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.
Fault Tolerant Solutions Offered by Progent's Consultants
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco engineers can help your company to implement an affordable, zero-downtime environment that addresses critical issues encompassing a wide range of networking solutions and processes including:
Business Continuity Planning
Progent's business continuity planning professionals can show you how to design a business continuity plan so you can resume network operations in case of an IT network disaster. Progent can help you to develop a complete disaster recovery plan that incorporates scheduled disaster recovery evaluations and testing. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-authorized consultants can also show you how to create an affordable, high-availability system architecture that addresses availability issues involving a wide range of infrastructure technologies and processes. For more information, go to Business Continuity Consulting and Support Services.
CRISC-Premier Network Risk Control
The CRISC certification program was initiated by ISACA to verify an IT professional's skills to plan, deploy, and support information system controls to mitigate network risk. Progent can provide the expertise of a CRISC-certified engineer to assist your company to develop and execute a workplace continuity or disaster recovery strategy based on industry best practices promoted by CRISC and crafted to match your organization's risk tolerance, business objectives, and budgetary guidelines. To learn more, go to CRISC-Premier IT risk mitigation experts.
Microsoft Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 introduced significant enhancements in capacity, throughput, manageability, security and compliance, app compatibility, Linux support, Kubernetes networking, and hybrid integration of local and cloud resources. Headline new features of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 include Windows Admin Center for unifying the management and monitoring of hybrid local/cloud deployments, System Insights for utilizing advance predictive intelligence to manage on-premises environments, Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container orchestration using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets for building and managing large high-availability scale-out clusters, and Storage Migration Service for streamlining the migration from legacy releases of Windows Server. For more information, see Microsoft Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering Help.
Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity experts can help you to design a DR solution based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering tools including Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade for non-intrusive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for crash-consistent recovery, Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance network-attached storage using industry-standard hardware, VM Load Balancing for enhancing the performance and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while reducing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for easy, economical creation of a stretch cluster quorum arbitration point. To learn more, see Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting.
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is an extension to VMware vCenter that allows you to define, automate and test a consistent process for recovering applications and services quickly following an outage. Site Recovery Manager provides centrally managed and automated recovery, application mobility, and transparent site migration, failback and re-protect. Site Recovery Manager also enables non-disruptive testing for disaster recovery, updates and fixes and can generate reports to verify complete service restoration, validate SLAs and prove DR compliance. Progent can provide the support of a VCDX certified VMware SRM consulting expert to assist you to plan, configure, test and manage a DR system based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.
Network Load Balancing
Progent offers fault tolerant load balancing support covering system load balancing, load balanced applications, network infrastructure routing, and content delivery products such as F5 Networks 3DNS. 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 LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks BIG-IP. For more information, see High Availability Load Balancing.
Fault Tolerant Colocation
Progent's Data Center professionals can help you find fault-tolerant data centers that meet the particular requirements of your company. Fault tolerant off-site data centers are particularly appealing to small and mid-size businesses due to of their low cost and convenience in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself strategy. Attempting to build an in-house data center with even a minimum level of fault tolerance is too expensive for most small businesses. Progent is ready to help you get all the advantages of non-stop Internet data centers by providing a complete array of consulting and maintenance services. To read more, visit Fault Tolerant Internet Data Centers Expertise.
Failsafe Inter-office Networking
Progent's multi-site connectivity consultants can help businesses achieve non-stop branch office connections through redundant networks featuring automatic failover. Progent's Cisco-premier CCIE engineers can design and deploy ultra-reliable Inter-office connections based on non-stop EIGRP network routers or fault tolerant OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can show you how redundant connections and automatic fail-over can provide affordable 24x7 interoffice networking. To read more, see Non-stop Interoffice Networking.
Non-stop Internet Access
Progent's Cisco-certified IT consultants can show you how to create an economical, fault tolerant Internet connection solution that can deliver non-stop Internet connectivity via a wide range of fault tolerant Internet network solutions including fault tolerant BGP, transparent fail-over, and multiple ISPs. Progent offers CCIE engineers to show you how to utilize the most up-to-date techniques for high availability Internet access to create an economical, fully redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other capabilities to deliver non-stop Internet availability. To learn more, see Fault Tolerant Internet Connectivity Architecture.
Backup and Restore Solutions Consulting and Support Services
Progent offers economical online access to engineers skilled in a wide array of products and technologies that deliver solutions for protecting Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux servers and desktops as well as laptops and handhelds. Progent can provide consulting support for leading backup products including Acronis, Backup Exec, BackupAssist, HP Data Protector, Double-Take Software, MozyPro, Retrospect, Time Machine, VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP), and Oracle Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can assist you to install, enhance, or troubleshoot backup/restore systems for a range of topologies such as on-premises, edge to datacenter, cloud-based, or a mix. For details, visit Backup and Restore Solutions Consulting and Support Services.
Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager (SCDPM) Backup and Recovery Consulting and Support Services
Progent's expert System Center Data Protection Manager engineers can help you to create an effective business continuity plan, implement a cost-effective high-availability IT infrastructure, deploy a Microsoft SCDPM-based backup and restore system, comprehensively validate your DPM system, train your IT personnel or local service providers how to maintain System Center Data Protection Manager, or provide complete IT support outsourcing such as remote housing of System Center Data Protection Manager servers in Progent's data center. To learn more, go to System Center Data Protection Manager Consulting Services.
Barracuda Backup Local, Offsite and Cloud Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is a low-cost, subscription backup/restore service for small and medium-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup solution can include a purpose-built physical storage device manufactured by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with similar functionality but which uses your existing 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 Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consultants offer a wide array of consulting support services to assist you to plan, integrate, operate and repair a BDR system built on Barracuda Backup. For details, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.
ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup Software for Backup and Disaster Recovery
Altaro VM Backup provides small businesses a reliable and budget-friendly platform for backing up and restoring Hyper-V and VMware-powered virtual machines (VMs). Altaro VM Backup can be deployed in local, remote, distributed, and cloud-hosted architectures and also supports cost-effective backup to Microsoft Azure Block Blob storage. Altaro VM Backup includes advanced capabilities such as Immutable Cloud Storage for enhanced protection from ransomware. Progent is a certified Hornetsecurity Altaro partner and can provide a broad range of online or on-premises consulting services to assist you to plan, deploy, manage and debug a modern backup and disaster recovery solution based on Altaro VM Backup software. With ProSight Data Protection Services Altaro VM Backup, Progent delivers a managed backup/restore service powered by on Altaro VM Backup software. To learn more, visit Altaro VM Backup consulting services.
ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup Services for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers simple archiving but does not include native support for key data protection services such as Exchange backups or long-term point-in-time recovery for OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup provides a full-featured BDR solution for programmable backup and rapid recovery of all your organization's M365 mail, Teams Chats, SharePoint documents, OneDrive files, and content on Windows desktops and laptops. Progent is a certified Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and has designed ProSight Data Protection Services (DPS) 365 Total Backup to deliver comprehensive management services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup delivers an affordable backup-as-a-service (BaaS) alternative that protects M365 apps against data loss resulting from human or system mistakes, malicious sabotage, and malware assaults such as ransomware. To read more, see ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup services for Microsoft 365.
Fully Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO provide small and mid-sized businesses an affordable and fully managed solution for secure backup/disaster recovery. For a fixed monthly rate, ProSight DPS ECHO automates your backup activities and enable rapid restoration of vital data, apps and virtual machines that have become unavailable or corrupted due to hardware breakdowns, software bugs, disasters, human mistakes, or malware attacks such as ransomware. ProSight DPS ECHO can help you back up, retrieve and restore files, folders, apps, system images, as well as Microsoft Hyper-V and VMware images. Critical data can be backed up on the cloud, to a local device, or mirrored to both. Progent's BDR specialists can deliver world-class expertise to set up ProSight DPS ECHO to to comply with regulatory requirements like HIPAA, FIRPA, and PCI and, whenever needed, can help you to recover your critical data. Find out more about ProSight DPS ECHO managed backup.
ProSight Data Protection Services 360 Backup Solutions
Progent can assist your company to create, deploy and troubleshoot a backup plan based on MSP360 technology. MSP360 offers file/folder or image backup/recovery for virtual machines and physical machines, supports all leading public clouds, and permits businesses to build a backup solution with a minimum RTO and a granular Recovery Point Objective (RPO). With ProSight DPS 360 Backup, Progent offers comprehensive monitoring and remote management of your backup environment to prevent data loss caused by user miscues, system errors, malicious insiders, and external assaults such as ransomware. To learn more, visit ProSight DPS 360 Backup solutions.
Consulting Services Double-Take Software for Backup
Double-Take publishes a family of tools intended to deliver small businesses a variety of cost-effective alternatives for replicating and restoring vital applications including Microsoft Exchange Server, SQL, RIM Blackberry, and SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning experts have extensive experience incorporating Double-Take Software technology into small company information systems to create a high state of fault tolerance and disaster recovery readiness at a budget-friendly price. To find out more, see Consulting Services Double-Take Solutions for Backup.
Why Choose Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning?
Since Progent is a Microsoft Partner and offers specialized application expertise for a broad range of small business applications, Progent can help customers to find comprehensive IT solutions that optimize the business value of your information system. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent offers the support of premier engineers and specialists with expertise in architecting, deploying and maintaining infrastructure solutions based on Cisco products. The extent of Progent's IT know-how and Progent's sensitivity to the needs of small businesses make Progent a great resource for building and maintaining a cost-effective, high-availability 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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24/7/365 Microsoft Monitoring and Reporting Outsourcing
System Center Operations Manager Computer Consultant
Mid-sized businesses can enjoy all the advantages of Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 and have quick availability of Progent's Microsoft and Cisco Certified network consulting experts. Thanks to Progent's affordably priced network support packages, medium-size organizations can select a basic co-sourcing service program based on Operations Manager with network monitoring, proactive warnings, comprehensive system analysis, Help Desk support, and remote service. For companies with mission-critical applications who need non-stop networking, Progent can provide a complete round-the-clock outsourcing package. Progent offers expertise in Operations Manager 2007 to provide medium-size company information systems world-class availability, security and performance.
Specialist Microsoft 365 migration PowerShell
Microsoft 365 mail flow Online Technical Support
Microsoft has made a strong effort to enable transparent hybrid ecosystems that combine Microsoft 365 and on-premises Exchange deployments. This permits you to have certain mailboxes hosted at your physical datacenter and other mailboxes resident on Microsoft 365. Progent's certified Exchange consulting team can assist your organization with any facet of planning, implementing and troubleshooting your hybrid Exchange Online solution. Progent's Exchange consultants can deliver as-needed support to help you through challenging technical bottlenecks and also can provide comprehensive project management outsourcing to ensure your hybrid Microsoft 365 Exchange solution is carried out on time and within budget.
Dynamics GP Power BI Support Outsourcing
Great Plains Professionals
Dynamics GP 2010 financial software is a comprehensive business management and analytics platform that unifies information and operations throughout your company, communicates seamlessly with other applications, and connects employees, customers and vendors unrestricted by time or place. Created for small to mid-size businesses, Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and Microsoft Dynamics GP Release 10.0 deliver capability for financials, management reporting, project management, inventory and order control, e-commerce, human resource management, CRM, field service, manufacturing, retail, and web-based business services. Progent can help you set up and maintain a robust, protected server and communications infrastructure to support Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains, and can provide expert Great Plains consultants to help your company exploit the full power of Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010.
ProSight Server and Desktop Management Information Technology Consulting
ProSight Patch Management IT Services
ProSight LAN Watch with NinjaOne RMM is Progent's network, server and endpoint remote monitoring managed service that incorporates state-of-the-art remote monitoring and management (RMM) technology to keep your network running at peak levels by checking the health of critical assets.
24/7 Palo Alto Networks PA-3400 Series Firewalls Network Security Auditor
24/7 Palo Alto Networks PA-3000 Series Firewalls Technical Support Services
Progent's Palo Alto Networks firewall experts can help you select, deploy, and manage Palo Alto Networks firewall appliances to provide a next-generation security solution that extends across your on-premises and cloud-based resources and guards all users anywhere with any endpoint device.
Windows Server 2019 Windows Time Service Technical Support
Windows Server 2019 PowerShell Integration Support
Progent's certified Windows Server 2019 consultants can help your company to plan and carry out an efficient migration to Windows Server 2019 using your current deployment architecture or a cloud-hosted or hybrid model. Microsoft Windows Server 2019 delivers major enhancements in capacity, speed, manageability, Hyper-V virtualization, security and compliance, hybrid local/cloud integration, resilience, and Linux support.
Network Management Outsourcing Specialists
Ransomware Protection Consultants
Progent's ProSight family of managed IT services are designed to provide organizations who maintain minimal in-house IT administration and support teams with low-cost help from enterprise-class management tools and consulting expertise. Benefits of the ProSight catalog of managed services include fixed network management expenses, smart automation of routine management processes, ongoing absorption of the latest technology, graceful transition from older systems to modern solutions, close alignment of computer technology with strategic goals, access to veteran IT experts, and freeing up management to concentrate on business issues rather than ever-changing network technology.
Cisco Secure Firewall 3100 Series Online Support
Cisco Firepower 1000 Series Firewalls Professionals
The latest generation of Cisco ASA 5500-X Family of firewalls with Firepower Services offer significantly more value than Cisco's earlier PIX and ASA 5500 firewalls and have replaced the ASA 5500 and PIX security appliances for new installations. Progent's Cisco-certified CCIE network experts can help you to manage your current PIX or ASA 5500 security appliances or migrate efficiently to ASA 5500-X firewalls with Firepower Services. Progent can also help your company to plan, configure, tune, administer and troubleshoot firewall environments built around Cisco ASA firewalls with Firepower Services.
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