some official documentation on SharePoint and DPM 2007 SP1

All the links on documentation, audio/video and how to and how not. :)


http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2009/01/15/system-center-data-protection-manager-releases-service-pack-1.aspx

System Center DPM Server 2007 SP1 is live!

Here is the official announcement:

What is new in Service Pack 1 http://www.microsoft.com/SystemCenter/DataProtectionManager/en/us/WHATs-NEW.aspx


Here is the downloads
DPM 2007 sp1 x86 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125991
DPM 2007 sp1 x64 http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=125992


Videos
SP1 videos on TechNet Edge http://edge.technet.com/tags/DPM

and upcoming webcasts.
http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/EventDetail.aspx?EventID=1032399151 on January 8th.

Besides all the other features from this SP1 for Hyper-V, Windows 2008, Exchange 2007 and SQL 2008 enhancements, i am looking forward to enabling Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 to receive index protection, significant catalog optimization, and support for mirrored content databases.

White paper: Protecting Office SharePoint Server 2007 by using System Center Data Protection Manager

White paper: Protecting Office SharePoint Server 2007 by using System Center Data Protection Manager

This downloadable white paper compares Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager to the backup and recovery functionality built in to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, provides an overview of types of System Center Data Protection Manager backups, and provides detailed instructions for the following recovery scenarios:

• Farm recovery
• Site recovery
• Item recovery

DPM 2007 and SharePoint

I have been working with DPM 2007 and protecting a WSS/MOSS installation. Had to learn the hardway is getting hotfixes and services setup correctly. Some DPM documentations on TechNet did not help much.

Finally here is a good write up on DPM's relationship with WSS 3.0/MOSS 2007. http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/blogs/fromthefield/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?List=0ce77946%2D1e45%2D4b43%2D8c74%2D21963e64d4e1&ID=69

Still i am dealing with an issue of DPM failing to backup metadata catalog and hence won't be able to perform item level recoveries. (above)

Moving DPM_SYSTEM_STATE folder

DPM Server 2007 when monitoring a server will create the DPM_SYSTEM_STATE folder in the default system driver. You could move the folder to another location using some basic steps.

On the Protected Server:Edit the %system drive%\Program Files\Microsoft Data ProtectionManager\DPM\Datasources\PSDataSourceConfig.xml file.

You will find the default the path is %system drive%\ in the tag ""

Change it to a new location (another drive) and save the XML file.

On the DPM Server: Run Consistency Check on the System State data source.

Finding the right backup library for use with DPM Server 2007

I have had some problems with using tape libraries to work with DPM Server 2007.

Here is a response from Quantum after i spoke to them today.

"I spoke to my consultant about the problem you had regarding Windows servers grabbing resources away from the DPM server, as such, the DPM server could not detect and utilize the tape library resources.

One of the unique features of the Scalar i500 is that we have an I/O blade option that can be integrated into the Si500. This I/O blade can “mask off” or does LUN mapping, it can “dedicate” its resources to be only seen by the DPM server or servers that you allocate the resources to. This is even more secure than zoning on your FC switches!

In addition, the I/O blade can also achieve World-Wide-Name (WWN) and serial number spoofing. As you know, all fibre channel devices have unique WWN and all tape drives have unique serial numbers. Whenever a tape drive is faulty, we will change the tape drive and replace it with another unique WWN and serial number.

This requires your DPM server to “reboot”, and sometimes downtime for reboot is a luxury. With this feature, the I/O blade assumes the old WWN and serial number of the tape drive, spoofing the DPM server that nothing has been changed. "

Hope that helps to all of you who are having issues with tape libraries to work with DPM Server 2007

DPM 2007 and SharePoint 2007 (MOSS and WSS)

I have implemented DPM 2007 for data recovery solution for my SharePoint farm, Exchange, Domain Controllers and SQL Servers.

Domain Controllers and SQL Servers were pretty straight forward.
Then came SharePoint.
Here are some information from TechNet on DPM 2007 protecting SharePoint 2007.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb795864.aspx

There is also a webcasts in the link above.