BES Express and DR in another datacenter
 

I have read "BlackBerry Enterprise Server for Microsoft Exchange
Disaster Recovery Guide" and i have some questions.

First, does this guide apply to the Express version of BES also?

Once a disaster event has been declared, my plan is to bring up a copy of the BESX (VMware) VM in the standby datacenter along with a copy of the database. (These copies are kept up to date in the standby datacenter via SAN replication.) Will this work if i take into consideration the steps in the DR guide for attaching the database, stopping/starting services, etc.? And of course I'll have a network change because i am in a different datacenter.

Most of the documentation i read, focuses on a standby BESx server in the same datacenter. Also my situation is a bit different in that the standby BESx VM will not exist until the primary BESx is offline - and this BES VM is an exact copy of the primary BESx (with a network IP change).

Will my plan work? Any pitfalls i should be aware of?

Re: BES Express and DR in another datacenter
 

you should be able to spin it up and have it work

I hope your mail server is in same SAN

issue might be that you will be locked out if both are running at same time with same SRP

Re: BES Express and DR in another datacenter
 

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regarding your statement about the mail server being in the same SAN - can you clarify your concern? The mail server is not a VM and mail databases may or may not be in the same SAN. Are you thinking that if the mail databases are in a separate SAN from the SQL/BES database that i may have something out-of-sync?

Re: BES Express and DR in another datacenter
 

Your post is about DR, is your mail server part of the DR plan?

If the mail servr is on a diff segment then there might be more work involved.

or you can run 2 BES with same database and just move users over if there is an issue to the other BES.

Re: BES Express and DR in another datacenter
 

Exchange is part of the DR plan. We are using a DAG with passive copies in the DR site so i'm confident an Exchange datacenter switchover process covers Exchange in a disaster scenario (and our Outlook internal clients and internet switchover are covered).

The BES VM and BES database are both replicated (LUN replication) to the DR site. I prefer not to run a hot/warm BES in the standby site. I only want BES to exist in the standby site after a disaster scenario is declared. Then i would bring up the BES VM and attach the BES database.

The network segments in the primary and standby site will be different somewhat. I realize that i will have to make sure the BES VM network is correct for the standby site. BES and Exchange will be able to communicate with each other in the standby site. and BES will be able to access the BES database in the standby site.
What would we have to do (if anything) to get the BES internet component to communicate to our on-site BES VM?

when you said: "If the mail servr is on a diff segment then there might be more work involved." - mail server on different segement - different from what?