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6 SharePoint Data Protection with Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft Edition 4.7 Dell EqualLogic PS Series | TR1086 |
2.0
1 Introduction
Microsoft SharePoint is a server application for enterprises that facilitate collaboration, provide full content
management features, implement business processes, and provide access to information essential to
organizational goals and processes. It provides an integrated platform to plan, deploy, and manage
intranet, extranet, and Internet applications across the enterprise. As a SharePoint deployment expands in
an organization, it will likely increase the amount of data stored in SharePoint, and subsequently Microsoft
SQL Server databases. Data protection and disaster recovery are among the top concerns for
administrators. Requirements for reducing backup windows and restore times continue as demands for
continuous SharePoint Farm uptime is increasing. PS Series arrays provide administrators the ability to
create volume-based copies of data using snapshots, clones and replicas. These copies are known as
point-in-time copies of volume data.
The EqualLogic Host Integration Tools (HIT) kit version 4.7 enhances Auto-Snapshot Manager/Microsoft
Edition (ASM/ME), adding the ability to create data and application-consistent Smart Copies of SharePoint
farms. ASM/ME is a Windows server application that offers application-consistent Smart Copies of
SharePoint data leveraging the built-in snapshot, clone and replication facilities in PS Series arrays. With
ASM/ME, a SharePoint administrator can:
 Create Smart Copies of SharePoint farm data where the copy operation is coordinated with
SharePoint Farm operations.
- Use the management GUI or built-in scheduler to create Smart Copy sets
- Use the command-line interface (asmcli) that enables the performance of many common
tasks. GUI wizards are included to generate fully formed command lines.
- Set up automatic email notification of events
 Perform SharePoint restore operations:
- Restore corrupt or deleted content databases
- Restore office search
- Item-level restore, 3
rd
party database tools
The capabilities of ASM/ME extend the use of SAN copy facilities beyond storage administrators to server
and SharePoint administrators. This raises the productivity of SharePoint administrators, and allows them
to leverage efficient SAN copy facilities without requiring SAN privileges. By automating data protection
and recovery operations, the time consuming day-to-day operations of managing and maintaining
volume and SharePoint Server uptime is minimized and data availability is extensively increased. Data
availability can be maintained at a higher level of assurance using ASM/ME and Smart Copy technologies
with PS Series arrays.