Building a solution for disaster recovery is crucial for every organization that values business continuity. While there are newer solutions like SQL Server AlwaysOn Availability Groups, Log Shipping remains a popular choice among a certain group of users. In this article, we will delve into the concept of Log Shipping and discuss why it is still relevant in certain scenarios.
Recently, a blog reader reached out to me with a problem related to configuring log shipping. He was unable to create a share for log shipping purposes as the “Sharing” tab was missing in the Properties dialog of the LogShippingPrimary folder. This issue seemed unrelated to SQL Server, so I decided to investigate further.
After asking for more details, I suggested a couple of steps to verify the problem. Firstly, I recommended checking if the “Client For Microsoft Networks” and “File and Printer Sharing for Microsoft Networks” options were enabled in the Network Connections control panel. Secondly, I advised ensuring that the “Server” service was running in the Services console.
To my surprise, the reader informed me that the “Server” service was disabled due to server hardening measures implemented by the Wintel team. This explained why the “Sharing” tab was missing. Once the “Server” service was enabled, the issue was resolved.
Have you ever encountered a similar scenario in your environment? It would be valuable to hear about your experiences and any other factors that may have caused this issue. Sharing such insights can help the community learn and avoid similar problems.
Log Shipping may not be the newest solution in the SQL Server world, but it still has its merits. It offers simplicity, ease of setup, and can be an effective disaster recovery strategy for certain situations. While newer technologies like Database Mirroring and AlwaysOn Availability Groups have gained popularity, Log Shipping continues to be a reliable choice for many organizations.
As with any technology, it is important to understand its strengths and limitations before implementing it. Log Shipping may not be suitable for every scenario, but it can be a valuable tool in your SQL Server toolkit.
Thank you for reading and feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.