Disaster Recovery Plan: Self-Hosted Server Recovery Workflow

Introduction

This guide provides detailed, step-by-step instructions for implementing a disaster recovery solution for your Zmanda Pro Server. It covers the setup of both primary and standby servers, configuration of self-backup mechanisms, and the recovery process. By following these steps, you'll establish a robust disaster recovery system that ensures business continuity in case of primary server failure.

Step 1: Primary Server Setup

First, verify your primary server domain resolution.

Step 1.1: Configuring Server Self-backup

Navigate to your Zmanda Pro Setup Package and find the server.cfg file

We will configure an SFTP offsite storage. I have chosen password authentication. You may choose PrivateKey if you wish to. I have set the schedule to be Daily. You have weekly and monthly options available.

Note: You can specify multiple locations to store your server self-backups by incrementing the last index character for each configuration. Example:

SelfBackupFrequencyType.1           =Weekly
SelfBackupLocationDestinationType.1 =SMB
## SMB configurations here...

Step 1.2: Run the activator to apply your changes

You must see a self-backup test being performed to your configured location. Your configured self-backup schedules will now be active.

Step 1.3: [Optional] Manual Self-backup

You may run the self-backup command of the Activator to trigger an immediate self-backup:

sudo ./activator.run self-backup

Enter the unlock password

Your server is now configured for scheduled self-backup you may proceed with regular operations such as device registration and backups.

ADDITIONAL: You can verify your self-backups in your destination. These will appear as encrypted zip files. The Zmanda Pro License activator extrapolates the encryption key using the admin password.

Step 2: Standby Server Setup

Verify standby server domain resolution

Step 2.1: Configuring Server Self-backup

If your standby server is activated, you're now ready to perform recovery any time.

Step 3: Recovery from disaster

The recover command of the activator can be used to restore the standby server state to a point in time of the Primary server:

sudo ./activator.run recover

Enter the unlock key

Choose the point in time you want to restore, defaults to the latest server self-backup image. The options are listed in a descending order of time vertically i.e. the latest self-backup image appears as the 1st option and so on.

Step 3.1 Verify Recovery

Verify your users, devices, policies, job logs & storage templates from the Web UI

You have just performed a DR drill. You can check to ensure that all your devices and the restored data is available.