(Note: Microsoft has terminated support for Windows Server 2003 and it is advisable to consider upgrading from this legacy OS to an up-to-date version of Windows Server. If your organization is considering moving up to Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2016, Progent can provide online and onsite Windows Server 2012 R2 planning and configuration consulting services or Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery consulting to ensure your project finishes on time and within budget. In addition, Progent's Windows Server Failover Clustering Consultants can help you a configure and troubleshoot a high-availability clustering solution based on Microsoft's latest technology.

Fault Tolerant Server Clustering ConsultingEven with typical fault tolerant feature found in high-end server hardware, such as redundant power supplies and mirrored or RAID 5 disk arrays, failed devices must be identified and replacement components must be procured and installed. These failures can bring down a server for hours, if not days. Furthermore, during regularly scheduled software maintenance functions, servers need to be rebooted or brought off-line for an extended period. For customers who need 100% uptime, the only solution is to deploy a clustered server configuration that provides fully redundant servers for a single application.

A server cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to provide a common set of services. Windows 2003 provides this high-availability solution with the Cluster service. If a cluster node (a computer in a cluster) fails, other nodes in the cluster assume the functions of the failed node. Server clustering is an essential piece of any fault-tolerant architecture, and making large investments in communication infrastructure redundancy without providing for server redundancy defeats the value of that investment.

Progent offers Windows 2003 Server consulting to help your company implement clustered server configurations that can potentially provide 100% uptime, even for normal maintenance functions. This high-availability is possible because a single server in a cluster can be brought off-line for maintenance work without affecting users. Clustering also allows IT personal to perform critical security updates during regular business hours without reducing user productivity.

Microsoft Windows 2003 Server offers mature clustering technology. This is the third major release of Microsoft clustering technology, which was first released in 1997. Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, present a single view of the server to users, applications, and the network and both versions of Windows Server 2003 support up to eight-node clusters. Failover clustering configurations can be built around Microsoft technologies for mission-critical and collaborative applications such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server file and print services.

Host Clustering with Microsoft Virtual Server
Virtual Server host clustering is a technique for enhancing the capability of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 with the server cluster support incorporated in Microsoft Windows Server 2003. By means of Virtual Server host clustering, your network can benefit from an array of services via a minimum number of actual hardware servers and, simultaneously, ensure the high availability of the provided services. In case one server requires scheduled or unscheduled downtime, another server can immediately take its place and begin supporting services. As a result, your clients experience minimal service disruption. Progent's Microsoft-certified network engineers have in-depth experience deploying and supporting Microsoft Virtual Server. For more information, refer to Consulting Services for Microsoft Virtual Server.

Server Clustering and Storage Area Networks
A storage area network (SAN) is a set of disks, tapes, and servers connected to a common infrastructure, or storage fabric, such as Fibre Channel. A SAN allows multiple servers to access a common pool of storage. This allows storage to be assigned dynamically from the pool whenever it is required. Storage on a given server can be increased or decreased as needed without complex reconfiguring or re-cabling of devices. SAN technology is a good way to build clusters where shared access to a data set is required. By deploying multiple clusters onto a single storage area network, all of the benefits of SAN technology can be brought to the cluster environment. Progent’s Microsoft certified engineers can show you how to combine Microsoft’s server cluster technology with storage area networking to make your network more fault tolerant and easier to manage.

Server Clustering with Microsoft Exchange
Messaging systems based on Microsoft Exchange are vital for many businesses. Unfortunately, this crucial function is vulnerable to component failure, power loss, operator errors, and natural disasters. By allowing the failover of resources, server clustering provides fault tolerance for an Exchange environment. Server clusters that use the Microsoft Cluster Service can maintain data integrity and provide failover support and high availability for mission-critical applications and services on your back-end servers, including messaging systems, databases, and file and print services.

This figure shows an example of a four-node Exchange cluster with three active nodes and a passive standby node:

Microsoft Exchange Server Clustering Help

Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange experts have proven, world-class skills in designing high-availability Exchange environments and can show you how to configure an Exchange Server cluster with shared data access to data and automatic failover capabilities. For details about Exchange consulting services available from Progent, visit Microsoft Exchange Consulting Support.

Other High Availability Technologies Offered by Progent's Consultants
Progent's certified consultants can assist your business to implement a sensible, non-stop network that resolves critical challenges covering a wide range of infrastructure solutions and processes such as:

Workplace Recovery Planning
Progent's disaster recovery consultants can help you design a disaster recovery plan that will allow you to resume IT operations in case of an information system catastrophe. Progent can assist you to develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that includes periodic disaster recovery evaluations and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified engineers can also show you how to create an affordable, zero-downtime system architecture that addresses availability issues covering a wide array of infrastructure technologies and processes. To find out more, go to Business Continuity Consulting.

Fully Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services
ProSight Data Protection Services from Progent offer small and mid-sized organizations an affordable and fully managed service for secure backup/disaster recovery (BDR). For a low monthly cost, ProSight Data Protection Services automates your backup activities and enables fast restoration of critical files, applications and virtual machines that have become lost or corrupted due to hardware failures, software bugs, disasters, human error, or malicious attacks like ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services can help you protect, retrieve and restore files, folders, apps, system images, as well as Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Critical data can be protected on the cloud, to a local storage device, or mirrored to both. Progent's cloud backup specialists can provide advanced support to set up ProSight Data Protection Services to to comply with regulatory standards like HIPPA, FINRA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, when necessary, can assist you to restore your business-critical data. Find out more about ProSight Data Protection Services Managed Cloud Backup.

Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity experts can help you to plan and deploy a DR system built around Microsoft's latest Failover Clustering tools such as Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-intrusive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance network-attached storage using industry-standard 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, affordable creation of a failover cluster quorum witness. For details, go to Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting.

Windows Server 2012 Failover Clustering
Windows Server 2008 R2 introduced world-class fault tolerance and recoverability to Microsoft's failover clustering solution. Windows Server 2012 R2 builds on this technology and provides important new and enhanced features offering increased extensibility, better storage availability for server applications, streamlined management, faster failover, and additional flexibility for designing clusters. To find out more, visit Windows Server 2012 R2 Failover Clustering Consulting and Support.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is a component of VMware vCenter that allows you to specify, automate and test a repeatable workflow for restoring applications and services quickly after a breakdown. SRM supports centrally controlled and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, and non-disruptive site relocation, failback and site re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also supports transparent testing for site recovery, upgrades and fixes and can generate audit reports to verify complete service restoration, validate Service Level Agreements and prove compliance. Progent offers the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consulting expert to assist you to plan, configure, test and administer a DR system based on VMware SRM.

NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Technology
NetApp MetroCluster is a disaster recovery software suite that uses array-based storage clustering along with replication to deliver rapid, zero data loss disaster recovery between datacenters located up to 185 miles apart. Progent offers the skills of a certified NetApp MetroCluster consultant who can assist you to design, deploy, administer, update, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery system built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to choose a topology for your MetroCluster environment that aligns with your functional needs and budget. Progent can make sure you adhere to best practices for installing your MetroCluster environment by providing help with procedures like assigning disk pools, determining aggregate and plexes layout, provisioning volumes, setting up NetApp Snapshot, provisioning Cisco and Brocade switches, designing a tiebreaker mechanism, designing a configuration replication network between your peered clusters, and verifying your disaster recovery solution to show adherence with industry standards and regulatory requirements.

Network Load Balancing
Progent provides fault tolerant load balancing support covering network load balancing, load balanced applications, network infrastructure routing, and content dispatching products such as F5 Networks 3DNS. High availability load balancing solutions for which Progent offers consulting expertise include Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Access Gateway, Cisco CSS, Cisco Content Engine and Cisco CDN Software, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To learn more, go to High Availability Load Balancing.

Non-stop Colocation
Progent's Data Center professionals can help you identify zero-downtime data centers that match the particular needs of your business. High availability colocation sites are especially attractive to small and mid-size businesses because of their affordability and simplified logistics compared to pursuing a do-it-yourself approach. Trying to design an on-site data center that offers even a basic degree of fault tolerance is too expensive for most small businesses. Progent is ready to help you reap all the benefits of high-availability data centers by offering a full array of engineering and maintenance services. To find out more, see High-Availability Colocation Consulting.

Fault Tolerant Inter-office Networking
Progent’s interoffice connectivity professionals can help organizations create fault tolerant inter-site connectivity solutions through redundant networks featuring automatic failover. Progent’s Cisco-certified CCIE network engineers can design and implement ultra-reliable Inter-office connections supported by fault tolerant EIGRP network routers or zero-downtime OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how redundant connectivity and automatic fail-over offers affordable 24x7 interoffice connectivity. To find out more, visit Fault Tolerant Interoffice Connectivity.

24x7 Internet Connectivity
Progent's Cisco-authorized network professionals can help you create an affordable, fault tolerant Internet connection architecture that can deliver non-stop Internet access through a wide array of high availability Internet network technologies including fault tolerant BGP, automatic fail-over, and redundant Internet Service Providers. Progent offers CCIE consultants to help you utilize the latest techniques for 24x7 Internet access to implement an economical, completely redundant Internet network with automatic failover and other features to deliver non-stop Internet availability. To find out more, see Non-stop Internet Connectivity Solutions.

Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting and Support Services
Progent offers economical remote access to engineers with expertise in a broad array of products and technologies that provide solutions for protecting Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux/UNIX physical and virtual servers and workstations as well as laptops and smartphones. Progent offers help for all major backup platforms including Acronis Backup and Recovery, Backup Exec, BackupAssist, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Backup, Mozy, Retrospect for Macintosh, Apple Time Machine, vSphere Data Protection, and Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can help you to deploy, upgrade, or maintain backup/restore systems for a variety of environments such as local, remote, cloud, or hybrid. To read more, see Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting.

System Center Data Protection Manager Data Recovery Consulting and Support Services
Progent's certified Microsoft SCDPM support professionals can assist your company to create a practical workplace recovery plan, implement an affordable high-availability IT infrastructure, deploy a Microsoft SCDPM-powered backup and restore system, comprehensively test your DPM system, educate your administrative personnel or regular consultants how to manage Microsoft SCDPM, or provide complete IT outsourcing such as off-site hosting of System Center Data Protection Manager machines in Progent's data center. To learn more, visit Microsoft SCDPM Consulting.

Barracuda Backup Cloud and Offsite Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is a low-cost, subscription backup/restore service for small and mid-size businesses. A Barracuda Backup solution can include a custom-designed hardware appliance built by Barracuda or a virtual appliance with comparable features but which uses your own storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup safeguards vital business data produced on-premises, at one or more 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 appliance. Progent is a Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consulting experts offer a wide range of consulting services to assist you to plan, integrate, operate and troubleshoot a backup and disaster recovery system based on Barracuda technology. For additional information, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.

Altaro VM Backup Software for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup software provides small organizations a reliable and budget-friendly solution for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines. Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in local, remote, multi-site, and cloud-hosted architectures and also supports cost-effective cloud backup to Azure storage. Headline capabilities include industry-leading Augmented Inline Deduplication to reduce backup storage needs, Continuous Data Protection (CDP) with backup intervals as low as five minutes for minimizing your exposure to data loss, military-grade encryption, item-level recovery options for individual files and emails, extensive support for Windows Cluster Shared Volumes and for vCenter for handling large-scale environments, and support for Microsoft VSS technology to back up online virtual machines without downtime. Progent is a certified Altaro partner and offers a wide array of consulting services to assist you to plan, deploy, manage and troubleshoot a backup/restore solution powered by Altaro VM Backup. To learn more, see Altaro VM Backup Certified Consultants.

Consulting Services Double-Take Software for Data Backup
Double-Take publishes a family of tools designed to deliver small businesses a variety of affordable solutions for backing up and recovering vital workloads such as Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Blackberry, and Microsoft SharePoint. Progent’s disaster recovery planning consultants have in-depth backgrounds integrating Double-Take Software technology into small company information systems to achieve a high level of availability and business continuity readiness at an affordable cost. For details, visit Consulting for Double-Take Software for Data Backup.

CRISC-Certified IT Risk Management
The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) certification program was initiated by ISACA in 2010 to validate a consultant's skills to design, implement, and support information system controls to reduce network risk. Progent can provide the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to help your company to develop and execute a business continuity plan that follows leading practices identified by CRISC and crafted to match your company's risk tolerance, business goals, and budgetary guidelines. For more information, visit CRISC-Certified IT risk mitigation experts.

Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning?
Because Progent is a Microsoft Partner and provides specialized application consulting for a broad variety of small business applications, Progent can assist customers to find complete information technology solutions that optimize the productivity of your IT network. As a Registered Partner for Cisco, Progent offers the support of certified engineers and specialists with expertise in designing, installing and supporting networking environments based on Cisco products. The breadth of Progent's technical know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the needs of small companies make Progent the perfect resource for creating and maintaining an affordable, high-availability network.

How You Can Access Progent's Engineers for Fault Tolerant System Services
To ask Progent about technical assistance for high availability LAN design, call 1-800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.

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