Recommend me a backup solution please
Discussion
I'm looking for a backup solution for about 10 - 15 Windows PCs of variuos OS's, but majority XP.
I have Linux and Windows 2000 Server boxes that could act as a file store.
Users are pretty low level stuff, mainly email and a few documents I guess.
PCs are newtworked via my wireless system, so max throughput is typically about 512KBytes/sec - of which about 180K is required for the satellite internet link.
I'm thinking something that does a full backup maybe once a week/fortnight, and then incremental each night from there. I'm not too bothered about doing a full system backup, so I'm guessing that all of the 'Documents and Settings' folder would constitute a full backup.
Due to my bandwidth limitations I'd be looking to have each PC do its full backup on different days, and I'd like to do the incrementals at different times.
Being a community network cash is a premium so whilst considering an MS-Windows solution I recall reading in these hallowed pages that Windows Backup is sh1t, I was wondering if anyone could recommend something that might fit the bill?
cheers
Ex
I have Linux and Windows 2000 Server boxes that could act as a file store.
Users are pretty low level stuff, mainly email and a few documents I guess.
PCs are newtworked via my wireless system, so max throughput is typically about 512KBytes/sec - of which about 180K is required for the satellite internet link.
I'm thinking something that does a full backup maybe once a week/fortnight, and then incremental each night from there. I'm not too bothered about doing a full system backup, so I'm guessing that all of the 'Documents and Settings' folder would constitute a full backup.
Due to my bandwidth limitations I'd be looking to have each PC do its full backup on different days, and I'd like to do the incrementals at different times.
Being a community network cash is a premium so whilst considering an MS-Windows solution I recall reading in these hallowed pages that Windows Backup is sh1t, I was wondering if anyone could recommend something that might fit the bill?
cheers
Ex
How about one of those online backup solutions, they might give you a good price for 15 workstations? The software usually allows you to throttle the uploads and go byte-by-byte incremental as well, which is nice. www.techgateplc.com/resellers/ no affiliation, havent used them, just an example...
Plotloss said:
Monkey, script it if tapes arent involved.
No tapes involved, well maybe at the server but that's my head ache. From a client point of view I'm wondering if we can have a system that allows users to decide what they want included in their backups.
I'm also wondering if we need some kinda of security and encryption, I know for a fact that I wouldn't want any of my neighbours browsing through my backups.
As said, money is always tight but I can propose that people cough up a bit to pay for some software and licenses if we can't find any thing open source.
Cheap n' Cheerful method?
SyncToy on the XP desktops running as a sheduled task every day to copy files from the users My Documents area to a named hidden directory on say a Linux machine.
tar -cf archive-date.tar LocationOfBackups/
gzip archive-date.tar
And maybe use Amanda for backing that file up to tape?
SyncToy set to 'echo' will take up great gobs of bandwidth the first time you let it run, so probably best to do one machine at a time; but after that it will only write out files that have changed (if this happens to be a 1Gb pst file... well erm... yeah) since it last did a sync.
Off the top of my head that's the cheapest solution I can think of.
SyncToy on the XP desktops running as a sheduled task every day to copy files from the users My Documents area to a named hidden directory on say a Linux machine.
tar -cf archive-date.tar LocationOfBackups/
gzip archive-date.tar
And maybe use Amanda for backing that file up to tape?
SyncToy set to 'echo' will take up great gobs of bandwidth the first time you let it run, so probably best to do one machine at a time; but after that it will only write out files that have changed (if this happens to be a 1Gb pst file... well erm... yeah) since it last did a sync.
Off the top of my head that's the cheapest solution I can think of.
Agree with Matt, if money is that tight a simple script/program should suffice if you just want to backup particular folders and files. You're not going to get incremental or differential backups or full disk image backups though.
Alternatively, something like WinBackup (cheaper option, but suitable) or Acronis TrueImage (more expensive but very good) might be worth considering.
Hope that helps.
Alternatively, something like WinBackup (cheaper option, but suitable) or Acronis TrueImage (more expensive but very good) might be worth considering.
Hope that helps.
aldi said:
How about one of those online backup solutions, they might give you a good price for 15 workstations? The software usually allows you to throttle the uploads and go byte-by-byte incremental as well, which is nice. www.techgateplc.com/resellers/ no affiliation, havent used them, just an example...
I would have suggested our online backup service, RemoteReplicator but the original post read as though a satellite link was being used which would imply a dial-up connection for upload. If that's the case then online backup doesn't sound suitable.
aldi said:
How about one of those online backup solutions, they might give you a good price for 15 workstations? The software usually allows you to throttle the uploads and go byte-by-byte incremental as well, which is nice. www.techgateplc.com/resellers/ no affiliation, havent used them, just an example...
Our network is sat on the end of a 1Mbit satellite Internet connection, pushing stuff back and forth across this link is reserved for web access, mail etc... wouldn't want to ruin any of my customers' porn browsing experience....
Anyone use Cobian?
www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/index.htm
Looks promissing.....
Seems to run over TCP/IP using FTP, which is a bonus as I don't have to open the File and Print Sharing can of worms...
www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/index.htm
Looks promissing.....
Seems to run over TCP/IP using FTP, which is a bonus as I don't have to open the File and Print Sharing can of worms...
Edited by TheExcession on Tuesday 25th July 15:09
mcflurry said:
Silly question, but shouldn't the 15 customers be responsible for their own backups?
yup... it is. But seeing as I provide their internet connection as part of a community broadband service, guess who it is that gets the phone call when something goes tits up.
These people are friends and neighbours and so I can't really turn round and say 'tough shit - you shoulda backed it up.' - way better if I put in a backup solution that I and everyone else can use.
TheExcession said:
aldi said:
How about one of those online backup solutions, they might give you a good price for 15 workstations? The software usually allows you to throttle the uploads and go byte-by-byte incremental as well, which is nice. www.techgateplc.com/resellers/ no affiliation, havent used them, just an example...
Our network is sat on the end of a 1Mbit satellite Internet connection, pushing stuff back and forth across this link is reserved for web access, mail etc... wouldn't want to ruin any of my customers' porn browsing experience....
Sorry forgot about the whole modem thing!
In that case how about rsync, its very incremental, there are windows clients for it and its tcp/ip which as mentioned is preferable to file & print sharing. and its freeGassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff