Today I am looking at the AvePoint DocAve option that I dreamed up when faced with the need to move my SharePoint sql databases to a different sql server.
DocAve is a great backup tool, and the features it provides for disaster recovery are nice. The product, once installed and configured(1), allows your system admin or SharePoint admin manage backup and restore activities easily. The system can even be configured to allow others (Site Collection Administrators for example) to restore their own sites, lists and libraries. Access is controlled, making this feature a bonus to SharePoint Administrators in larger environments.
In my scenario, where I want to MOVE all of my SharePoint databases to another SQL server, there is a little weakness displayed in the DocAve armor. The ConfigDB, SPWebService, CentralAdmin WebApp, and Admin ContentDB’s can only be restored “in place”(2). That means the destination sql server must have the same name and configuration as the sql server where the backup originated. I can’t restore those db’s to a different sql server, thus I cannot complete my task using DocAve. To be fair, I could use DocAve backups to accomplish part of my task, just not the whole task.
This situation is not common, so AvePoint shouldn’t be dinged points for the DocAve product – my guess is that it handles at least 95% of the requirements for pretty much any SharePoint shop. I like the product, use the product and might even recommend the product…I am just bummed that it isn’t magically making this specific task drastically easier. I guess that is why there are migration tools out there. 😉
Continue to Part 3
Footnotes:
1. Another post may cover the install configuration process for DocAve based on my experience. This is an area where I think AvePoint could improve.
2. Information obtained from the “Platform Backup and Restore” whitepaper from AvePoint.
Moving MOSS 2007 SQL Databases part 2
Posted by sharepoinTony on May 11, 2010
Today I am looking at the AvePoint DocAve option that I dreamed up when faced with the need to move my SharePoint sql databases to a different sql server.
DocAve is a great backup tool, and the features it provides for disaster recovery are nice. The product, once installed and configured(1), allows your system admin or SharePoint admin manage backup and restore activities easily. The system can even be configured to allow others (Site Collection Administrators for example) to restore their own sites, lists and libraries. Access is controlled, making this feature a bonus to SharePoint Administrators in larger environments.
In my scenario, where I want to MOVE all of my SharePoint databases to another SQL server, there is a little weakness displayed in the DocAve armor. The ConfigDB, SPWebService, CentralAdmin WebApp, and Admin ContentDB’s can only be restored “in place”(2). That means the destination sql server must have the same name and configuration as the sql server where the backup originated. I can’t restore those db’s to a different sql server, thus I cannot complete my task using DocAve. To be fair, I could use DocAve backups to accomplish part of my task, just not the whole task.
This situation is not common, so AvePoint shouldn’t be dinged points for the DocAve product – my guess is that it handles at least 95% of the requirements for pretty much any SharePoint shop. I like the product, use the product and might even recommend the product…I am just bummed that it isn’t magically making this specific task drastically easier. I guess that is why there are migration tools out there. 😉
Continue to Part 3
Footnotes:
1. Another post may cover the install configuration process for DocAve based on my experience. This is an area where I think AvePoint could improve.
2. Information obtained from the “Platform Backup and Restore” whitepaper from AvePoint.
Posted in Commentary, SharePoint 2007 | Tagged: SQL | Leave a Comment »