It is important to select a disaster recovery strategy before a disaster occurs.
The disaster recovery strategy you select also influences your backup strategy. If your Exchange 2000 organisation encounters a problem that requires you to recover a server running Exchange 2000 (for example, if one of your servers is destroyed in a fire), there are three recovery options from which you can select:

• You can restore the server from a full computer backup set. This involves restoring the computer's full computer backup set (which includes a backup of System State data and most of the data on your hard disks), and then restoring your Exchange 2000 databases.
• You can rebuild the server entirely. This involves performing a new installation of Windows, restoring your Windows backup set, running Exchange 2000 in Disaster Recovery mode, and then restoring your Exchange 2000 databases.
• You can use a stand-by recovery server. This involves keeping recovery servers available with the operating system and other software installed. Having stand-by recovery servers available reduces the amount of time it takes to rebuild a damaged server.
• Server Recovery Strategy Summary Table

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Premium Edition
• Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003, Standard Edition
• Microsoft Exchange 2000 Server