DATA Backup for SME
Discussion
After a bit of an IT scare over the weekend, I really need to sort out data backup.
When I leased an office, I used to run a PC with Windows Home Server 2003 & had the central working data located on there.
I would run a backup every evening & remove the HDD (in a caddy) & store & home, swapping with the HDD from the previous backup.
I haven't used this for some time after vacating the office & moving everything back to home & on top of some other events, I'd need to re-install as I can't remember the logon details.
As such, I'm wondering if there is a better option (for not a huge cost).
I'm not interested in the cloud as an option for this.
I have a variety of old PC kit available from which I could building something (if needed - the existing server PC has some old SATA HDD's as it was a recycled jobby).
The data is a variety of file types but the main is 2D/3D CAD.
Data currently @ 1.1TB so minimum 2.0TB.
Any advice welcome.
Edit: capacity added
When I leased an office, I used to run a PC with Windows Home Server 2003 & had the central working data located on there.
I would run a backup every evening & remove the HDD (in a caddy) & store & home, swapping with the HDD from the previous backup.
I haven't used this for some time after vacating the office & moving everything back to home & on top of some other events, I'd need to re-install as I can't remember the logon details.
As such, I'm wondering if there is a better option (for not a huge cost).
I'm not interested in the cloud as an option for this.
I have a variety of old PC kit available from which I could building something (if needed - the existing server PC has some old SATA HDD's as it was a recycled jobby).
The data is a variety of file types but the main is 2D/3D CAD.
Data currently @ 1.1TB so minimum 2.0TB.
Any advice welcome.
Edit: capacity added
Edited by Smiler. on Monday 5th June 06:29
i do daily backups to external hard drives, we keep one attached to the server and one in a fireproof/dataproof safe on site. once a week my IT support company send someone to pick up the latest copy from our office and they reinstall it on an identical server held at their office and then email us with the latest bit of data written to it to prove to us that the data has uploaded correctly.
This has 2 benefits, firstly it is a weekly DR test using real data and also if the server does go terminally bang, then they just drop around the shadow server and we are up and working again in half an hour with pretty recent data, we could then reinstall last nights backup in fair confidence that it will work.
We have all our mail on 365 so that takes away a fair chunk of data and also gives us resilience.
It woks really well for us and isn't terribly expensive in the scheme of things (£1300p.a.) - losing the main server for many businesses could easily be the end of the business if the backups don't work. I've heard too many horror stories of backups failing when needed...
HTH
This has 2 benefits, firstly it is a weekly DR test using real data and also if the server does go terminally bang, then they just drop around the shadow server and we are up and working again in half an hour with pretty recent data, we could then reinstall last nights backup in fair confidence that it will work.
We have all our mail on 365 so that takes away a fair chunk of data and also gives us resilience.
It woks really well for us and isn't terribly expensive in the scheme of things (£1300p.a.) - losing the main server for many businesses could easily be the end of the business if the backups don't work. I've heard too many horror stories of backups failing when needed...
HTH
Hi all,
I would start by being very clear on what you wish to achieve, considering your requirements/use case. Make sure you consider your requirements for Backup, DR and Archiving. Combine that with how much effort you wish to put in yourself both in management, and DR and you can start to find the right solution for you. Greg's solution looks great, but I know many SMB's who would not be able to pay that much. Equally, some of the cloud solutions (Crashplan is another worth looking at, especially if users are storing files locally) can be great if they meet your specific requirements, and useless if not.
One point to note - if you want GDPR compliance, then remember the data you store in the backups in within skope, and therefore if you go that route, choose your cloud provider carefully.
I would start by being very clear on what you wish to achieve, considering your requirements/use case. Make sure you consider your requirements for Backup, DR and Archiving. Combine that with how much effort you wish to put in yourself both in management, and DR and you can start to find the right solution for you. Greg's solution looks great, but I know many SMB's who would not be able to pay that much. Equally, some of the cloud solutions (Crashplan is another worth looking at, especially if users are storing files locally) can be great if they meet your specific requirements, and useless if not.
One point to note - if you want GDPR compliance, then remember the data you store in the backups in within skope, and therefore if you go that route, choose your cloud provider carefully.
Take a look at Freenas. You could install it on a spare machine you mentioned and it would provide a great platform for network drives that you could backup to using Rsync or Robocopy. (Robocopy is free and built into windows). I can give you the commands if you need them.
Perhaps I missed it, but whats your plan if you get Wannacry or a similar encryption virus? It will more than likely spread to your backup solution too.
Other options may be something like an Dell RD1000 drive and some cheap backup software like Backup Assist?
Perhaps I missed it, but whats your plan if you get Wannacry or a similar encryption virus? It will more than likely spread to your backup solution too.
Other options may be something like an Dell RD1000 drive and some cheap backup software like Backup Assist?
My backup solution is a NAS at the office and at home.
The local office files and the website are backed up to the office NAS nightly for the website and it's database and hourly for the office files.
FWIW, most of the office files are on a cloudshare folder on the iMac so that it's got a copy on the NAS anyway, so it's effectively got two copies on the NAS and one on the iMac.
The office NAS has a bi-directional sync with the NAS at home
This means that any work I do at home is pushed back to the office as well as giving me an off-site backup.
The NAS at home backs up to a USB drive every week.
Both NAS also serve as the storage for the CCTV at home and the office
The local office files and the website are backed up to the office NAS nightly for the website and it's database and hourly for the office files.
FWIW, most of the office files are on a cloudshare folder on the iMac so that it's got a copy on the NAS anyway, so it's effectively got two copies on the NAS and one on the iMac.
The office NAS has a bi-directional sync with the NAS at home
This means that any work I do at home is pushed back to the office as well as giving me an off-site backup.
The NAS at home backs up to a USB drive every week.
Both NAS also serve as the storage for the CCTV at home and the office
I suggest caution with permanently connected drives (NAS, USB, Cloud storage etc). If you are infected with Ransomware, consider if it could easily spread to your connected drive, rendering your backup useless.
Some of you have found ways to address this, but I would be very cautious, unless you know what you are doing. It is also worth considering who else has access to the NAS, and does that add any element of risk, either through inadvertent error (deleting files accidentally) or malicious intent.
Australiam said:
I suggest caution with permanently connected drives (NAS, USB, Cloud storage etc). If you are infected with Ransomware, consider if it could easily spread to your connected drive, rendering your backup useless.
Some of you have found ways to address this, but I would be very cautious, unless you know what you are doing. It is also worth considering who else has access to the NAS, and does that add any element of risk, either through inadvertent error (deleting files accidentally) or malicious intent.
FWIW, we all run macs here and while ransomeware is theoretically possible on OSX, I'm not aware of any effective ones in the wild (Patcher was a rather feeble attempt).Some of you have found ways to address this, but I would be very cautious, unless you know what you are doing. It is also worth considering who else has access to the NAS, and does that add any element of risk, either through inadvertent error (deleting files accidentally) or malicious intent.
Each user has their login and their share on the NAS authenticated by LDAP.
User partitions are all encrypted
There's only one directory tree that's shared among users
The nightly backups are on their own encrypted partition and that job runs independently of any users.
The backup partition has no access for any users apart from me as root.
IF we were to be hit by a ransomware attack, I'm confident that it even if it managed to proliferate via the share, the nightly backups are safe
but, yes, if you're just sticking a nas on and copying files over with access to all, then it can be a potential vector
External RDX drive and 5 x 1tb + carts and a piece of software like Backup Exec to manage it
Just have it run an automatic backup every night on any files that have changed and store one at a time offsite
Pricey, old fashioned , but stable
Biggest cost is RDX carts, they can handle abuse of being taken off site regularly though
Everything is geared towards cloud though
Just have it run an automatic backup every night on any files that have changed and store one at a time offsite
Pricey, old fashioned , but stable
Biggest cost is RDX carts, they can handle abuse of being taken off site regularly though
Everything is geared towards cloud though
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