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:
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.
Zero-Downtime Solutions Supported by Progent
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco engineers can help your company to implement a sensible, fault-tolerant IT architecture that addresses major issues encompassing a wide array of infrastructure solutions and processes such as:
Business Continuity Planning
Progent's business continuity professionals can help you create a business continuity plan so you can resume network functionality in case of an information network disaster. Progent can help you to create a complete disaster recovery strategy that includes periodic disaster recovery evaluations and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified consultants can also show you how to build an affordable, non-stop system architecture that addresses availability issues covering a wide array of network technologies and procedures. To learn more, see Workplace Recovery Consulting and Support Services.
CRISC-Premier IT Risk Management
The CRISC program was established by ISACA in 2010 to verify an IT professional's ability to plan, deploy, and maintain IS controls to mitigate risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified consultant to assist your company to develop and carry out a workplace continuity or disaster recovery strategy that follows leading practices promoted by CRISC and geared to match your company's risk appetite, business goals, and IT budget. For details, see CRISC-Premier network risk control experts.
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 incorporated significant enhancements in capacity, throughput, manageability, security and compliance, application compatibility, Linux support, container technology, and hybrid combinations of on-premises and cloud-hosted resources. Top enhancements of Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for unifying the management of hybrid local/cloud-hosted resources, System Insights for taking advantage of modern predictive intelligence to manage local environments, Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container networking using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets for deploying and managing large high-availability scale-out clusters, and Microsoft's Storage Migration Service for streamlining the migration from legacy versions of Windows Server. For details, go to Microsoft Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering Expertise.
Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery experts can help you to plan and deploy a DR solution based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering technologies including Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance network-attached storage using low-cost equipment, VM Load Balancing for improving the speed and resilience of Failover Clusters while reducing capital investment and operational expenses, and Cloud Witness for easy, economical creation of a failover cluster quorum witness. For more information, visit Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery Help.
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is a component of VMware vCenter that allows you to define, automate and verify a consistent process for restoring applications and services quickly following an outage. Site Recovery Manager provides centrally controlled and automated recovery, application mobility, and non-disruptive site migration, failback and site re-protect. SRM also supports transparent testing for site recovery, upgrades and fixes and can generate reports to verify full service recovery, validate Service Level Agreements and demonstrate compliance. Progent can provide the skills of a VCDX certified VMware SRM consulting expert to help you to plan, configure, test and maintain a disaster recovery system based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.
NetApp MetroCluster High Availability and Disaster Recovery Software
NetApp MetroCluster is a high-availability and disaster recovery software suite that uses array-based storage clustering along with synchronous replication to deliver rapid, zero RPO disaster recovery between datacenters that are as far as 185 miles away from one another. Progent can provide online or on-premises access to a NetApp MetroCluster expert who can help your business to plan, deploy, manage, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery solution based on NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to choose an architecture for your MetroCluster deployment that meets your technical needs and IT budget. Progent can make sure you adhere to leading practices for installing your MetroCluster environment by providing guidance with procedures such as assigning shelf IDs, arranging aggregate layout, provisioning volumes, setting up Data ONTAP configuration replication service, installing Cisco and Brocade switches, implementing a tiebreaker mechanism, setting up a configuration replication network between your peered clusters, and verifying your MetroCluster DR system to show compliance with information assurance standards and government mandates.
Network Load Balancing
Progent provides high availability load balancing consulting covering network load balancing, load balanced programs, LAN/WAN infrastructure routing, and content delivery products including F5 Networks 3DNS. Non-stop load balancing products for which Progent can provide consulting expertise include Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Access Suite and Access Gateway, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Distributed Director and Cisco CDN Software, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To find out more, visit Non-stop Load Balancing.
Zero Downtime Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center professionals can help you find high availability data centers that match the specific needs of your company. Fault tolerant colocation sites are particularly attractive to small and mid-size businesses because of their low cost and simplified logistics in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself strategy. Trying to design an in-house data center with even a minimum degree of fault tolerance is too expensive for the majority of small organizations. Progent is ready to show you how to get all the benefits of non-stop data centers by providing a full range of consulting and support services. To learn more, go to Non-stop Internet Data Centers Solutions.
Fault Tolerant Interoffice Connectivity
Progent's branch office connection professionals can help businesses create fault tolerant branch office connectivity solutions by means of fully redundant system architectures featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE network engineers can design and deploy high-availability Inter-office connections based on non-stop EIGRP network routers or fault tolerant OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how multi-path connections and transparent fail-over can provide economical non-stop interoffice connectivity. To find out more, go to Fault Tolerant Interoffice Networking.
Non-stop Internet Access
Progent's Cisco-authorized IT engineers can help you build an affordable, fault tolerant Internet connection architecture that can achieve 24x7 Internet connectivity via a broad range of fault tolerant Internet access solutions including non-stop BGP, transparent fail-over, and multiple Internet Service Providers. Progent can provide Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert engineers to show you how to apply the most advanced technology for high availability Internet access to build an economical, fully redundant Internet network with automatic failover and other features to create fault tolerant Internet availability. To learn more, go to High Availability Internet Access Architecture.
Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting and Support Services
Progent offers affordable remote access to engineers with expertise in a broad range of utilities and technologies that provide solutions for backing up Windows, Mac, and Linux physical and virtual servers and workstations plus notebooks and handhelds. Progent offers help for all major backup platforms including Acronis Backup and Recovery, Backup Exec, BackupAssist Software, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Backup, MozyPro, Retrospect for Macintosh, Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery (VDR), and Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can help your company to deploy, enhance, or maintain backup/restore systems for a range of environments including on-premises, edge to datacenter, cloud, or a mix. For details, go to Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting Services.
Barracuda Backup Multi-site and Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup/restore platform for small and medium-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup solution can incorporate a custom-designed hardware storage device manufactured by Barracuda or a virtual appliance with similar functionality but which utilizes your existing storage hardware. Barracuda Backup safeguards vital business data produced on-premises, at one or multiple remote locations, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon AWS, or to any location with a Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants offer a wide range of consulting services to assist you to plan, configure, manage and repair a BDR solution built on Barracuda Backup. For details, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting.
ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup Solutions for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup software offers small businesses a dependable and affordable platform for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-powered virtual machines. Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in local, remote, distributed, and cloud-hosted architectures and also enables cost-effective cloud backup to Microsoft Azure storage. Altaro VM Backup includes high-end capabilities like Immutable Cloud Storage for enhanced protection from ransomware. Progent is a Hornetsecurity Altaro partner and can provide a wide range of remote or on-premises services to help you to design, install, manage and troubleshoot a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery solution powered by Altaro VM Backup software. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a managed backup/restore service powered by on Altaro VM Backup. For details, go to Altaro VM Backup consulting.
ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup Services for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides rudimentary archiving but does not include native support for crucial data protection capabilities like Exchange Online backups or long-term point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup provides a feature-rich platform for programmable backup and rapid restoration of all your company's M365 mailboxes, Teams Chats, SharePoint sites, OneDrive for Business files, and content on Windows desktops and laptops. 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 DPS 365 Total Backup delivers an affordable backup-as-a-service (BaaS) alternative that guards M365 apps against data loss or corruption resulting from human or system mistakes, malicious deletion, and cyber assaults such as ransomware. To find out more, go to ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup services for Microsoft 365.
Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO provide small and medium-sized businesses an affordable end-to-end solution for secure backup/disaster recovery (BDR). Available at a low monthly rate, ProSight DPS ECHO automates your backup processes and allow rapid restoration of critical files, apps and virtual machines that have become unavailable or damaged as a result of hardware failures, software bugs, disasters, human mistakes, or malicious attacks such as ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO can help you back up, recover and restore files, folders, apps, system images, as well as Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Important data can be backed up on the cloud, to a local device, or to both. Progent's cloud backup consultants can provide world-class expertise to configure ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO to be compliant with regulatory requirements like HIPAA, FINRA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, when needed, can assist you to recover your business-critical information. Read more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed backup.
ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup Services
Progent can help your company to design, deploy and debug a backup/restore plan built around MSP360 software. MSP360 offers file/folder or image-based backup/restore for virtual machines and physical computers, supports all leading public clouds, and allows you to build a data protection solution with a minimum Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and a granular RPO. With ProSight DPS 360 Backup, Progent can provide comprehensive monitoring and remote management of your backup system to prevent data loss caused by human mistakes, computer glitches, malicious insiders, and malware assaults such as ransomware. For details, visit ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup solutions.
Consulting for Double-Take Software for Backup and Recovery
Double-Take publishes a family of products intended to deliver small businesses a range of cost-effective alternatives for replicating and restoring business-critical applications including Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and Microsoft SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants have extensive experience incorporating Double-Take Software technology into small company IT networks to achieve an advanced level of availability and business continuity capability at a budget-friendly cost. To read more, go to Consulting for Double-Take Solutions for Data Backup.
Why Pick Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning?
Since Progent is a Microsoft Certified Partner and offers specialized application consulting for a broad variety of small business software programs, Progent can help clients to arrive at efficient IT solutions that optimize the productivity of your network. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent can provide the support of certified engineers and specialists with expertise in designing, deploying and troubleshooting networking solutions based on Cisco products. The extent of Progent's IT know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the requirements of small and midsize businesses make Progent the perfect resource for creating and running a cost-effective, fault-tolerant information system.
How to Get in Touch with Progent's Experts for Help with High Availability Networks
In order to ask Progent about engineering expertise for fault tolerant LAN design, phone