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.

Additional Non-stop Solutions Offered by Progent's Consultants
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco consultants can help you to implement an efficient, fault-tolerant environment that addresses key problems encompassing a wide array of networking technologies and operations such as:

Business Continuity Planning
Progent's disaster recovery consultants can help you design a workplace recovery strategy in order to restore network operations in case of an IT system catastrophe. Progent can help you to create a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy that includes scheduled disaster recovery evaluations and drills. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-authorized consultants can also help you build an affordable, zero-downtime network architecture that takes into account availability issues involving a broad range of infrastructure technologies and processes. To learn more, go to Workplace Recovery Consulting.

Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services
ProSight Data Protection Services from Progent offer small and medium-sized businesses a low cost and fully managed service for secure backup/disaster recovery. For a low monthly cost, ProSight DPS automates and monitors your backup activities and allows rapid recovery of critical files, applications and VMs that have become lost or corrupted due to hardware breakdowns, software glitches, natural disasters, human error, or malware attacks like ransomware. ProSight Data Protection Services can help you back up, recover and restore files, folders, apps, system images, plus Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Critical data can be backed up on the cloud, to a local storage device, or mirrored to both. Progent's BDR specialists can deliver world-class expertise to configure ProSight Data Protection Services to to comply with regulatory standards such as HIPAA, FINRA, and PCI and, whenever needed, can assist you to recover your critical data. Learn more about ProSight DPS Managed Backup.

Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery consultants can assist you to plan and deploy a DR system built around Microsoft's latest Failover Clustering technologies such as Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for enterprise-class network-attached storage using industry-standard hardware, VM Load Balancing for enhancing the speed and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while minimizing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for fast, economical deployment of a stretch cluster quorum witness. For details, visit Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Expertise.

Windows Server 2012 Failover Clustering
Windows Server 2008 R2 introduced world-class availability and system recovery to Microsoft's clustering platform. Windows Server 2012 R2 builds on this technology and delivers significant improvements that offer increased scalability, non-stop disk storage availability for server applications, simpler administration, quicker automatic failover, and additional flexibility for designing clusters. For more information, see Windows Server 2012 Clustering Integration.

VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is an extension to VMware vCenter that lets you orchestrate, automate and test a repeatable workflow for restoring services rapidly following a breakdown. SRM provides centrally managed and automated recovery, application mobility, and transparent site relocation, failback and re-protect. SRM also supports non-intrusive testing for disaster recovery, upgrades and fixes and can produce audit reports to verify full service recovery, validate Service Level Agreements and demonstrate DR compliance. Progent can provide the skills of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consulting expert to help your organization to design, deploy, test and manage a disaster recovery solution based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.

High Availability Load Balancing
Progent offers fault tolerant load balancing support that addresses system load balancing, load balanced programs, network infrastructure routing, and content dispatching products such as Cisco Content Engine. Non-stop load balancing products for which Progent offers consulting expertise include Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and 2008 Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Access Gateway, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Content Distribution Manager and Cisco CDN Software, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. To find out more, go to Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.

Non-stop Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center engineers can help you identify high availability data centers that match the specific needs of your business. Fault tolerant co-location sites are especially attractive to small and mid-size businesses because of their low cost and simplified logistics in comparison to pursuing a do-it-yourself strategy. Attempting to design an in-house data center with even a minimum level of fault tolerance is too costly for the majority of small businesses. Progent can help you get all the benefits of high-availability colocation centers by providing a full array of consulting and support services. To read more, see Fault Tolerant Colocation Solutions.

24x7 Interoffice Networking
Progent’s interoffice connection engineers can help companies achieve non-stop multi-site connectivity by means of redundant networks featuring transparent failover. Progent’s Cisco-premier CCIE network engineers can design and implement ultra-reliable Inter-office networks based on fault tolerant EIGRP routers or non-stop OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can demonstrate how multi-path connections and automatic fail-over can provide affordable non-stop interoffice networking. To learn more, see Failsafe Interoffice Connectivity.

Non-stop Internet Connections
Progent's Cisco-authorized IT consultants can show you how to create an economical, fault tolerant Internet configuration solution that can deliver 24x7 Internet connectivity via a broad range of high availability Internet access solutions including non-stop BGP, automatic fail-over, and redundant Internet Service Providers. Progent can provide Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert professionals to help you utilize the most advanced technology for 24x7 Internet access to create an economical, fully redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other features to deliver zero-downtime Internet connections. To learn more, see Non-stop Internet Connectivity Solutions.

Backup and Recovery Solutions Consulting and Support Services
Progent can provide affordable online support from consultants skilled in a wide range of utilities and technologies that provide solutions for protecting Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX servers and workstations as well as laptops and handhelds. Progent can provide expertise for leading data protection products such as Acronis Backup and Recovery, Symantec Backup Exec, BackupAssist, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take, MozyPro, Retrospect, Apple Time Machine, VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP), and Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can help your company to deploy, enhance, or maintain backup systems for a range of environments such as local, remote, cloud-based, or hybrid. For more information, visit Backup and Recovery Solutions Consulting.

Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Data Recovery Consulting Services
Progent's expert System Center Data Protection Manager support professionals can help your company to develop a practical business continuity plan, implement a cost-effective high-availability network infrastructure, install a SCDPM-powered recovery system, comprehensively validate your system, educate your IT personnel or regular service providers how to maintain SCDPM, or provide complete information technology support outsourcing including off-site housing of Microsoft SCDPM servers in Progent's data center facility. To read more, go to Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting.

Barracuda Backup On-premises and Cloud Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup and disaster recovery service for small and mid-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup solution can include a custom-designed physical appliance built by Barracuda or a virtual appliance with comparable features 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 physical or virtual Barracuda Backup appliance. Progent is a Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants can provide a broad array of consulting services to help your business to design, integrate, operate and repair a backup and disaster recovery system based on Barracuda technology. For more information, go to Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.

Altaro VM Backup Solutions for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup software offers small and mid-size businesses a reliable and affordable platform for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-powered VMs. Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in local, offsite, distributed, and cloud-hosted architectures and also supports cost-effective backup to Microsoft Azure Block Blob storage. Headline features include industry-leading inline deduplication to reduce backup storage needs, Continuous Data Protection with backup intervals as low as five minutes for reducing your Recovery Point Objective, military-grade encryption, item-level restore options for specific files and emails, extensive support for Windows Server Cluster Shared Volumes and vCenter for handling larger environments, and support for Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service to back up online VMs with zero downtime. Progent is a certified Altaro partner and can provide a wide range of services to assist you to design, install, optimize and troubleshoot a backup/restore solution based on Altaro VM Backup software. To read more, visit Altaro VM Backup Certified Consultants.

Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for 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 restoring business-critical applications such as Exchange, SQL Server, Blackberry, and Microsoft SharePoint. Progent’s disaster recovery planning consultants have in-depth backgrounds integrating Double-Take Software products into small business IT networks to achieve a high state of availability and business continuity capability at an affordable cost. For details, see Consulting for Double-Take Software for Backup.

CRISC-Premier Network Risk Control
The CRISC program was initiated by ISACA in 2010 to verify an IT professional's ability to design, deploy, and support IS control mechanisms to mitigate network risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified consultant to assist your company to create and carry out a workplace continuity or disaster recovery strategy based on leading practices identified by CRISC and crafted to match your organization's risk appetite, business goals, and IT budget. For more information, visit CRISC-Premier IT risk management experts.

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.