[john.linden]

I want to backup my two servers (one north, one south) using a BartPE cd with Norton Ghost. It will still be connected to the network and the image file will be saved to the network.

I have users on both servers. If I shut down one server at a time to back it up, it will most likely be for 45 min to 1.5 hours per server. During this time, with the servers in a Blackberry domain setup, would the users on the server that's being backed up still get messages since the other server in the domain is up? I'm pretty sure we found we could *move* users from one server to another even if the other server was "dead", so I'm thinking I may still be ok.

Anyone have experience with this kind of operation?

[penguin3107]

Nope... if a BES goes down, then message flow (and all BES functions) for the users assigned to that BES will halt.

[john.linden]

What is the difference then being able to move users regardless of the server being up or not? Is it a matter of connectivity to the database that is allowing this and not the other?

[penguin3107]

Originally Posted by john.linden

What is the difference then being able to move users regardless of the server being up or not? Is it a matter of connectivity to the database that is allowing this and not the other?

You're talking about two completely different things.
You can do a sourceless move of a user from BES A to BES B (if BES A goes down) because both of the BES are sharing the same configuration database.

For the device to function properly... including Message flow and BlackBerry services... it is required that the actual BES that the user is assigned to is up and running.
The database is not what controls message flow and BlackBerry services... the BES does that.

[john.linden]

I was on the right track, just not saying it correctly. Thanks for the knowledge dump!

[penguin3107]

Please keep in mind that the important thing to back up is the database.
I don't know if the database lives on one of the two BES boxes you mentioned, or if it's remotely installed on a different SQL server.

BACK UP THE CONFIG DATABASE. It's the life-blood of BES.

You can re-install BES in a matter of minutes... but if you lose the database, you're f*cked.

[john.linden]

Originally Posted by penguin3107

Please keep in mind that the important thing to back up is the database.
I don't know if the database lives on one of the two BES boxes you mentioned, or if it's remotely installed on a different SQL server.

BACK UP THE CONFIG DATABASE. It's the life-blood of BES.

You can re-install BES in a matter of minutes... but if you lose the database, you're f*cked.

Yes, we have the BES DB on a separate DB server. It will have been backed up that morning before I perform the upgrade that night. I would assume this will be sufficient since I can be assured that no one will be added/removed, no policy changes or anything of the like will be made in the interim.

[scott_perry]

I think what penguin is trying to say is:

Don't bother with imaging the BES, you can reload that in about 30 minutes. Focus on backing up the database nightly and you will be fine.

Depending on your company, you may want to do nightly backups of the logs and software configs as well.

[penguin3107]

Originally Posted by scott_perry

I think what penguin is trying to say is:

Don't bother with imaging the BES, you can reload that in about 30 minutes. Focus on backing up the database nightly and you will be fine.

Depending on your company, you may want to do nightly backups of the logs and software configs as well.

Exactly my point.

[mrrlg]

Could you share what backup solution you would recommend to protect the BES? I have not had good results using BackUp Exec. and I am interested in finding a solution that will work.

[scott_perry]

Are you using MSDE or SQL Server?

We use Backup Exec against SQL Server, but we usually just use the built-in backup on SQL Server and then back up the entire directory that contains the *.bak files with Backup Exec. I think that there have been problems using Backup Exec to handle the whole process - at least that's what I was told by our DBA.

[mrrlg]

We are using MSDE. I have 70 users, BES service pack 6 running on top of Lotus Domino 7.02.