Last week, I spoke at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference. 

It wasn't my normal 60-90 minutes on "Protecting SQL" or "Protecting Exchange" or even just an overview of DPM.  This time, I was just 15 minutes of a "Business Opportunities in Windows Virtualization" - specifically, teaching Microsoft Partners how to provide a service of backing up their customers' data.

DPM 2006 actually already had materials on this architecture available to partners; but like most other sets of users, partners have been waiting for DPM 2007 for a more comprehensive solution - protecting Exchange, SQL, SharePoint as well as Windows file servers (which was all 2006 did).

Essentially, the primary technology burden for those starting a "hosted backup" offering usually is the hardware expense associated with providing a dedicated and isolated back up server for every customer.  Since most customers start these kinds of projects small, with either a proof-of-concept or project server, the income doesnt cover the costs of the hardware.

Enter Microsoft Virtualization - in particular, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2.

Virtualization is a great way to consolidate multiple small servers into a single, robust hardware platform.  In this case, one might deploy between 4 to 10 virtual machines inside a physical host server running MSVS. 

Then, install a DPM Server inside of each virtual server -- and attach it to a different customer.

Now, virtual DPM server #1 can protect your Contoso customer's server(s) while virtual DPM server #2 protects Northwind Traders!

This way, the virtual DPM server is an actual member of the customer's domain - even (optionally) enabling customer end users to restore their own files thru DPM -- without any intervention from their IT or yours.  It keeps one customer's data and Active Directory separate from anothers.

It also makes the hosted backup provider's business more scalable.  If Contoso were to end up protecting 40 servers, the Contoso virtual DPM servers ends up being the only virtual DPM server on one host machine ... while Northwind Traders is only protecting 3 servers, so its virtual DPM server can be co-hosted with several other virtual DPM servers until that host's resoures are consumed.

From a resiliency perspective, the service provider can protect the Virtual Server hosts (including the various guest OS's) without even being able to see the data inside of the virtual DPM machines.  This is a huge advantage and security benefit over remote backup technologies that try to back up across customers' domains ... where the backup application is able to see all of the original corporate data.  Of course, one should "trust" one's service provider, but my preference is to trust them to provide a service, not trust them to not look inside.  (no offense intended).

As a last nugget to consider -

If a small business were to experience a fire or theft in their offices, who is the first technology person that they are going to call?  Their local integrator/reseller partner.  So, wouldn't it be a good thing if the partner already had the data?!  They can expedite new hardware, restore from their datacenter, and walk a fully ready to go server back to the customer.

And all it takes is DPM (today's DPM 2006 or the upcoming DPM 2007) and Microsoft Virtual Server - also already available.

Just add Service ... which is what Microsoft Partners are all about.

No, not a sequel to the first Xbox 360 game - which is too bad, because that really is a good game.  The current VP game is great for kids and one of the best reasons I had for putting a second Xbox360 in my house.  The first one is all mine, but my wife and kids (and I) love that game.  For the kids, its fun to to create gardens (habitats for the pinata to live in).  But after a while, the strategy of food-chains and nurturing kick in - and it starts to get my obsessive compulsive RTS juices flowing.  As one article from the Digital Gamer states, it really is one of the best games from 2006 that you may not own.

 http://thedigitalgamer.typepad.com/the_digital_gamer/2007/01/viva_piata_why_.html

But that isn't the primary reason for this blog post.  PS> did I mention that the current Viva Pinata is really awesome, highly addictive after a few hours, and your family will thank you for getting it.  :-)

(sorry) ... so this week, I saw "Viva Pinata : Party Animals" listed on XBOX.COM !!! (game listing here)

It appears to be being developed by Krome Studios, instead of Rare.  And while I am a huge fan of more than a few Rare titles, Krome did the Ty Tasmanian Tiger series (1-2-3) that are also kid-friendly and owned in my house.  Details on VP:PA is not yet on Krome's website, so we will all need to check back later on that one.

While not a sequel, it appears to use the same characters but a family-friendly, multi-player online and offline format.  Perhaps along the style of Nintendo Mario Party or Disney Party format(?) and boasts more than 40 mini-games.  Since my family night routinely includes playing those titles, and all five members of my household currently have Viva Pinata gardens that they are tending ... we will definitely be looking forward to becoming "Party Animals" when this title releases.

From Tech-Ed 2007 last month.  Its about an hour long and includes "how does it work" and demo's for protecting and recovering SQL.

 Check out the video

These last several weeks have been very exciting - starting with the release of Beta 2 for DPM 2007 at Tech-Ed ... and am writing this from the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC).

When I joined Microsoft two years ago, people would come up and ask either:

1)  Why is DPM part of System Center (management products)?

2)  What is DPM?

The last one hurt  :-)  but to the first one, I explained that "Backup is a management task, and like its brethren Operations Manager and Configuration Manager, aided IT Pro's in managing, monitoring, deploying and yes, backing up, the rest of their Windows infrastructure. blah, blah, blah ..."  (it's true, I just got tired of explaining it)

But these days, no one is asking "What is DPM?" ... they all seem to be asking "When is DPM 2007 going to ship?" - and that's a very good thing.  That's the excitement that I had when I saw the potential of DPM two years ago - and signed on.  Now, everybody is figuring it out that DPM really is a very cool thing.

I've been in data protection for over 15 years, with integrators, backup vendors, replication vendors, and now Microsoft.  You used to always buy your OS and Applications from one vendor, and back them up with another.  DPM offers protection for the Microsoft OS (Server 2003, Server 2008, XP and Vista) ... along with Exchange, SQL, SharePoint and Virtual Server ... FROM MICROSOFT.  That really changes the game !!!

And more and more people are starting to see that.

So, no one is asking "What is DPM" (which is a good thing) ... and most folks now understand that Backup is part of IT management, so it is reasonably a System Center product.  Although a few months ago, just to keep things interesting, Microsoft interally merged the DPM folks with their Storage buddies who make Windows Storage Server and manage the file capabilities within Windows Server OS.  So now, most of the folks at Microsoft who think about disks, and tapes, and files, and data ... are all marching to a single drummer.  Its a good thing for the new team, as well as for partners and ultimately customers, and something I'll add more to in another blog.

In the meantime, good night from WPC in Denver ... and get ready for DPM 2007

This is my first blog site -- although everyone who knows me says that I have an opinion on everything, and usually passionate that I am right.  So, hopefully, this will be a soapbox where I can give some ideas that you might find useful, and maybe we'll both learn something along the way.