(Note: Microsoft has terminated support for Windows Server 2003 and it is advisable to consider upgrading from this legacy OS to an up-to-date version of Windows Server. If your organization is considering moving up to Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2016, Progent can provide online and onsite Windows Server 2019 planning and configuration consulting services or Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery consulting to ensure your project finishes on time and within budget. In addition, Progent's Windows Server Failover Clustering Consultants can help you a configure and troubleshoot a high-availability clustering solution based on Microsoft's latest technology.
Even with typical fault tolerant feature found in high-end server hardware, such as redundant power supplies and mirrored or RAID 5 disk arrays, failed devices must be identified and replacement components must be procured and installed. These failures can bring down a server for hours, if not days. Furthermore, during regularly scheduled software maintenance functions, servers need to be rebooted or brought off-line for an extended period. For customers who need 100% uptime, the only solution is to deploy a clustered server configuration that provides fully redundant servers for a single application.
A server cluster is a group of independent computers that work together to provide a common set of services. Windows 2003 provides this high-availability solution with the Cluster service. If a cluster node (a computer in a cluster) fails, other nodes in the cluster assume the functions of the failed node. Server clustering is an essential piece of any fault-tolerant architecture, and making large investments in communication infrastructure redundancy without providing for server redundancy defeats the value of that investment.
Progent offers Windows 2003 Server consulting to help your company implement clustered server configurations that can potentially provide 100% uptime, even for normal maintenance functions. This high-availability is possible because a single server in a cluster can be brought off-line for maintenance work without affecting users. Clustering also allows IT personal to perform critical security updates during regular business hours without reducing user productivity.
Microsoft Windows 2003 Server offers mature clustering technology. This is the third major release of Microsoft clustering technology, which was first released in 1997. Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, present a single view of the server to users, applications, and the network and both versions of Windows Server 2003 support up to eight-node clusters. Failover clustering configurations can be built around Microsoft technologies for mission-critical and collaborative applications such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server file and print services.
Host Clustering with Microsoft Virtual Server
Virtual Server host clustering is a technique for enhancing the capability of Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 with the server cluster support incorporated in Microsoft Windows Server 2003. By means of Virtual Server host clustering, your network can benefit from an array of services via a minimum number of actual hardware servers and, simultaneously, ensure the high availability of the provided services. In case one server requires scheduled or unscheduled downtime, another server can immediately take its place and begin supporting services. As a result, your clients experience minimal service disruption. Progent's Microsoft-certified network engineers have in-depth experience deploying and supporting Microsoft Virtual Server. For more information, refer to Consulting Services for Microsoft Virtual Server.
Server Clustering and Storage Area Networks
A storage area network (SAN) is a set of disks, tapes, and servers connected to a common infrastructure, or storage fabric, such as Fibre Channel. A SAN allows multiple servers to access a common pool of storage. This allows storage to be assigned dynamically from the pool whenever it is required. Storage on a given server can be increased or decreased as needed without complex reconfiguring or re-cabling of devices. SAN technology is a good way to build clusters where shared access to a data set is required. By deploying multiple clusters onto a single storage area network, all of the benefits of SAN technology can be brought to the cluster environment. Progent's Microsoft certified engineers can show you how to combine Microsoft's server cluster technology with storage area networking to make your network more fault tolerant and easier to manage.
Server Clustering with Microsoft Exchange
Messaging systems based on Microsoft Exchange are vital for many businesses. Unfortunately, this crucial function is vulnerable to component failure, power loss, operator errors, and natural disasters. By allowing the failover of resources, server clustering provides fault tolerance for an Exchange environment. Server clusters that use the Microsoft Cluster Service can maintain data integrity and provide failover support and high availability for mission-critical applications and services on your back-end servers, including messaging systems, databases, and file and print services.
This figure shows an example of a four-node Exchange cluster with three active nodes and a passive standby node:

Progent's Microsoft-certified Exchange experts have proven, world-class skills in designing high-availability Exchange environments and can show you how to configure an Exchange Server cluster with shared data access to data and automatic failover capabilities. For details about Exchange consulting services available from Progent, visit Microsoft Exchange Consulting Support.
Zero-Downtime Solutions Supported by Progent's Consultants
Progent's Microsoft and Cisco consultants can help your company to build a sensible, fault-tolerant network that addresses critical issues encompassing a broad range of infrastructure technologies and processes including:
Business Continuity Planning
Progent's business continuity professionals can show you how to create a workplace recovery strategy in order to resume IT functionality in the event of an information system disaster. Progent can help you to define a complete disaster recovery strategy that includes periodic disaster recovery evaluations and drills. Progent's Microsoft and Cisco-certified consultants can also help you create an affordable, zero-downtime network architecture that takes into account reliability issues involving a wide range of infrastructure technologies and processes. For details, go to Workplace Recovery Consulting and Support Services.
CRISC-Premier IT Risk Mitigation
The CRISC program was initiated by ISACA to verify a consultant's skills to plan, implement, and support information system control mechanisms to mitigate network risk. Progent offers the services of a CRISC-certified engineer to assist your company to create and carry out a business continuity strategy that follows industry best practices promoted by CRISC and crafted to match your organization's risk appetite, business goals, and budgetary guidelines. To learn more, see CRISC-Premier network risk management experts.
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 High Availability Failover Clustering
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 introduced important enhancements in scale, throughput, manageability, security and compliance, app compatibility, Linux support, container networking, and hybrid combinations of local and cloud-hosted resources. Headline enhancements of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for unifying the management of hybrid on-premises/cloud deployments, System Insights for utilizing modern predictive analytics to control local networks, Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container networking using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets technology for creating and managing massive non-stop scale-out clusters, and Storage Migration Service for simplifying the upgrade process from outdated versions of Windows Server. For details, visit Windows Server 2019 Fault-tolerant Failover Clustering Support.
Microsoft Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
Progent's Windows Server 2016 disaster recovery/business continuity consultants can assist your organization to design a disaster recovery system based on Microsoft's most advanced Failover Clustering technologies such as Cluster Operating System Rolling Upgrade for non-disruptive migration to Windows Server 2016, Storage Replica for zero-data-loss Recovery Point Objective (RPO), Storage Spaces Direct for high-performance storage clusters using industry-standard hardware, VM Load Balancing for improving the performance and fault-tolerance of Failover Clusters while minimizing capital investment and management overhead, and Cloud Witness for fast, economical deployment of a failover cluster quorum witness. To learn more, see Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Consulting.
VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) Disaster Recovery Solutions
VMware's Site Recovery Manager (SRM) is a component of VMware vCenter that lets you specify, automate and verify a consistent process for restoring services rapidly after a breakdown. Site Recovery Manager supports centrally controlled and automated disaster recovery, application mobility, plus non-intrusive site migration, failback and re-protect. SRM also supports non-disruptive testing for disaster recovery, upgrades and fixes and can generate audit reports to confirm full service restoration, validate Service Level Agreements and prove disaster recovery compliance. Progent offers the skills of a VCDX certified VMware Site Recovery Manager consultant to help you to design, configure, test and administer a disaster recovery system based on VMware Site Recovery Manager.
NetApp MetroCluster Disaster Recovery Technology
NetApp MetroCluster is a disaster recovery software suite that uses failover storage clustering along with replication to deliver fast, zero RPO disaster recovery between sites that are as far as 300km away from one another. Progent can provide online or on-premises access to a certified NetApp MetroCluster consultant who can help your business to plan, configure, administer, upgrade, test and repair a disaster recovery system built around NetApp MetroCluster. Progent can help you to choose a topology for your MetroCluster environment that meets your functional requirements and budget. Progent can make sure you adhere to leading practices for configuring your MetroCluster solution by delivering guidance with procedures such as assigning disk pools, arranging aggregate layout, setting up FlexVol volumes, setting up Data ONTAP configuration replication service, provisioning switches, implementing a tiebreaker mechanism, designing a configuration replication network between your storage clusters, and testing your MetroCluster DR system to prove compliance with industry standards and government requirements.
Fault Tolerant Load Balancing
Progent provides high availability load balancing support covering network load balancing, load balanced programs, network infrastructure routing, and content delivery technology including Cisco Content Engine. Non-stop load balancing solutions for which Progent offers consulting services include Windows 2003 and 2008 Server Network Load Balancing Manager, Citrix Metaframe and Presentation Server, Cisco Content Services Switch, Cisco Content Distribution Manager and LocalDirector 400 series, and F5 Networks 3-DNS. For more information, go to Fault Tolerant Load Balancing.
High-Availability Internet Data Centers
Progent's Data Center professionals can show you how to find fault-tolerant data centers that match the specific needs of your company. High availability Internet Data Centers are particularly appealing to small and mid-size companies because of their affordability and convenience in comparison to taking a do-it-yourself approach. Trying to create an on-site data center with even a basic degree of fault tolerance is too costly for most small businesses. Progent can help you get all the benefits of non-stop data centers by offering a full array of consulting and support services. To read more, visit Fault Tolerant Data Centers Consulting.
Failsafe Interoffice Networking
Progent's inter-site connectivity professionals can help organizations achieve zero-downtime branch office connectivity via redundant networks featuring transparent failover. Progent's Cisco-premier CCIE engineers can plan and deploy ultra-reliable Inter-office connections supported by non-stop EIGRP network routers or non-stop OSPF configurations of Cisco routers. Progent can demonstrate how redundant connections and automatic fail-over can provide economical non-stop interoffice networking. For more information, visit Non-stop Interoffice Connectivity.
24x7 Internet Connections
Progent's Cisco-authorized network engineers can help you build an economical, high availability Internet configuration architecture that can achieve non-stop Internet access via a broad array of fault tolerant Internet access technologies including non-stop BGP, transparent fail-over, and redundant Internet Service Providers. Progent can provide Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert consultants to show you how to apply the most advanced techniques for high availability Internet connectivity to create a cost-effective, fully redundant Internet interface with automatic failover and other features to create zero-downtime Internet connections. To find out more, visit 24x7 Internet Access Architecture.
Backup and Recovery Technology Consultants
Progent offers economical remote support from engineers with expertise in a wide range of utilities and services that deliver solutions for protecting Microsoft Windows, Mac, and Linux/UNIX physical and virtual servers and desktops as well as notebooks and handhelds. Progent offers expertise for leading backup products including Acronis, Backup Exec, BackupAssist, CrashPlan PRO, Double-Take Software, MozyPro, Retrospect, Time Machine, VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP), and Oracle Solaris FLARs. Progent's consultants can help you to design, upgrade, or maintain backup/restore solutions for a variety of architectures including local, remote, cloud, or hybrid. To read more, visit Backup and Recovery Solutions Expertise.
System Center Data Protection Manager Data Recovery Consulting
Progent's expert System Center Data Protection Manager engineers can help you to create an effective business continuity plan, implement an affordable high-availability IT infrastructure, install a Microsoft SCDPM-based backup and restore solution, thoroughly test your DPM system, educate your IT staff or local service providers how to maintain SCDPM, or provide complete IT outsourcing services including remote hosting of Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager servers in Progent's secure data center. To learn more, visit Microsoft SCDPM Consulting.
Barracuda Backup Cloud and Offsite Backup and Disaster Recovery
Barracuda Backup is an affordable, subscription-based backup/restore platform for small and medium-size organizations. A Barracuda Backup solution can incorporate a custom-designed hardware appliance built by Barracuda or a software-based appliance with comparable features but which utilizes your existing storage infrastructure. Barracuda Backup safeguards vital company data produced locally, at one or more remote locations, or in the cloud. For disaster protection, you can replicate data to the Barracuda Cloud, to Amazon AWS, or to any location with a physical or virtual Barracuda appliance. Progent is a certified Barracuda partner and Progent's Barracuda Backup consulting experts can provide a wide range of consulting support services to help you to design, integrate, operate and repair a backup and disaster recovery system based on Barracuda Backup. For more information, see Barracuda Backup and disaster recovery consulting and management.
ProSight Altaro VM Backup Solutions for Data Protection and Disaster Recovery
Hornetsecurity's Altaro VM Backup software offers small and mid-size businesses a reliable and budget-friendly solution for backing up and recovering Hyper-V and VMware-based virtual machines. Altaro VM Backup can be used for on-premises, remote, multi-site, and cloud architectures and also supports low-cost backup to Azure storage. Altaro VM Backup includes advanced capabilities such as Immutable Cloud Storage for an extra layer of protection from ransomware. Progent is a certified Hornetsecurity Altaro partner and can provide a broad range of remote or on-premises consulting services to assist you to plan, deploy, optimize and troubleshoot a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery system powered by Altaro VM Backup software. With ProSight DPS Altaro VM Backup, Progent offers a fully managed backup/recovery service powered by on Altaro VM Backup. For details, visit Altaro VM Backup certified consultants.
ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup Solutions for Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides rudimentary archiving but does not include native support for vital data protection services like Exchange backups or greater than 30-day point-in-time data recovery for OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup provides a full-featured BDR solution for programmable backup and quick restoration of all your company's M365 mailboxes, Microsoft Teams Chats, SharePoint documents, OneDrive for Business data, and content on Windows endpoints. Progent is an authorized Hornetsecurity/Altaro partner and has designed ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup to deliver comprehensive management services for Hornetsecurity's 365 Total Backup suite. ProSight Data Protection Services 365 Total Backup provides a budget-friendly backup-as-a-service (BaaS) solution that defends M365 components against data loss or corruption caused by user or software mistakes, malicious deletion, and cyber attacks such as ransomware. To read more, visit ProSight DPS 365 Total Backup services for Microsoft 365.
Fully Managed Cloud Backup: ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO
ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO from Progent provide small and mid-sized organizations an affordable end-to-end service for secure backup/disaster recovery. Available at a fixed monthly rate, ProSight DPS ECHO automates your backup processes and enable rapid restoration of vital data, apps and VMs that have become unavailable or corrupted as a result of hardware failures, software glitches, disasters, human error, or malware attacks like ransomware. ProSight DPS ECHO can help you protect, recover and restore files, folders, applications, system images, plus Hyper-V and VMware virtual machine images. Important data can be protected on the cloud, to an on-premises device, or mirrored to both. Progent's backup and recovery consultants can provide advanced expertise to configure ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO to to comply with regulatory standards such as HIPAA, FIRPA, and PCI and, when necessary, can help you to recover your business-critical information. Learn more about ProSight Data Protection Services ECHO managed backup and recovery.
ProSight MSP360 Backup Solutions
Progent can help you to design, deploy and debug a backup plan based on MSP360 software. MSP360 offers file or image-based backup/restore for VMs and physical computers, works with all popular public clouds, and allows you to build a backup ecosystem with a minimum Recovery Time Objective and a defined Recovery Point Objective (RPO). With ProSight MSP360 Backup, Progent can provide comprehensive monitoring and management of your backup environment to prevent data loss resulting from user mistakes, computer glitches, malicious users, and malware attacks such as ransomware. To read more, go to ProSight MSP360 Backup solutions.
Consulting Services Double-Take Software for Data Backup and Recovery
Double-Take publishes a family of products designed to deliver small and midsize businesses a variety of affordable alternatives for backing up and recovering business-critical applications including Exchange Server, SQL Server, RIM Blackberry, and SharePoint. Progent's disaster recovery planning experts have extensive experience incorporating Double-Take products into small business information networks to create an advanced state of fault tolerance and disaster recovery readiness at a budget-friendly cost. To read more, go to Consulting Services Double-Take Software for Backup.
Why Pick Progent for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity Planning Solutions?
Since Progent is a Microsoft Certified AI Cloud Partner and offers professional application consulting for a wide range of small business software programs, Progent is able to assist customers to arrive at complete information technology solutions that substantially enhance the business value of your network. As a Registered Partner with Cisco, Progent offers the services of certified consultants and specialists with experience in designing, implementing and supporting networking solutions based on Cisco technology. The extent of Progent's IT experience and Progent's appreciation for the requirements of small businesses make Progent the ideal partner for creating and maintaining a cost-effective, high-availability network.
How to Get in Touch with Progent's Consultants for Support for Fault Tolerant IT Systems
To get in touch with Progent about professional expertise for non-stop architecture, phone