Enterprise Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Expertise
NetApp-certified MetroCluster Integration Consultant
Solutionj Design, Management and Troubleshooting
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.
Non-stop Solutions Provided by Progent's Experts
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified consulting experts can assist you to implement an efficient, fault-tolerant environment that resolves critical challenges encompassing a wide range of infrastructure technologies and processes including:
Business Continuity Planning
Progent's disaster recovery planning engineers can help you create a disaster recovery strategy in order to resume IT functionality in the event of an IT system catastrophe. Progent can help you to define a complete disaster recovery plan that includes scheduled disaster recovery evaluations and drills. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified consultants can also show you how to build an affordable, zero-downtime network architecture that addresses reliability issues involving a wide array of network technologies and procedures. For details, visit Business Continuity Consulting and Support Services.
CRISC-Premier Network Risk Mitigation
The CRISC program was initiated by ISACA in 2010 to validate a consultant's ability to plan, deploy, and maintain information system controls to mitigate network risk. Progent offers the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to help your company to develop and execute a business continuity or disaster recovery strategy based on industry best practices identified by CRISC and crafted to match your organization's risk tolerance, business goals, and budgetary guidelines. For details, go to CRISC-Premier IT risk management experts.
Microsoft Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering
Windows Server 2019 introduced significant improvements in scale, performance, management, security and compliance, application compatibility, Linux co-existence, container networking, and hybrid integration of local and cloud-hosted resources. Top enhancements of Windows Server 2019 include Windows Admin Center for unifying the management of hybrid local/cloud deployments, System Insights for utilizing advance predictive intelligence to control local environments, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Exploit Guard for host-intrusion prevention, container orchestration with Kubernetes, Cluster Sets for creating and administering massive non-stop scale-out clusters, and Microsoft's Storage Migration Service for streamlining the upgrade process from outdated editions of Windows Server. For more information, go to Microsoft Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering Support.
Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery consultants can assist your organization to plan and deploy a disaster recovery system built around Microsoft's cloud-tested Failover Clustering tools such as Cluster Operating System Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for enterprise-class storage clusters using industry-standard equipment, Virtual Machine Load Balancing for improving the speed and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while reducing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for fast, economical creation of a stretch cluster quorum witness. For more information, see Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Expertise.
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager is a component of VMware vCenter that lets you specify, automate and test a repeatable workflow for recovering services rapidly following a breakdown. Site Recovery Manager provides centrally managed and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, plus non-intrusive site relocation, failback and site re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also supports transparent testing for site recovery, updates and patches and can produce audit reports to confirm full service restoration, validate Service Level Agreements and demonstrate compliance. Progent can provide the support of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consulting expert to help your organization to plan, deploy, test and administer a disaster recovery solution based on VMware SRM.
Network Load Balancing
Progent provides fault tolerant load balancing consulting that addresses network load balancing, load balanced programs, network backbone routing, and content delivery technology including Cisco Content Engine. Fault tolerant load balancing technologies for which Progent offers consulting services include Windows Server 2003 and 2008 Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Presentation Server, Cisco CSS, Cisco Content Distribution Manager and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. For more information, visit Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.
Non-stop Data Centers
Progent's Data Center professionals can help you find fault-tolerant data centers that match the specific needs of your business. Fault tolerant off-site data centers are particularly attractive to small and mid-size companies because of their low cost and convenience in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself approach. Attempting to build an in-house data center that offers even a basic degree of fault tolerance is financially prohibitive for most small businesses. Progent can help you reap all the advantages of high-availability colocation facilities by offering a full array of consulting and maintenance services. For more information, see Non-stop Data Centers Expertise.
High-Availability Inter-office Networking
Progent's inter-site connectivity engineers can help companies achieve zero-downtime interoffice connectivity solutions via redundant system architectures featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-premier CCIE engineers can plan and implement ultra-reliable Inter-office networks supported by fault tolerant EIGRP network routers or non-stop OSPF deployment of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how redundant connections and automatic fail-over offers economical 24x7 interoffice networking. For more information, visit Failsafe Inter-office Connectivity.
High Availability Internet Access
Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants can help you build an affordable, fault tolerant Internet connection architecture that can deliver 24x7 Internet connectivity through a broad range of high availability Internet access technologies including non-stop BGP, automatic fail-over, and redundant ISPs. Progent offers Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert engineers to help you apply the most advanced technology for 24x7 Internet connections to create an economical, fully redundant Internet network with automatic failover and other features to deliver fault tolerant Internet availability. To read more, see Non-stop Internet Connectivity Solutions.
Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting and Support Services
Progent can provide affordable online support from IT engineers skilled in a broad range of products and technologies that deliver solutions for protecting Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX physical and virtual servers and workstations as well as notebooks and handhelds. Progent can provide help for leading backup platforms such as Acronis, Symantec Backup Exec, BackupAssist Software, CrashPlan, Double-Take Backup, Mozy, Retrospect for Macintosh, Time Machine, VMware Data Recovery (VDR), and FLARs. Progent can assist your company to design, upgrade, or troubleshoot data backup solutions for a variety of topologies including on-premises, remote, cloud-based, or a mix. To learn more, visit Backup and Recovery Technology Consulting.
System Center Data Protection Manager Backup and Recovery Consulting Services
Progent's expert Microsoft SCDPM support professionals can help you to develop a practical disaster recovery strategy, design a cost-effective fault-tolerante network infrastructure, configure a Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager-powered backup and recovery system, thoroughly test your system, educate your IT staff or local consultants how to maintain Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager, or provide extensive information technology outsourcing including remote hosting of SCDPM servers in Progent's world-class data center. To read more, see System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting.
Barracuda Backup Local, Offsite and Cloud Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription backup/restore platform for small and medium-size businesses. A Barracuda Backup solution can include a purpose-built physical storage device manufactured by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with comparable functionality but which uses your existing storage hardware. Barracuda Backup protects critical business data produced locally, 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 offer a wide range of consulting support services to help your business to design, configure, operate and troubleshoot a backup and disaster recovery system based on Barracuda technology. For additional information, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.
ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup Software for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Hornetsecurity's Altaro VM Backup offers small and mid-size organizations a reliable and affordable solution for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines. Altaro VM Backup can be used for on-premises, remote, multi-site, and cloud-hosted architectures and also enables low-cost cloud backup to Azure storage. Altaro VM Backup supports advanced features like Immutable Cloud Storage for an extra layer of recoverability from ransomware. Progent is an Altaro partner and can provide a broad range of online or on-premises services to assist you to plan, install, optimize and troubleshoot a comprehensive backup/restore solution based on Altaro VM Backup software. With ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a fully managed backup/recovery service powered by on Altaro VM Backup technology. To learn more, visit Altaro VM Backup consulting services.
ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides simple archiving but does not include native support for vital data protection services such as Exchange backups or greater than 30-day point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive or SharePoint. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup delivers a feature-rich platform for programmable backup and rapid recovery of all your organization's M365 mail, Teams Chats, SharePoint documents, OneDrive files, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is an authorized Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and offers ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup to deliver end-to-end managed services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup delivers an affordable backup-as-a-service solution that guards M365 apps against data loss resulting from human or software error, malicious deletion, and cyber assaults such as ransomware. To find out more, see ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup solutions for Microsoft 365.
Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO offer small and mid-sized organizations a low cost end-to-end service for reliable backup/disaster recovery (BDR). Available at a fixed monthly rate, ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO automates your backup activities and allow fast restoration of critical data, apps and VMs that have become unavailable or corrupted as a result of hardware breakdowns, software glitches, disasters, human mistakes, or malware attacks such as ransomware. ProSight DPS ECHO can help you protect, retrieve 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 storage device, or mirrored to both. Progent's cloud backup consultants can provide advanced support to set up ProSight DPS ECHO to be compliant with regulatory standards such as HIPAA, FIRPA, PCI and Safe Harbor and, whenever necessary, can assist you to restore your critical data. Find out more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed backup.
ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup Services
Progent can assist your company to create, implement and debug a backup solution built around MSP360 software. MSP360 enables file or image-based backup/restore for virtual machines and physical machines, works with all leading public clouds, and permits you to create a data protection solution with a minimum Recovery Time Objective and a granular Recovery Point Objective. With ProSight DPS 360 Backup, Progent can provide end-to-end monitoring and management of your backup environment to prevent data loss caused by user mistakes, computer glitches, malicious users, and external assaults like ransomware. To learn more, visit ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup solutions.
Consulting for Double-Take Software for Data Backup
Double-Take publishes a family of tools intended to provide small and midsize businesses a range of affordable alternatives for backing up and restoring business-critical applications such as Exchange, SQL, Blackberry, and SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants have extensive experience integrating Double-Take technology into small company information systems to achieve a high state of availability and disaster recovery readiness at an affordable price. To read more, go to Consulting for Double-Take Software for Backup.
Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning?
Because Progent is a Microsoft Certified Partner and provides specialized application support for a wide range of small business software programs, Progent can assist clients to arrive at comprehensive IT solutions that substantially enhance the productivity of your IT network. As a Registered Partner for Cisco, Progent can provide the services of certified engineers and specialists with expertise in architecting, configuring and supporting networking solutions based on Cisco products. The extent of Progent's IT know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the needs of small companies make Progent a great resource for building and running an affordable, fault-tolerant 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
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Specialists Cisco Firesight
Cisco Firepower NGIPS Computer Engineer
Cisco's Firepower Next Generation Firewalls deliver a significant performance boost over Cisco's popular ASA 5500-X firewalls and include centralized management and automation of advanced security capabilities such as application visibility, next-generation intrusion protection with intelligent prioritization of risks, advanced malware protection, URL filtering, and multi-node sandboxing. Progent's Cisco CCIE firewall experts can assist you to design and execute a smooth upgrade to Firepower firewalls from Cisco's legacy ASA 5500-X, ASA 5500, or PIX appliances and help you integrate Firepower appliances with Cisco's cloud-based services to create and centrally control network environments that span local offices, data centers, private clouds and public clouds.
E-Commerce Programmer
24x7 Custom Software Programming
For custom program development, Progent can supply programming consultants to produce line-of-business applications in areas such as commercial transaction webs, web development, Microsoft Business Solutions products such as Great Plains Software accounting system, and specialized management reports based on Crystal Reports, Microsoft Access, or FRx Reports. Progent's consultants can use Microsoft IIS to create custom eCommerce solutions powered by Microsoft ASP.NET. In addition, Progent can provide expertise in a broad range of custom software development environments including SQL Server and Delphi. For made-to-order e-Commerce programming, Progent also can provide specialists in custom Microsoft Access, custom Visual Basic, custom Excel, and any other specialized programming based on any Microsoft development platform.
24x7x365 Technology Consulting VMM Self-Service Portal
SCVMM 2012 Security and Compliance Setup and Support
Progent can assist organizations of any size to adhere to best practices to set up SCVMM 2012 hosts, fabric, storage systems, and libraries; design, implement, and administer private clouds, virtual machines, and services in SCVMM 2012; and integrate SCVMM with System Center 2012 Operations Manager for enterprise-class monitoring and reporting. Progent can assist your company to move from an older release of System Center Virtual Machine Manager or from another virtualization management system, and Progent can help you to enhance and troubleshoot your existing SCVMM ecosystem to make sure you realize maximum business value.
Microsoft Dynamics SL Application Support
Application Consultants Retail Management System
Progent can give you access to programmers who can customize your Microsoft Business Solutions ERP, MRP, and financial system applications to match your unique business requirements. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants provide experience in Microsoft Microsoft Axapta, Microsoft NAV Business Management Software, Microsoft Dynamics SL 6.5 Accounting Software, and Microsoft Retail Management System. Progent also provides expert e-Commerce integration support for safe, corporate-wide information sharing plus interfacing with CRM applications.
Hyper-V 2016 Failover Clusters Computer Consultant
Expert Microsoft Certified Hyper-V 2016 Linux Onsite Technical Support
Hyper-V 2016 utilizes core technologies first designed for and refined on Microsoft Azure, among the world's biggest public clouds. This pedigree significantly enhances the ability of the Windows Server platform to support private cloud and hybrid cloud/on-premises environments by improving security, availability, scale, manageability, dependability and recoverability. Progent's Microsoft-certified consultants can assist you to evaluate the advantages of Hyper-V 2016 for your business, set up test environments to verify the ability of Hyper-V 2016 to support your vital workloads, plan an efficient network architecture for a cloud-based or hybrid deployment, create and carry out a smooth upgrade strategy, train your IT management and support personnel, and deliver as-needed consulting and troubleshooting services to make sure that your Hyper-V 2016 solution gives you maximum business value.
Juniper Junos J-Web Secure
Urgent Juniper Junos BGT Cybersecurity Organizations
Progent's Juniper-certified network engineers can help you utilize Junos OS and the Junos platform of network management applications to configure, administer, and monitor Junos-powered devices; migrate to the Junos OS operating system from other Juniper software platforms such as ScreenOS; and upgrade your Juniper routers, switches, and gateways to the latest version of Junos OS.
Microsoft and Cisco Authorized Expert Troubleshooting Virtual Help Desk
Help Desk Sharing Online Technical Support
Progent's Standard Help Desk Services offer a complete service desk solution that manages all aspects of remote desktop technical support from service requests through trouble ticket generation, remote desktop control, progress tracking, problem resolution, and reporting. Help Desk services are offered at a substantial discount off Progent's regular desktop support rates, and Progent offers the option of rapid as-needed escalation to subject matter experts to resolve the most issues.
Onsite Technical Support Small Business
Small Business Support
If you have a small business network with 10 to 50 desktop users, Progent's computer outsourcing services free your company from over-reliance on single independent service provider while giving you cost-effective and dependable access to enterprise-class network support. By delivering network support service when you need it, offering advanced expertise for critical applications, delivering value-added services such as automated server monitoring, and charging only for support you receive, Progent offers you an economical way for optimizing the profitability of your small business information system. Progent is the intelligent way for small organizations to build and maintain a reliable and safe information network and to have fast access to the experienced support typically restricted to businesses who can afford a sizeable in-house IT group.
SCCM and Windows 10 Remote Support Services
Troubleshooting SCCM Cloud Management Gateway
Configuration Manager automates application and device deployment and updating, simplifies security and compliance settings control, inventories network assets, protects against corporate data leakage, provides health reporting, enables secure end-user self service, and delivers a common control mechanism for administering multi-operating system networks running on-prem, cloud-centric, or hybrid deployment models. Progent's Microsoft-certified SCCM consulting team and Microsoft Azure cloud integration specialists can assist businesses of any size with any aspect of planning, implementing, using and repairing a SCCM deployment for on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments.
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