Backups and disaster recovery- newbie

[s1mon321]

Hi guys,

 

Just looking for some backup and disaster recovery advice - totally new to this.

 

Currently running a full backup each day (inherited this!) on our three servers (DC, SDC and an SQL box). Those seven tapes are then rotated every three weeks.

 

Just want to know the best way to deal with, say a server going down.

 

Looks as though all of our data is backed up so guessing it would be a case of rebuild server and restore data.

 

What happens with regard to shares, permissions, DHCP, DNS? Stupid question I know but how does all that get re-established on the troublesome server?

 

Any advice appreciated....

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[pete]

Assuming it's a full backup (data, OS, system state) restored on the same/compatable server, the server will just carry on as it was. Shares, permissions, etc are all just data, easily restored.

 

System state holds most of what makes ServerA different from ServerB from an install/configuration perspective. If you save that + system partition and restore the backup over a clean install (same patch level etc) you'll be fine.

 

If you've got reasonably redundant hardware and have 4hr or NBD part swap, you should be fine.

 

It's worth agreeing with SMT what they see as the business priorities in a DR situation to ensure you're working to the same goal. For us it'd be a) get phones working, b) get access to SIMS and FMS (supplier DB), c) everything else in order of impact to school operation.

 

So rather than starting with servers, switches and routers, I'd be in a cupboard swearing at the Panasonic PBX from hell and connecting it to a spare UPS.

 

And if you can store some recent backups in a physically separate building onsite with low chance of fire jumping across from another building, that's not a bad plan either.