I need to know how to connect two servers, one will be here in Toronto and the other will be in SC. I am not sure if a VPN is right if so how do you set one up? Both servers are running Windows 2003 Standard and both will have high speed connections. Both servers are primarly just file servers with tape back-up.
Are there any other ways to set this up?
Also if a VPN is the way to go then can you have it mapped to a folder and everytime people save changes will it be automatically updated so the both sites will see the exact same info?
Thank you in advance.

P.S. It is my ass if I can't figure this out so if you don't know how to do this can you point me to a site that will help.

Again thanks,

Scott

You have a lot to consider.

What do you consider highspeed connections?

This is a key consideration. Clearly a point to poing or frame relay is going to be too costly though you should get pricing for comparison.

A VPN is a tunnel between systems thru the internet. It has nothing to do with replicating data between servers.

Replicating data is a HUGE consideration. Timelessness of the updates? What kind of data? How much? What kind of wan bandwidth requirements?

Normally this kind of data replication is done by a application like SQL, Oracle or similar. Windows replication works but at its own pace. The vendor is responsible for recommending what kind of pipe between sites is required. You then have to add the network/email/regular traffic overhead to that number.

Perhaps you are a canidate for using DFS in W2K.

You do not want users going across the wan link and pulling information. This will bog down the wan link and server to server communication.

You are going to need equipment. Routers that support VPN's. Fast access to your backbones and servers... and so much more depending on the answers to these questions.

As far as speed goes I think we will need at least a T1, that will allow for future upgrades.
What I wanted was on one server in SC people will save the file there and then the server will update it some how on the server in Toronto. Another way I was thinking is just to have an FTP between the two servers and every night they connect to each other and exchange info. That option is more cost effective at this time. The company is starting to grow rapidly but they do not want to put a lot of money into the infastructure now.
There would be a router on each end that will take care of all the internal computers, that will limit the server to just taking care of files.
The LAN will be issolated to each office and only the servers will talk to each other.

Are you saying there are companies that can link the two areas togeather?

I am new at this WAN, but I have set up many LAN's with all kinds of local services I just don't know the best way or how to have two LAN's talk over a WAN and act like it is still a LAN.

Not sure if I have confused you, I think I am a little confused now.

A VPN connection for file replication will do the trick. As wanderer mentioned, get a router that supports vpn link or another hardware vpn endpoint. DFS (Distributed File System) is available in W2K and Windows 2003. If you install active directory on both servers you can create a DFS link between the 2 servers so that when a file is changed on serverA, it is updated to serverB, You can have this replication done instantly, or schedule it for off peak hours. I've used this technology many times for mirroring websites and databases and it works very well.

Have a look at this, it should get you started

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812487

We need a clear understanding of what TYPE of T1 you are talking about. You can mean a point to point from Toronto to SC. You can mean a Frame Relay T1 between these sites. You can mean a 1024K DSL connection at each location to the internet.

Reason this is important is each has different issues to resolve. FR and PTP means you don't need a VPN. DSL means you do. T1's also come in different bandwidth flavors like 56k, 128k, 256k, 512k, 768k, 1024k. And then with Frame Relay you have CIR which is the way the phone company sells you a full T1 but only lets you use half of it.

You talk about only server to server communication. This means you need to create access lists to block client traffic. But then you haven't stated what W2K/W03K design you are using. Are you going to have two different domains? Active directory? Use a trust between the two or not? Use 2003 and its ability to do trusts between forests?

How is the data from server A getting to server B? Under who's account and permissions? Perhaps selected users can have accounts on both server to be able to replicate data? But then we come back to your access lists on the routers.

No client access across the wan links means no DFS

See what I mean by a number of things to consider? Decide on how you want to use the system, where the limiting factors are going to be, and design your system accordingly.

Brian, you mentioned you'ved used DFS to replicate data and databases across a WAN. I am currently investigating WAN-based replication. I am implementing DFS over a LAN, but wasn't sure it would work over a WAN. Also, what databases were you working with. We have both Access and SQL Server databases running.
Thanks,
Joe

We're doing the same thing using two symantec vpn 100 appliances. We are using a 512k wireless pipe at one end and 1.5Mbps SDSL at the other end. The VPN 100 appliances allow us to create a dynamic key tunnel between the different networks over the Internet. We are using NAT internaly (192.168.0.0 on one end, 192.168.1.0 on the the other). Our problem is with AD replication. It doesn't seem to be working. you can log into the servers on one side of the VPN tunnel from the other, but it takes 30-45 seconds and the AD servers are not replicatinmg. The tunnels are supposed to pass all traffic. Any suggestions?