Question : File Replication Solution for an Offsite File Server

Experts-Exchange Forum:

I have a client with a Small Business 2000 Server which also acts as a file server (call this server SBS_old).  I have purchased a new server which I will install Small Business Server 2003 on it and perform a migration (call this server SBS_new).  This will be the new file server.  I would like reformat SBS_old, install Server 2003 R2 on it and keep it as a member server in its own workgroup.  I would like to place SBS_old offisite, at the owner's home, as a backup file server.  I would like to know if it is possible to allow files to replicate between the two servers, or sync the two servers, so that there are duplicates of the files in case either server goes down.  Both the office and the owner's home subscribe to DSL lines.

If this is possible, how should the replication/synchronization should be setup?  Would there be a way to also backup the Exchange information store so that I can catch the mailboxes?  Also does anyone know of good synchronization/replication software that is out there that would be suitable for this application?

Thanks,

Joe

Answer : File Replication Solution for an Offsite File Server

Hi Joe,

I have a similar setup at one site, and on the offsite server we run a file sync twice a day (12 and 5).

For this, we use robocopy - it is not the most elegant solution, but it works, and has very low overhead.

This will not help with exchange data, but that is going to be more difficult (as you will probably need to copy the whole store each time).

-red