SQL Server Consulting.

Using System Center Data Protection Manager with Microsoft Exchange Server
Current versions of SCDPM support Microsoft Exchange Server 2019 and 2016, and can protect Exchange database availability groups (DAGs). SCDPM includes the ability to provide tailored, application-aware protection for Exchange Server and addresses a granularity problem that has historically been a major headache for Exchange administrators. Exchange backup APIs are designed to back up entire databases. However, if you want to restore an individual mailbox or public folder, you have in the past had two choices: either restore the entire database or switch to third-party mailbox-level backup tools. SCDPM allows you to protect one or more storage groups as a whole, while still giving you the ability to restore individual mailboxes.

SCDPM also offers 'lossless recovery' of Exchange Server data. This means that after SCDPM has restored your email databases to the latest recovery point, and updated all of the synchronized transaction logs, SCDPM can automatically reapply the surviving Exchange transaction logs from the production server to the very last committed email message, bringing the Exchange server completely forward.

SCDPM improves the performance of your Exchange Server by offloading the typical ESEUTIL operations that most backup applications impose on the production server. The SCDPM server takes car of this on the redundant data, conserving the bandwidth on the production Exchange Server.

To learn more about Progent's support for Microsoft Exchange Server, see Microsoft Exchange Server Consulting.

Using Data Protection Manager with Virtual Servers
SCDPM offers continuous protection for virtual machines (VMs) powered by Windows Server Hyper-V and through integration with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) can provide consistent protection even during a Hyper-V Live Migration process. For users of VMware, a way to reduce disaster recovery time drastically is to build an SCDPM server with enough CPU and RAM resources to create a system that allows you quick recovery from a failed virtual machine host server. Since the SCDPM server always has an exact replica of all the virtual machine guest files, in the event the virtual machine host fails, and by having a virtual server installed on the SCDPM server, you can choose to boot those replica images as running machines and take your time in restoring the original failed virtual machine host server. This means you could be up in minutes with all your virtual machine guests even with a complete failure of the original virtual machine host. Adding to the time savings, the entire operation can be accomplished remotely.

How Progent Can Help You Benefit from Microsoft Data Protection Manager
Progent's Microsoft-certified Data Protection Manager consultants can help you create practical recovery plans, design an affordable fault-tolerant network infrastructure, deploy a SCDPM-based backup and restore solution, thoroughly test your system, show your IT staff how to manage Microsoft SCDPM, or handle complete IT outsourcing services including off-site hosting of virtual or physical SCDPM servers in Progent's datacenter.

Progent's consultants can use industry best practices to help you:

• Define your recovery goals and establish a protection policy to meet them
• Design an efficient multi-site plus cloud network topology for SCDPM
• Configure Windows Server SQL Server, Exchange, and SharePoint to run with SCDPM
• Configure Protection Groups and Storage Pools
• Calculate and allocate disk space for backup
• Define custom volumes
• Install Protection Agents on computers inside and outside your firewall
• Integrate SCDPM with System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) and with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM)
• Integrate SCDPM with Microsoft's Azure Backup for cloud-based protection
• Optimize backup and recovery performance

Progent's cybersecurity experts have earned prestigious certifications from internationally recognized network security institutions. Progent can provide the support of CISA-certified security audit consultants, CISM-certified security management experts, CISSP-certified cybersecurity professionals, GIAC-certified information assurance consultants, and CISSP-ISSAP certified security architecture experts. To be awarded credentials from these organizations, security consultants must have both proven experience and demonstrated knowledge of industry best practices for business continuity planning and disaster recovery. For more information about Progent's security engineers and their services, visit Network Security Services.

High Availability Technologies Supported by Progent's Experts
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco consultants can help you to design an affordable, fault-tolerant network that addresses major problems covering a wide array of networking solutions and operations including:

Workplace Recovery Planning
Progent's disaster recovery professionals can show you how to create a business continuity strategy so you can resume IT operations in the event of an information system disaster. Progent can assist you to define a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that incorporates scheduled disaster recovery assessments and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-authorized consultants can also show you how to create an affordable, zero-downtime system solution that takes into account reliability issues involving a broad range of network technologies and processes. For more information, visit Workplace Recovery Consulting Services.

CRISC-Premier IT Risk Control
The CRISC program was established by ISACA to verify an IT professional's ability to design, implement, and support IS control mechanisms to reduce network risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to assist you to develop and execute a workplace continuity or disaster recovery plan that follows industry best practices promoted by CRISC and crafted to align with your company's risk appetite, business goals, and IT budget. For more information, go to CRISC-Premier IT risk mitigation specialists.

Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering
Windows Server 2019 introduced significant enhancements in capacity, performance, management, cybersecurity, app compatibility, Linux co-existence, Kubernetes technology, and hybrid integration of local and cloud-hosted resources. Headline new features of Windows Server 2019 include Windows Admin Center for centralizing the management of hybrid local/cloud deployments, System Insights for utilizing modern predictive intelligence to manage on-premises environments, Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container orchestration using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets for creating and administering large non-stop scale-out clusters, and Storage Migration Service for streamlining the upgrade process from outdated editions of Windows Server. For details, go to Microsoft Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering Help.

Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity experts can assist you to plan and deploy a disaster recovery system built around Microsoft's cloud-tested Failover Clustering tools including Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance network-attached storage using low-cost equipment, Virtual Machine Load Balancing for improving the performance and resilience of Failover Clusters while minimizing capital investment and operational expenses, and Cloud Witness for fast, affordable creation of a stretch cluster quorum witness. To learn more, go to Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Help.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is a component of VMware vCenter that lets you specify, automate and verify a repeatable process for restoring services rapidly after an outage. SRM supports centrally managed and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, and non-intrusive site migration, failback and re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also allows non-intrusive testing for site recovery, upgrades and patches and can generate reports to verify complete service restoration, validate SLAs and prove DR compliance. Progent offers the skills of a VCDX certified VMware SRM consulting expert to assist your organization to design, configure, test and maintain a disaster recovery solution based on VMware SRM.

NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Software
NetApp MetroCluster is a disaster recovery software suite that uses failover storage clustering with replication to deliver rapid, zero data loss disaster recovery between datacenters that are as far as 185 miles (300km) apart. Progent offers access to a certified NetApp MetroCluster consultant who can assist your business to plan, configure, manage, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery system built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to select a topology for your MetroCluster deployment that meets your technical requirements and IT budget. Progent can make sure you adhere to leading practices for installing your MetroCluster solution by providing guidance with tasks like assigning shelf IDs, determining aggregate layout, provisioning FlexVol volumes, setting up Data ONTAP configuration replication service, installing Cisco and Brocade switches, implementing a tiebreaker mechanism, setting up a TCP/IP configuration replication network between your peered clusters, and testing your disaster recovery system to prove compliance with industry standards and government requirements.

Network Load Balancing
Progent provides high availability load balancing support covering system load balancing, load balanced programs, LAN/WAN infrastructure routing, and content delivery products such as Cisco Content Engine. Fault tolerant load balancing solutions for which Progent offers consulting expertise include Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Presentation Server, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Content Engine and Cisco CDN Software, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To find out more, see Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.

Zero Downtime Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center professionals can show you how to identify high availability data centers that match the specific needs of your company. Fault tolerant colocation sites are particularly attractive to small and mid-size organizations because of their low cost and simplified logistics in comparison to pursuing a do-it-yourself strategy. Trying to build an on-site data center that offers even a minimum level of fault tolerance is financially prohibitive for most small organizations. Progent is ready to help you get all the advantages of high-availability data centers by providing a complete range of consulting and support services. For details, see Non-stop Internet Data Centers Expertise.

Failsafe Branch Office Connectivity
Progent's multi-site network infrastructure consultants can help companies achieve fault tolerant branch office connectivity solutions by means of redundant networks with transparent failover. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE engineers can design and deploy ultra-reliable Inter-office connections based on zero-downtime EIGRP network routers or fault tolerant OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how redundant connections and transparent fail-over offers economical non-stop interoffice networking. For details, visit Fault Tolerant Interoffice Networking.

Fault Tolerant Internet Connections
Progent's Cisco-authorized network consultants can show you how to build an economical, fault tolerant Internet configuration architecture that can achieve 24x7 Internet connectivity through a broad range of high availability Internet network solutions including fault tolerant BGP, transparent fail-over, and redundant Internet Service Providers. Progent can provide CCIE professionals to help you apply the most advanced techniques for fault tolerant Internet access to create a cost-effective, completely redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other features to create non-stop Internet availability. To learn more, go to Fault Tolerant Internet Connectivity Solutions.

Backup and Restore Solutions Consulting Services
Progent offers economical online access to consultants with expertise in a broad array of utilities and technologies that provide solutions for backing up Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX physical and virtual servers and desktops plus notebooks and handhelds. Progent can provide help for all major data protection platforms including Acronis, Symantec Backup Exec, BackupAssist Software, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take, Mozy, Retrospect, Apple Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery (VDR), and Solaris FLARs. Progent can help your company to install, upgrade, or troubleshoot backup/restore systems for a variety of topologies such as local, remote, cloud-based, or hybrid. To learn more, go to Backup and Recovery Solutions Expertise.

Barracuda Backup Cloud and Offsite Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup/restore platform for small and mid-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup solution can incorporate a custom-designed physical storage device manufactured by Barracuda or a virtual appliance with similar features but which utilizes your own storage hardware. Barracuda Backup safeguards vital business data generated locally, at one or multiple remote locations, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon Web Services (AWS), or to any location with a Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants can provide a wide array of consulting support services to assist your business to design, integrate, operate and debug a BDR solution built on Barracuda Backup. For details, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.

ProSight Altaro VM Backup Solutions for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Hornetsecurity's Altaro VM Backup software offers small businesses a dependable and budget-friendly platform for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines (VMs). Altaro VM Backup can be used for local, offsite, multi-site, and cloud-hosted environments and also enables low-cost cloud backup to Azure Block Blob storage. Altaro VM Backup includes high-end features such as Immutable Cloud Storage for enhanced recoverability from ransomware. Progent is a certified Hornetsecurity Altaro partner and offers a wide array of online or onsite services to help you to design, deploy, optimize and debug a modern backup and disaster recovery solution based on Altaro VM Backup software. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent offers a fully managed backup/recovery service powered by on Altaro VM Backup. To find out more, see Altaro VM Backup consulting.

ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides rudimentary archiving but does not include integrated support for key data protection services such as Exchange Online backups or long-term point-in-time recovery for OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup delivers a feature-rich BDR solution for programmable backup and quick restoration of all your company's M365 mail, Microsoft Teams Chats, SharePoint sites, OneDrive data, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is an authorized Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and has designed ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup to deliver end-to-end managed services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup delivers a low-cost backup-as-a-service alternative that protects M365 apps against data loss caused by user or software mistakes, malicious sabotage, and malware assaults like ransomware. For more information, see ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup solutions for Microsoft 365.

Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO from Progent provide small and medium-sized organizations an affordable end-to-end service for reliable backup/disaster recovery (BDR). For a low monthly cost, ProSight DPS ECHO automates and monitors your backup processes and enable rapid recovery of critical files, applications and virtual machines that have become unavailable or corrupted as a result of hardware failures, software bugs, natural disasters, human error, or malware attacks such as ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO can help you protect, recover and restore files, folders, applications, system images, plus Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Critical data can be protected on the cloud, to an on-premises device, or to both. Progent's cloud backup consultants can provide world-class expertise to set up ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO to be compliant with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, FIRPA, and PCI and, whenever necessary, can help you to recover your critical information. Learn more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed cloud backup.

ProSight MSP360 Backup Solutions
Progent can help you to create, deploy and debug a backup/restore plan built around MSP360 technology. MSP360 offers file/folder or image backup/recovery for VMs and physical machines, supports all popular public clouds, and allows you to build a data protection solution with a low RTO and a defined RPO. With ProSight MSP360 Backup, Progent offers end-to-end monitoring and remote management of your backup environment to protect against data loss caused by user mistakes, computer glitches, malicious users, and external assaults such as ransomware. To find out more, visit ProSight MSP360 Backup solutions.

Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for Data Backup
Double-Take Software offers a family of tools intended to provide small and midsize companies a variety of cost-effective solutions for replicating and recovering vital applications including Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and Microsoft Office SharePoint. Progent's business continuity planning experts have extensive backgrounds integrating Double-Take Software products into small company information systems to create an advanced state of fault tolerance and disaster recovery readiness at a budget-friendly cost. To find out more, visit Consulting for Double-Take Software for Data Backup.

Why Pick Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning Solutions?
Since Progent is a Microsoft Certified AI Cloud Partner and offers high-level application expertise for a wide range of small business software programs, Progent is able to assist clients to find complete information technology solutions that optimize the productivity of your network. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent offers the services of certified engineers and specialists with experience in architecting, implementing and managing infrastructure solutions based on Cisco products. The depth and breadth of Progent's IT know-how and Progent's familiarity with the requirements of small businesses make Progent the perfect resource for creating and running a cost-effective, dependable network.

How You Can Get in Touch with Progent's Engineers for Help with Non-stop IT Systems
In order to ask Progent about engineering support for high availability IT design, phone 1-800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.