Exchange Server 2007 has three main built-in storage replication features: Standby Continuous Replication (SCR), Local Continuous Replication (LCR) and Cluster Continuous Replication (CCR). Many organizations, however, have storage area networks (SANs) across multiple locations and replicate data between them. Exchange administrators should look "outside the box" when considering Exchange Server replication. Adhering too closely to Microsoft Exchange high availability best practices may not be the best way to deliver users with a resilient solution.
This tutorial from Microsoft Exchange MVP Mark Arnold examines LCR, SCR and CCR and where each technology best fits in the Exchange Server 2007 environment. It also covers how these replication methods work with one another and some pros and cons of each for Exchange Server storage and recoverability. You'll also gain an understanding of how a SAN could reduce or eliminate the need for server-level resiliency by either providing snapshot backups of Exchange databases or replicating storage volumes between SANs.
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Mark Arnold, MCSE+M Mark Arnold, MCSE+M, Microsoft MVP, is a technical architect for Posetiv, a UK based storage integrator. He is responsible for the design of Microsoft Exchange and other Microsoft Server solutions for Posetiv's client base in terms of the SAN and NAS storage on which those technologies reside. Mark has been a Microsoft MVP in the Exchange discipline since 2001, contributes to the Microsoft U.K. "Industry Insiders" TechNet program and can be found in the Exchange newsgroups and other Microsoft Exchange forums.
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