I haven't used log shipping yet as it was previously only included in the enterprise/developer version of SQL 2000.  We are about to set up a small accountant's office with a new server, etc (he is a friend of mine).  Their main line of business app currently has a clunky MS Access DB backend but the new version coming out very soon is based upon SQL Server (lets hope they didn't just port the code and still use things like row pointers and cursors everywhere!)

Anyhow, there will also be an offsite Windows server using DFS to provide a nice near realtime backup of key parts of their filesystem.  They will have SQL 2005 Workgroup (from Small Business Server R2) and probably SQL 2005 Express on the remote server.

Can we use log shipping in the case?  That would be sending from the Workgroup edition to an Express edition?

If we use log shipping, does this impact on the regular backup strategy - ie, if I take a full backup of the DB to put to tape each night will it upset log shipping?  As I said, I haven't used log shipping yet but did read quite a bit about how it works a while ago.  It seemed to me that it automated the process of backing up a transaction log, sending it over the network and applying it at the remote server without needing scripts.  Is it more clever than this - it would have to be to not upset the backup strategy??

Thanks for advice.  Good article btw - nice to see the options considered from a management point of view as that's how we usually have to explain things to the customers to eventually get their dosh