Threat Stoppers
Safeguard Windows 2008 server
Intelligent archiving tools can extend protection and availability to critical archives.
by Pat Hanavan
Businesses cannot afford
to have downtime, and with so much depending
on the function of the Microsoft Windows
platform, they also have a need for tools
that will help to maximize and preserve
their investment in the Windows environment,
even as they transition to the Windows
Server 2008. Fortunately, a number of proven
tools and services are available to help
organizations preserve and protect their
Windows 2008 server.
By providing new
availability to virtualization, security and
management capabilities, Windows Server 2008
helps IT staff maximize control over their
infrastructure. Windows PowerShell, for
example, a new command-line shell with more
than 130 tools and an integrated scripting
language, makes control and automation of
repetitive system administration tasks
easier. The new Server Manager is an
additional help by offering the convenience
of a single control panel from which
administrators can install, configure and
manage the server roles and features of
Windows Server 2008.
One component of keeping
critical IT environments up and running is
having the capability to not only back up
mission-critical data but also to have fast
and reliable recovery of that data. Without
proper protection, an infrastructure
failure, natural disaster or even simple
human error could send a profitable,
productive company into a tailspin from
which it might never recover.
To ensure a complete
data-system protection strategy,
organizations are now replacing their
silo-based backup-and-recovery strategies
with a single, more comprehensive approach
that maximizes Windows Server 2008 and
legacy Window systems by supporting VSS
writer integration, system state, Active
Directory, BitLocker technology and cluster
failover. In addition, these comprehensive
data-protection solutions are powered by
disk-based technology that minimizes IT
downtime and helps businesses meet strict
recovery-time objectives.
Intelligent archiving
tools are also being integrated into data-
and system-protection solutions to extend
protection and availability to critical
archives. In order to keep in compliance
with data retention and recovery standards,
more organizations are requiring an
integrated archive solution that will help
to manage and reduce storage volumes and
improve overall data discovery.
Advanced
disk-to-disk-to-tape backup-and-recovery
solutions can leverage other technologies to
streamline protection. For example, these
types of solutions provide IT administrators
with the ability to recover granular data
like e-mails, folders, mailboxes, and
individual documents and attributes from
critical Microsoft applications–including
Microsoft Exchange, Active Directory,
SharePoint Server and SharePoint Services.
Having the ability to restore granular items
versus restoring an entire database
eliminates the additional management and
storage resource required when running
Exchange mailbox backups.
Traditionally, Windows
system recovery has been a manual, intensive
and lengthy process that can take days or
weeks. In contrast, bare metal restore
technology can whittle that down to just
minutes. With these solutions, IT
administrators can quickly restore systems,
even to dissimilar hardware, virtual
environments, or from remote, unattended
locations. The entire Windows system can be
captured and protected, including the
operating system, applications, databases,
files, device drivers, profiles, settings
and registry.
With today’s high volumes
of e-mail, intelligent archiving tools can
provide an automated, policy-driven platform
that stores, manages and enables the
discovery of corporate data–not just from
e-mail systems but also from file servers,
instant-messaging systems, and collaboration
and content-management systems.
Pat Hanavan is vice president of product management, Backup Exec,
Symantec data protection group,
Cupertino, Calif.
For more information
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