SQL 2008 DR and too many options...

• talmania23

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  April 16, 2015 at 12:03 pm

  #303041

  Hi All--

  I've come across this great resource and have been learning a lot the past few days. I wanted to ask the experts that have far more SQL knowledge than I do about your experiences and choices concerning DR.

  I'm tasked with a DR effort and have almost too many options in front of me.

  First application out the gate is a test environment for an internal application whose database resides on a SQL 2008 R2 cluster (2 node physical) on Windows 2008 R2 SP1. The application layer itself is all virtualized in VMware 5.5. The client presentation layer is in Citrix but I'm not concerned about that now.

  Everything resides on a EMC VNX 5400 in Site A and I'm tasked with building out the DR at Site B. Site B has an identical VNX 5400. The VLAN is extended across both sites with a substantial link between the two. So that means a cluster expansion in SQL 2008 is an option.

  I also have significant other tools available to me that are a bit more of a gray area in my knowledgebase--they include VMware SRM, EMC Recoverpoint 5.0 appliances and EMC Appsync, along with a lot of other EMC enablers/software.

  My original thought was to have Recoverpoint/Appsync handle everything but with cluster expansion an option is that something I should even be considering? The push from management is to not have this be just a DR site but more of an active site that could have the load of the primary site A in the event of a failure with minimal to zero downtime.

  A lot of this is mostly clear to me but the SQL stuff isn't--I appreciate any and all advice and feedback from anyone that's been down this road previously. Thanks!!