Implementing a backup and restoration plan requires the following:
- Testing and validating the plan
- Communicating the plan
- Validating backup and restoration operations
Testing and Validating Your
Backup and Restoration Plan
The procedures in this guide have been tested and validated in a lab environment. To ensure that these or any other procedures work in your environment, you should test and validate each procedure you intend to implement. This testing and validation should be completed before you submit your plan for final approval.
Communicating Your Backup and
Restoration Plan
Your backup and restoration plan should clearly describe who is to implement procedures and how they are to do it. You should ensure that everyone responsible for any aspect of backup and restoration understands the plan, how it is to be implemented, and what their role is. This includes all implementation requirements for the following:
- Pool and server backup
- Restoration of service
Pool and Server Backup
The backup and restoration plan should include all information required to complete backup procedures on an ongoing basis. The primary information to be communicated to responsible team members includes the following:
- Team or person (specified as an individual or role) responsible
for backing up each server
- Specific schedules for backing up each server
- Backup locations for each type of data (settings, database, and
file shares)
- Backup procedures to be used, including the tools required to
complete each procedure
- Information required to complete backups, as covered in
Appendices:
Backup and Restoration Worksheets.
- Validation methods to be used to ensure that data and settings
are appropriately backed up and available for restoration, which
can include periodic audits and test restorations.
Restoration of Service
The backup and restoration plan should include all information required to restore service, in case one or more servers suffers a loss that makes service unavailable. The primary information to be communicated to responsible team members includes the following:
- Team or person (specified as an individual or a role) that is
responsible for determining when restoration of service is required
and the procedures to be used to restore service, as well as the
team or person responsible for implementing procedures for each
restoration scenario.
- Criteria for determining which restoration procedures are most
appropriate for a specific situation.
- Time estimates for restoration of service in each restoration
scenario.
- Restoration procedures to be used, including the tools required
to complete each procedure.
- Information required to restore data and settings. Worksheets
are provided in the
Appendices:
Backup and Restoration Worksheets.
Validating Backup and Restoration
Operations
After completing initial backup efforts in your production environment and at specified intervals (as covered in your backup and restoration plan), you should verify the following:
- Backups are occurring as required.
- Backed up data and settings are accessible (from the primary
site and, if appropriate, from the secondary site).
- Restoration procedures can be performed within the times
specified in the backup and restoration plan and the results meet
all business requirements, as specified in your backup and
restoration plan.
- Backup worksheets have been completed and verified, and they
are stored in a secure location. These worksheets are provided in
Appendices:
Backup and Restoration Worksheets.
- Restoration procedures have been tested and verified to work as
expected, as specified in your backup and restoration plan.
- If your organization uses a separate, secondary site to provide
standby servers, the deployment plan for that site stays in sync
with the deployment plan and actual deployment of the primary site.
Note:You should periodically run the Office Communications Server 2007 Best Practices Analyzer to obtain a snapshot of your Office Communications Server 2007 R2 environment. This can help you understand the working environment. To download the Best Practices Analyzer, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=144315 . When you run the Best Practices Analyzer, you have the option to check for updates. You can use this option to automatically download and install the latest rules, including the rules for Office Communications Server 2007 R2.