"Warm" standby

[woz]

I've set up a DB on a Mac mini server for a small company. I would like to set up a low cost redundant server on the same LAN but different building. I was thinking of a second mini server running FMS using the same license but with the serverd stopped and server-helper running. If I can one-way sync the hourly database backups from the main server to the standby server would all this work?

 

Issues:

Licensing: Would this be OK if the database server is stopped on the standby server (until main server dies and is needed to be started) but with fmsadmin (server-helper) running?

File Corruption: I realise it would be very risky to rely on file syncing a live DB but we could live with losing up to an hour's data and relying on the backups.

 

I know there are better ways of doing this but $ is limited.

Will this work?

Has anyone done something like this?

Better ideas without extra FMS license & SyncDek type software?

 

 

[Ocean West]

woz, 

 

I can't speak to the the license issue but by technical design FMS does pitch a fit you install the same license on another server on the same LAN, and at try to start the second server while the first is active.

 

One thought would be for you to get the TechNet Developer edition ( $99 ) provides you a server license for 3 client connections - perhaps that will be fine to operate as the failsafe server, at the same time; if and when bad things happen all you need to do is change the license code on the alternate server with your VALID code. 

 

As far as the sync issue it may depend on the sheer size of the solution and time it would take to copy. Perhaps copying the latest progressive backup to the other server at regular intervals. 

 

I don't think SyncDec options at this time perform server to server syncs. 

[Wim Decorte]

 

File Corruption: I realise it would be very risky to rely on file syncing a live DB but we could live with losing up to an hour's data and relying on the backups.

 

 

Don't even go there.  Do not try to touch the live files at all.  Your best bet is to push over each most recent backup.

 

You can do server-to-server syncs with syndek but you will need two full FileMaker Server license for that, no way around it.

[Steven H. Blackwell]

Let me re-emphasize Wim's excellent advice here. Do not attempt so-called live syncs.  You will wind up corrupting both the systems.

 

Steven