Business Continuity Support for

Connectivity to the Internet has emerged as a mission-critical capability for many small businesses. The use of the Internet to distribute information has mushroomed to the point that many organizations are unable to perform day-to-day functions without Internet connectivity.

Traditional applications such as internal email clearly lose much of their value when they can't be used to communicate with customers or vendors, but as organizations increasingly adopt Internet-based information delivery for line-of-business applications, even core functions can grind to a halt when Internet access becomes unavailable.

Until recently, only large organizations could afford to build fully redundant and transparent Internet connections that could survive a failed Internet link or router. Such seamless fault tolerance requires T1-class Internet lines, an option that in the past overstretched the budgets of most small businesses. As T1 prices have dropped to as low as a few $100 per month, and as alternative connections have become available, the opportunity for small businesses to achieve enterprise-class fault tolerance has become economically feasible. But even though the cost for lines has become affordable, the complexity of implementing these solutions has not.

Few small businesses have the in-house expertise required to work effectively with multiple ISPs, coordinate the necessary configuration steps with Internet numbering authority organizations, and implement advanced routing protocols such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP). Progent offers Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) consulting to help you apply the latest connectivity technology to implement a cost-effective fault-tolerant solution.

Today multiple options exist for building automatic and semi-automatic failover solutions. These can involve a mix of T1, DSL and wireless Internet connections. The viability of high-speed fixed-wireless links has recently opened up new alternatives for achieving transparent fault tolerance. By establishing diverse physical paths to the Internet, small businesses gain insurance against costly outages caused by events out of their control, such as a construction crew accidentally digging up phone lines.

As companies rush to deploy VoIP solutions, the potential productivity loss that could result from an interruption in Internet access increases dramatically. This creates another strong incentive to configure a fault-tolerant architecture. Current technologies from Cisco and other networking companies make it possible to build high-availability voice and data solution that have even better uptime potential than conventional voice and data services.

For small business with extremely limited budgets, fault-tolerant failover solutions are possible by utilizing redundant, low-cost DSL services. While not providing all the transparency of more complex and expensive solutions, this alternative can provide significant functionality and avoid costly productivity loss in the event of line failure.

As companies have shifted away from dedicated leased T1 and frame relay lines to Internet-based VPN connections, the demand for fault-tolerant Internet connectivity has accelerated. Businesses can apply the cost savings from retiring legacy leased circuits to upgrading their Internet infrastructure so that they will not only protect their connectivity to remote offices but also the Internet connectivity of office users. Absent those cost savings, many small companies are reluctant to invest in fault-tolerant Internet configurations.

Zero-Downtime Technologies Supported by Progent's Consultants
Progent's certified consultants can assist your business to implement an affordable, non-stop IT architecture that addresses major issues covering a broad range of infrastructure technologies and operations such as:

Disaster Recovery Planning
Progent's disaster recovery consultants can show you how to design a business continuity plan that will allow you to restore network functionality in the event of an information network disaster. Progent can assist you to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that includes scheduled disaster recovery assessments and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-authorized professionals can also show you how to build an affordable, fault-tolerant system architecture that takes into account reliability issues covering a wide array of network technologies and procedures. For more information, visit Disaster Recovery Consulting and Support Services.

CRISC-Premier IT Risk Mitigation
The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification program was initiated by ISACA in 2010 to validate a consultant's ability to plan, implement, and support information system controls to mitigate risk. Progent can provide the services of a CRISC-certified engineer to assist your company to develop and execute a business continuity plan based on leading practices identified by CRISC and geared to align with your company's risk appetite, business objectives, and budgetary guidelines. To read more, see CRISC-Certified network risk control experts.

Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 incorporated significant improvements in scale, performance, management, cybersecurity, application compatibility, Linux support, container networking, and hybrid combinations of local and cloud-hosted resources. Top new features of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for centralizing the management and monitoring of hybrid local/cloud deployments, System Insights for utilizing advance predictive intelligence to control on-premises networks, Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container orchestration with Kubernetes, Cluster Sets for deploying and managing massive high-availability scale-out clusters, and Microsoft's Storage Migration Service for simplifying the upgrade process from legacy editions of Windows Server. To learn more, see Microsoft Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering Help.

Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery consultants can assist your organization to design a disaster recovery solution based on Microsoft's cloud-tested Failover Clustering tools such as Cluster Operating System Rolling Upgrade for non-intrusive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Storage Spaces Direct for enterprise-class storage clusters using commodity hardware, Virtual Machine Load Balancing for enhancing the performance and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while minimizing capital investment and operational expenses, and Cloud Witness for fast, affordable creation of a stretch cluster quorum arbitration point. To learn more, see Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Help.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is a component of VMware vCenter that lets you specify, automate and verify a repeatable process for recovering applications and services quickly following an outage. Site Recovery Manager provides centrally controlled and automated recovery, application mobility, plus non-intrusive site relocation, failback and re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also supports non-disruptive testing for disaster recovery, updates and fixes and can generate audit reports to verify complete service restoration, validate Service Level Agreements and prove disaster recovery compliance. Progent can provide the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consulting expert to help you to plan, deploy, test and maintain a disaster recovery system based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.

NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Software
NetApp MetroCluster is a disaster recovery platform that combines failover storage clustering along with synchronous replication to provide rapid, zero RPO disaster recovery (DR) between datacenters located as far as 300km apart from each other. Progent offers online or on-premises access to a NetApp MetroCluster consultant who can help you to design, deploy, administer, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery solution built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to select an architecture for your MetroCluster deployment that meets your functional needs and IT budget. Progent can ensure you adhere to leading practices for installing your MetroCluster environment by delivering help with tasks such as assigning shelf IDs, arranging aggregate and plexes layout, provisioning FlexVol volumes, setting up NetApp Snapshot, installing switches, designing a tiebreaker mechanism, setting up a TCP/IP configuration replication network between your peered clusters, and testing your DR solution to prove compliance with information assurance standards and regulatory requirements.

Fault Tolerant Load Balancing
Progent provides high availability load balancing consulting that addresses network load balancing, load balanced applications, network backbone routing, and content dispatching products including Cisco Content Engine. Non-stop load balancing products for which Progent offers consulting services include Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Access Suite and Presentation Server, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Distributed Director and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks 3-DNS. For more information, see Non-stop Load Balancing.

Non-stop Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center consultants can help you select fault-tolerant data centers that match the particular requirements of your business. Fault tolerant off-site data centers are especially attractive to small and mid-size organizations due to of their low cost and convenience in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself approach. Attempting to create an on-site data center that offers even a minimum degree of fault tolerance is too expensive for the majority of small companies. Progent is ready to show you how to reap all the benefits of 24x7 Internet data centers by providing a full array of engineering and support services. For more information, see Non-stop Data Centers Expertise.

Failsafe Branch Office Connectivity
Progent's interoffice connection engineers can help organizations achieve fault tolerant interoffice connectivity solutions via fully redundant system architectures featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-premier CCIE network engineers can plan and implement fault-tolerant Inter-office connections supported by fault tolerant EIGRP routers or zero-downtime OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how multi-path connections and automatic fail-over can provide affordable non-stop interoffice networking. To learn more, visit Fault Tolerant Inter-office Networking.

Backup and Restore Solutions Consulting
Progent can provide affordable online access to engineers skilled in a wide range of products and services that provide solutions for backing up Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX physical and virtual servers and workstations plus notebooks and smartphones. Progent offers consulting support for all major data protection platforms including Acronis Backup and Recovery, Backup Exec, BackupAssist Software, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Backup, MozyPro, Retrospect for Macintosh, Apple Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery, and Solaris FLARs. Progent can assist you to design, upgrade, or maintain data backup systems for a variety of topologies including local, remote, cloud-based, or a mix. To learn more, go to Backup and Recovery Technology Expertise.

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Backup and Recovery Consultants
Progent's expert System Center Data Protection Manager engineers can assist you to develop an effective workplace recovery plan, design a cost-effective high-availability IT infrastructure, deploy a System Center Data Protection Manager-based backup and recovery system, thoroughly test your DPM system, educate your IT personnel or regular service providers how to manage Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager, or provide extensive IT outsourcing including off-site hosting of Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager servers in Progent's world-class data center facility. To read more, go to Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting.

Barracuda Backup On-premises and Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is a low-cost, subscription backup/restore platform for small and mid-size businesses. A Barracuda Backup solution can incorporate a custom-designed hardware appliance manufactured by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with similar features but which uses your existing storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup protects critical company data produced locally, at one or multiple remote sites, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon AWS, or to any location with a physical or virtual Barracuda appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consulting experts can provide a broad array of consulting support services to help your business to design, integrate, operate and troubleshoot a BDR solution based on Barracuda technology. For more information, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consultants.

ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup Solutions for Backup and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup software offers small businesses a reliable and affordable platform for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-powered VMs. Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in local, offsite, distributed, and cloud-hosted environments and also supports cost-effective backup to Microsoft Azure Block Blob storage. Altaro VM Backup supports high-end features like Immutable Cloud Storage for enhanced recoverability from ransomware. Progent is an Altaro partner and can provide a wide range of online or onsite consulting services to help you to plan, deploy, optimize and debug a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery system powered by Altaro VM Backup. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent offers a managed backup/recovery service based on Altaro VM Backup. For details, visit Altaro VM Backup consulting.

ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup Services for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers rudimentary archiving but does not have native support for crucial data protection services such as Exchange Online backups or greater than 30-day point-in-time recovery for OneDrive or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup delivers a feature-rich BDR solution for programmable backup and quick recovery of all your organization's M365 mail, Microsoft Teams Chats, SharePoint documents, OneDrive for Business data, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is an authorized Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and has designed ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup to provide end-to-end managed services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup product. ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup provides a low-cost backup-as-a-service solution that defends M365 apps against data loss resulting from user or software mistakes, malevolent corruption, and cyber assaults such as ransomware. For details, visit ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup solutions for Microsoft 365.

Fully Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO offer small and mid-sized businesses an affordable and fully managed solution for secure backup/disaster recovery. For a fixed monthly price, ProSight DPS ECHO automates and monitors your backup processes and allow rapid restoration of vital files, apps and VMs that have become unavailable or damaged as a result of component breakdowns, software bugs, natural disasters, human error, or malware attacks like ransomware. ProSight DPS ECHO can help you protect, retrieve and restore files, folders, applications, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware images. Important data can be backed up on the cloud, to a local device, or to both. Progent's cloud backup specialists can provide world-class expertise to configure ProSight DPS ECHO to be compliant with regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, FIRPA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, whenever necessary, can help you to recover your critical data. Read more about ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO managed backup.

ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup Solutions
Progent can help your company to design, deploy and troubleshoot a backup/restore solution based on MSP360 technology. MSP360 offers file or image backup/restore for virtual machines and physical machines, works with all popular public clouds, and allows you to create a backup ecosystem with a low RTO and a defined Recovery Point Objective (RPO). With ProSight DPS 360 Backup, Progent can provide end-to-end monitoring and management of your backup system to protect against data loss caused by human mistakes, system glitches, ill-intentioned users, and malware assaults such as ransomware. For details, visit ProSight DPS 360 Backup services.

Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for Backup
Double-Take offers a family of products designed to deliver small companies a range of cost-effective solutions for replicating and recovering vital applications such as Exchange, Microsoft SQL, Blackberry, and Microsoft Office SharePoint. Progent's business continuity planning consultants have in-depth backgrounds integrating Double-Take products into small business IT systems to create an advanced level of fault tolerance and business continuity capability at a budget-friendly cost. For details, see Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for Data Backup.

Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning Solutions?
Since Progent is a Microsoft Certified Partner and provides high-level application expertise for a broad range of business applications, Progent is able to assist customers to find comprehensive IT solutions that substantially enhance the productivity of your information system. As a Registered Partner for Cisco, Progent can provide the expertise of certified consultants and specialists with expertise in architecting, deploying and supporting networking solutions based on Cisco products. The breadth of Progent's IT experience and Progent's sensitivity to the requirements of small companies make Progent the ideal partner for creating and maintaining an affordable, fault-tolerant network.

How You Can Access Progent's Experts for Support for Non-stop Computer Networks
To contact Progent about professional help for fault tolerant architecture, phone 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.