Clustering Two Windows Server 2012 Essentials For High Availability

[itGeeks]

Hi,

I am wanting to build another Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials for High availability aka Clustering, Does anyone know of any software or work around to get this done without spending the money for strait Windows Server 2012 R2 and paying for CALs? I have checked out DoubleTake but they want 2,000.00 a Server and that's outrages for a home user. If one of my Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials is down I want the other one to take over automatically. There must be sum cheaper software then DoubleTake or some work Around to get this working, Anyone know of anything I can do??

Edited January 18, 2014 by Mr Fixit

[jmwills]

If you were using 2012 R2 and not R2 Essentials, the tools are native to the OS.

[ikon]

Will WSE2012 properly fail over jmwill? I'm just wondering because I thought WSE2011 was designed to be the only DC on the LAN.
 

[jmwills]

Note thst I said 2012 R2.

[ikon]

Thanks jmwills. Just wanted it to be clear for everyone.

[Drashna Jaelre]

http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2014/01/18/smbkitchen-reading-technet-huh.aspx

http://www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

[itGeeks]

If you were using 2012 R2 and not R2 Essentials, the tools are native to the OS.

jmwills,

Thank you for taking the time to post. Yes I know this is native to Server 2012 R2 and NOT Essentials but the cost would be off the hook for a home user.

[itGeeks]

http://msmvps.com/blogs/bradley/archive/2014/01/18/smbkitchen-reading-technet-huh.aspx

http://www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Drashna,

I am not sure what all that means. If I was willing to spend the money for two Windows Server 2012 R2, Would I be able to install the Essentials Role on both of them so I can take advantage of client backups and such and have Fail Over work? There just has to be a way without spending thousands of dollars on software

[Drashna Jaelre]

That is information about joining a second DC to to the domain, with the Essentials role on it.

 

However, it does basically require Standard, with the Essentials Experience Role, which means $$$$ and more $$$ for User or Computer CALs. And RDP CALs if you're going to use the Anywhere Access site to remotely access computers.

 

 

But the long and short of it is that you're going to be paying a lot of money to "cluster" or even provide failover support to the network.

[ikon]

There just has to be a way without spending thousands of dollars on software

Uh, not necessarily.