Enterprise Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Expertise

NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Solutions
MetroCluster, included with NetApp's ONTAP storage operating system, is high-availability and disaster recovery software that combines array-based clustering with synchronous replication to provide rapid, zero data loss disaster recovery between datacenters separated by up to 185 miles (300km). By synchronously mirroring volumes between storage controllers, MetroCluster allows zero Recovery Point Objective (RPO) and under two-minute Recovery Time Objective (RTO) for mission-critical applications. MetroCluster supports SAN and NAS hosts, is available in 2-, 4- and 8-node configurations, and integrates with NetApp SnapMirror for asynchronous, near-zero data lass protection for datacenters separated by longer distances. Storage costs are kept at a minimum via inline data reduction technologies including deduplication, compression, and compaction.

Progent offers online or onsite access to a NetApp subject matter expert with NCIE, NCDA and NASAP certifications who can provide advanced support to help you design, deploy, manage, optimize, update or troubleshoot a disaster recovery solution based on NetApp MetroCluster technology. Progent also offers support for other NetApp SAN and NAS storage solutions including ONTAP, SnapMirror, SnapVault and Open Systems SnapVault (OSSV), FlexPod private cloud converged infrastructure, Virtual Storage Console, MultiStore, vFiler, OnCommand Unified Manager Core with OnCommand Reporting and OnCommand Insight, plus NetApp's hybrid Flash FAS, all Flash AFF, V-Series and N-Series hardware portfolio. (See NetApp SAN Integration Consulting.)

Key Features of NetApp MetroCluster
MetroCluster provides local high-availability (HA) and rapid, single-command remote disaster recovery (DR) for an organization's storage infrastructure by connecting two clusters, one each at two geographically separated datacenters, in a bi-directional peered storage network where you can quickly switchover either cluster to handle the storage and services of the other cluster in addition its own workloads. By running the Storage Virtual Machines (SVMs) from the offline cluster on the surviving cluster, MetroCluster allows continuous access to data during an outage of a storage cluster or datacenter.

In a four-node configuration, each datacenter has a two-node failover cluster configured as a high-availability (HA) pair with mirrored non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) and multipath storage between the two local nodes. If either node in an HA pair stops working, automatic failover allows the surviving local partner to take over the offline node's operation without incurring downtime. For DR clusters at separate sites, MetroCluster supports active-active and active-passive configurations. In an active-active configuration, both sites serve independent workloads during normal operation. In an active-passive (or active standby) deployment, the cluster at a selected primary site hosts all application workloads in a steady state and switchover only occurs from the protected primary site to the backup site. In this mode, no switchover is required if the secondary site fails but resource utilization is relatively low. You can also configure local HA pairs to operate in active-passive mode.

Switchover between clusters at different datacenters and failover between nodes in a datacenter's cluster can be planned (e.g. for non-intrusive maintenance, testing or upgrades) or unplanned, as in a site disaster. Switchback is the process by which the surviving cluster in one datacenter returns switched-over resources to the original cluster at the other datacenter. Giveback, or failback, is the process by which an offline node in local cluster is returned to a steady operational state.

To provide zero RPO disaster recovery, MetroCluster uses synchronous replication between storage clusters so that any change made at one datacenter is automatically propagated to the other datacenter. The replication process includes storage replication with NetApp SyncMirror, nonvolatile NVRAM replication, and replication of the cluster configuration. For MetroCluster to preserve the identity of the storage access paths during switchover, you must set up an L2 spanned Ethernet network and a single SAN fabric across the two datacenter sites.

MetroCluster requires both datacenters to have the same hardware and disk configurations. A variety of components from multiple vendors are supported. In a four-node deployment, each cluster uses NetApp's standard clustered Data ONTAP cluster interconnects, usually a switchless, back-to-back connection between the two HA nodes. Two Fibre Channel (FC) or FCIP switches at each datacenter connect to the HA nodes via FC initiators and FC-VI interfaces and connect to storage with SAS-to-FC bridges. (Direct-attached configurations do not require FC switches.) This allows all nodes in both clusters to see all the storage. Brocade FC switches supported by MetroCluster allow DR clusters to be up to 185 miles apart. The Clustered Data ONTAP storage OS supports both switchless configurations and a variety of cluster interconnect switches.

How Progent Can Help You with MetroCluster and Other NetApp Storage Solutions
Progent's team of seasoned IT consultants can help you plan, deploy, manage, upgrade, test and troubleshoot a disaster recovery solution built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you design a two-node, four-node or eight-node topology for your MetroCluster environment that aligns with your functional requirements and IT budget. Progent can make sure you follow best practices for installing your MetroCluster environment by providing help with tasks such as assigning disk pools and shelf IDs, arranging aggregate and plexes layout, provisioning NetApp FlexVol volumes, configuring NetApp Snapshot, provisioning Cisco and Brocade switches, implementing a tiebreaker, and setting up a TCP/IP configuration replication network between your peered clusters. Progent can also help you streamline the management of your MetroCluster ecosystem and non-disruptively test your disaster recovery solution to prove compliance with industry standards and government regulations. In addition, Progent offers FlexPod integration consulting to help you incorporate MetroCluster into a resilient private cloud infrastructure that consolidates servers, network fabric and storage assets for hosting critical applications.

Progent can provide as-needed expertise to guide you through occasional technical roadblocks and also offers comprehensive project management outsourcing or co-sourcing. Progent offers remote and on-premises consulting services and gives you easy access to the breadth and depth of knowledge of more than 100 veteran subject matter experts. In addition to offering the support of a NetApp-certified network architect, Progent can provide the services of a Cisco-certified CCIE network infrastructure consultant, a VMware VCDX-certified virtual networking expert, a Microsoft-certified Exchange specialist, a Citrix-certified XenDesktop consultant, and other IT consulting experts.

Zero-Downtime Solutions Offered by Progent's Experts
Progent's certified consulting experts can help your business to create a cost-effective, fault-tolerant network that resolves key issues encompassing a wide array of infrastructure technologies and operations including:

Workplace Recovery Planning
Progent's disaster recovery professionals can help you create a disaster recovery strategy so you can restore IT functionality in the event of an IT system disaster. Progent can help you to create a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that includes scheduled disaster recovery assessments and drills. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-authorized engineers can also show you how to create an affordable, fault-tolerant network solution that takes into account availability issues covering a broad array of infrastructure technologies and procedures. To learn more, see Workplace Recovery Consulting and Support Services.

CRISC-Premier IT Risk Management
The Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) program was established by ISACA in 2010 to validate an IT professional's ability to plan, implement, and support information system controls to mitigate risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to help your company to develop and carry out a workplace continuity or disaster recovery strategy based on leading practices identified by CRISC and crafted to align with your company's risk tolerance, business goals, and budgetary guidelines. For details, go to CRISC-Premier IT risk control experts.

Microsoft Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 introduced significant improvements in scale, throughput, manageability, security and compliance, application compatibility, Linux support, Kubernetes technology, and hybrid combinations of on-premises and cloud resources. Top enhancements of Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for unifying the management of hybrid local/cloud resources, System Insights for taking advantage of modern predictive analytics to control on-premises environments, Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard for host-intrusion prevention, container networking using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets technology for deploying and managing large high-availability scale-out clusters, and Microsoft's Storage Migration Service for simplifying the migration from outdated editions of Windows Server. For details, see Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering Consulting.

Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery experts can assist your organization to plan and deploy a DR system based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering tools such as Cluster Operating System Rolling Upgrade for non-intrusive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance storage clusters using commodity hardware, Virtual Machine Load Balancing for enhancing the performance and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while minimizing TCO and operational expenses, and Cloud Witness for easy, economical creation of a stretch cluster quorum arbitration point. For more information, see Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery Support.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is a component of VMware vCenter that allows you to define, automate and test a repeatable runbook for recovering services quickly following a breakdown. SRM supports centrally controlled and automated recovery, application mobility, plus non-intrusive site migration, failback and site re-protect. SRM also enables transparent testing for site recovery, upgrades and patches and can generate reports to confirm full service restoration, validate Service Level Agreements and demonstrate compliance. Progent offers the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consultant to assist your organization to plan, configure, test and maintain a disaster recovery solution powered by VMware SRM.

Fault Tolerant Load Balancing
Progent offers fault tolerant load balancing consulting covering system load balancing, load balanced programs, LAN/WAN infrastructure routing, and content delivery technology including Cisco Content Engine. High availability load balancing products for which Progent can provide consulting expertise include Microsoft Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Access Gateway, Cisco CSS, Cisco Content Engine and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To read more, see Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.

High-Availability Colocation
Progent's Data Center consultants can help you find high availability data centers that meet the particular requirements of your company. Fault tolerant Internet Data Centers are particularly appealing to small and mid-size organizations due to of their low cost and simplified logistics compared to taking a do-it-yourself approach. Attempting to build an on-site data center with even a minimum level of fault tolerance is financially prohibitive for typical small organizations. Progent is ready to show you how to reap all the advantages of high-availability colocation centers by offering a full array of engineering and support services. To learn more, visit Non-stop Colocation Expertise.

Failsafe Interoffice Networking
Progent's inter-site connectivity consultants can help organizations create zero-downtime interoffice connectivity solutions by means of fully redundant networks featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-premier CCIE engineers can design and implement fault-tolerant Inter-office networks based on non-stop EIGRP network routers or fault tolerant OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can demonstrate how redundant connectivity and automatic fail-over offers affordable non-stop interoffice connectivity. To find out more, go to High-Availability Inter-office Connectivity.

Non-stop Internet Access
Progent's Cisco-certified network experts can help you build an economical, high availability Internet configuration solution that can deliver non-stop Internet access via a wide array of high availability Internet network technologies including non-stop BGP, automatic fail-over, and redundant ISPs. Progent offers CCIE professionals to show you how to utilize the most up-to-date technology for high availability Internet connections to implement an economical, completely redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other capabilities to create fault tolerant Internet access. For more information, see Non-stop Internet Connectivity Solutions.

Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting Experts
Progent offers affordable remote support from IT engineers with expertise in a broad range of utilities and services that deliver solutions for protecting Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux physical and virtual servers and desktops as well as notebooks and smartphones. Progent can provide expertise for leading data protection products such as Acronis Backup and Recovery, Backup Exec, BackupAssist, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Backup, MozyPro, Retrospect, Time Machine, VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP), and Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can assist your company to design, enhance, or troubleshoot data backup systems for a variety of environments including local, edge to datacenter, cloud, or a mix. To read more, visit Backup and Recovery Technology Expertise.

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Backup and Restore Consulting Services
Progent's expert Microsoft SCDPM support professionals can help you to create an effective disaster recovery strategy, design a cost-effective fault-tolerante network infrastructure, configure a Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager-based backup and recovery solution, comprehensively validate your DPM system, train your IT staff or local consultants how to manage System Center Data Protection Manager, or provide extensive information technology outsourcing including off-site hosting of virtual or physical SCDPM servers in Progent's world-class data center. To learn more, visit Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting and Support Services.

Barracuda Backup Multi-site and Cloud Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup/restore service for small and mid-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup deployment can include a purpose-built hardware appliance built by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with similar functionality but which utilizes your own storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup safeguards critical company data produced on-premises, at one or multiple remote locations, or in the cloud. For disaster preparedness, 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 can provide a wide array of consulting services to assist your business to design, integrate, operate and repair a backup and disaster recovery solution built on Barracuda technology. For additional information, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.

ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup Software for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup offers small and mid-size businesses a dependable and budget-friendly platform for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-based VMs. Altaro VM Backup can be used for on-premises, remote, distributed, and cloud environments and also supports low-cost cloud backup to Microsoft Azure storage. Altaro VM Backup supports advanced capabilities such as Immutable Cloud Storage for enhanced recoverability from ransomware. Progent is an Altaro partner and can provide a wide array of remote or onsite services to assist you to design, deploy, manage and debug a modern backup and disaster recovery solution based on Altaro VM Backup. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a fully managed backup/restore service powered by on Altaro VM Backup. To read more, see Altaro VM Backup consulting.

ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides rudimentary archiving but does not have integrated support for crucial data protection capabilities like Exchange Online backups or greater than 30-day point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup provides a feature-rich platform for programmable backup and rapid restoration of all your organization'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 offers ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) 365 Total Backup to provide end-to-end managed services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup provides a budget-friendly backup-as-a-service solution that protects M365 components against data loss resulting from user or software mistakes, malicious sabotage, and malware assaults such as ransomware. To find out more, visit ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup services for Microsoft 365.

Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO from Progent offer small and mid-sized businesses an affordable end-to-end service for secure backup/disaster recovery (BDR). For a low monthly rate, ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO automates and monitors your backup activities and enable fast restoration of critical files, applications and VMs that have become unavailable or corrupted due to component failures, software glitches, natural disasters, human error, or malware attacks such as ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO can help you protect, retrieve and restore files, folders, applications, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Important data can be protected on the cloud, to a local storage device, or mirrored to both. Progent's BDR consultants can provide world-class support to set up ProSight DPS ECHO to be compliant with government and industry regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, FINRA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, whenever needed, can help you to restore your critical data. Learn more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed backup.

ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup Services
Progent's data protection experts can help your company to create, deploy and debug a backup/restore plan based on MSP360 software. MSP360 enables file or image backup/recovery for virtual machines and physical computers, works with all popular public clouds, and permits businesses to create a backup ecosystem with a minimum Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and a defined Recovery Point Objective. With ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup, Progent can provide end-to-end monitoring and remote management of your backup environment to prevent data loss caused by user miscues, system glitches, ill-intentioned insiders, and malware attacks like ransomware. To read more, see ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup services.

Consulting for Double-Take Software for Backup and Recovery
Double-Take Software publishes a family of tools designed to provide small and midsize businesses a range of affordable alternatives for backing up and restoring business-critical applications including Microsoft Exchange, SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning experts have extensive backgrounds incorporating Double-Take Software products into small company IT systems to create an advanced state of fault tolerance and disaster recovery capability at a budget-friendly cost. For details, go to Consulting for Double-Take Software for Data Backup.

Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning?
Because Progent is a Microsoft Partner and provides specialized application support for a wide variety of business applications, Progent is able to assist customers to find comprehensive IT solutions that optimize the productivity of your information system. As a Registered Partner for Cisco, Progent can provide the support of certified consultants and specialists with expertise in architecting, implementing and managing infrastructure environments built on Cisco technology. The depth of Progent's IT experience and Progent's familiarity with the requirements of small and midsize companies make Progent the perfect partner for creating and maintaining a cost-effective, dependable information system.

Contact Progent for NetApp SAN Storage Solutions
If you are looking for expertise to help you design, deploy or troubleshoot a SAN storage solution based on NetApp technology, call Progent at 800-993-9400 or visit Contact Progent.