Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.

**

**

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

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Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.

=20

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In my opinion with the ARS's new feature of having a server alias, it may be possible to take advantage of this feature of SQL to your advantage without the need of a DSO or hot backup server. The server alias gets rid of ARS main machine dependency .. ie the computer name. You would only have to switch your network cards for your licenses to be valid assuming that you are in a Windows server as you are using MSSQL...

Joe DeSouza

-------Original Message-------

From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)
Date: Saturday, July 13, 2002 04:20:13 AM
To: ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM
Subject: SQL Transactional Replication

**

**

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A
Content-Type: text/plain;
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Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.

=20

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A
Content-Type: text/x-vcard;
name="Craig Benson.vcf"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Description: Craig Benson.vcf
Content-Disposition: attachment;
filename="Craig Benson.vcf"

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MTk0MloNCkVORDpWQ0FSRA0K

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A--








.

**

Hello Graig,

MS SQL Server transactional replication will work with ARS provided that you
don't perform any restructuring operations on forms through Remedy
Administrator, that is, you'll not be deleting or adding any fields to
forms.

You still can create, delete and modify any other workflow objects (filters,
active links escalations etc), but not forms, because creation of the form
creates new data table or view which breaks schema consistency of replicated
databases.

So, data objects (tables and views) in the database to be replicated cannot
be altered in order to quarantee schema and data consistency.
When you delete a field in the form in Remedy Administrator in you
replicated ARSystem database, you instruct ARS Server to instruct MS SQL
Server to alter particular data table or view by dropping particular data
column.

If this table or view is replicated, MS SQL Server will reject this
operation which may lead to corruption of ARSystem database data dictionary.

However, there is safer way of implementing hot backup/stand by server
scenario with Remedy software.
If your primary and stand by server names are the same in length and you've
installed Remedy on both of them with adequate number of Remedy licenses you
can try this approach:

NOTE:
This approach is not supported by Peregrine/Remedy, but has been tested by
me in our company and proved to be working OK in the following environment:
1. Server OS type and version: MS Windows NT Server 4.0, MS Windows 2000
Server.
2. RDBMS type and version: MS SQL Server 7.0 Service Pack 3.
3. ARS version: 4.5.2 with ITSM suite 4.0.3.

So, here are actions to be taken.
1. Alter ARSystem database by adding another filegroup and move all ARSystem
database objects into this filegroup leaving system objects on primary
filegroup.
2. Make your newly created filegroup the default filegroup.
3. Schedule regular backups of ARSystem database and its transaction log on
your primary server.
4. Schedule regular restores of these backups on your stand by server.

When your primary server fails, take the following steps:
1.If MS SQL Server is running, backup active transaction log of ARSystem
database.
2. Restore the latest backup on your stand by server.
3. Restore active transaction log backup on your stand by server.
4. Update metatables in ARSystem database on stand by server by replacing
old server name with new one.
5. Start Remedy.

If this stuff sounds like a lot of DBA work, grab your DBA for assistance.

Regards,

Mikhail Gvozdev
Peregrine Product Support Engineer
Planwell Technology Australia Ltd.
1-5 Railway Street
CHATSWOOD NSW 2067

Phone: +61 2 9412 - 8763
Fax: +61 2 9419 - 7803
mailto:mikhailg@planwell.com.au





-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Benson [mailto:cbenson@RALEYS.COM]
Sent: Saturday, 13 July 2002 07:20 AM
To: ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM
Subject: SQL Transactional Replication


Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.

I have tried this a while ago and couldn't seem to configure mssql7 to work like this with remedy, we did however use something called "log shipping" to transfer the transaction logs at intervals to a standby remedy server.

I cant really give you details but we needed to give the standby server an alias which was the same as the prod server so that the different server names were not an issue I am sure that your DBA should be able to help you with the details of setting up this sort of functionality.

hth

tama
-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Benson [ mailto:cbenson@RALEYS.COM]
Sent: 12 July 2002 23:08
To: ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM
Subject: SQL Transactional Replication


**

**

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.

=20

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A
Content-Type: text/x-vcard;
name="Craig Benson.vcf"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Description: Craig Benson.vcf
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filename="Craig Benson.vcf"

QkVHSU46VkNBUkQNClZFUlNJT046Mi4xDQpOOkJlbnNvbjtDcmFpZw0KRk46Q3JhaWcgQmVuc29u
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MTk0MloNCkVORDpWQ0FSRA0K

------=NextPart00101C229E9.E7E9D69A--











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**

When we were discussing this subject with Sybase support they called the
transactions your referring to as "non logged transactions"....and they
recommended that if we were going to do DB Replication that before we
make any such change to shut down access to the Remedy server (Admin
only mode), verify that all of the transactions made it through the Rep
server, shut down the rep server, make the changes on box 1, make the
same changes on box 2, bring the Rep server back online and then make
the app available again. We never ended up implementing this....but it
sounded like the best option available.

-----Original Message-----
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)
[mailto:ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM] On Behalf Of Mikhail Gvozdev
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 5:13 PM
To: ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM
Subject: Re: SQL Transactional Replication


**

Hello Graig,

MS SQL Server transactional replication will work with ARS provided that
you don't perform any restructuring operations on forms through Remedy
Administrator, that is, you'll not be deleting or adding any fields to
forms.

You still can create, delete and modify any other workflow objects
(filters, active links escalations etc), but not forms, because creation
of the form creates new data table or view which breaks schema
consistency of replicated databases.

So, data objects (tables and views) in the database to be replicated
cannot be altered in order to quarantee schema and data consistency.
When you delete a field in the form in Remedy Administrator in you
replicated ARSystem database, you instruct ARS Server to instruct MS SQL
Server to alter particular data table or view by dropping particular
data column.

If this table or view is replicated, MS SQL Server will reject this
operation which may lead to corruption of ARSystem database data
dictionary.

However, there is safer way of implementing hot backup/stand by server
scenario with Remedy software. If your primary and stand by server names
are the same in length and you've installed Remedy on both of them with
adequate number of Remedy licenses you can try this approach:

NOTE:
This approach is not supported by Peregrine/Remedy, but has been tested
by me in our company and proved to be working OK in the following
environment: 1. Server OS type and version: MS Windows NT Server 4.0, MS
Windows 2000 Server. 2. RDBMS type and version: MS SQL Server 7.0
Service Pack 3. 3. ARS version: 4.5.2 with ITSM suite 4.0.3.

So, here are actions to be taken.
1. Alter ARSystem database by adding another filegroup and move all
ARSystem database objects into this filegroup leaving system objects on
primary filegroup. 2. Make your newly created filegroup the default
filegroup. 3. Schedule regular backups of ARSystem database and its
transaction log on your primary server. 4. Schedule regular restores of
these backups on your stand by server.

When your primary server fails, take the following steps:
1.If MS SQL Server is running, backup active transaction log of ARSystem
database. 2. Restore the latest backup on your stand by server. 3.
Restore active transaction log backup on your stand by server. 4. Update
metatables in ARSystem database on stand by server by replacing old
server name with new one. 5. Start Remedy.

If this stuff sounds like a lot of DBA work, grab your DBA for
assistance.

Regards,

Mikhail Gvozdev
Peregrine Product Support Engineer
Planwell Technology Australia Ltd.
1-5 Railway Street
CHATSWOOD NSW 2067

Phone: +61 2 9412 - 8763
Fax: +61 2 9419 - 7803
mailto:mikhailg@planwell.com.au





-----Original Message-----
From: Craig Benson [mailto:cbenson@RALEYS.COM]
Sent: Saturday, 13 July 2002 07:20 AM
To: ARSLIST@LISTSERV.VISTAIT.COM
Subject: SQL Transactional Replication


Has anyone successfully used MSSQL transactional replication to keep a
hot standby server? Reading through the documentation seems to indicate
a fairly straight forward process but we all know how sensitive AR
System can be when the DB is handled outside of it's grip. Is there
another option that anyone can suggest? I am hoping not to have to
purchase DSO options to manage the replication.



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