Backup server for work

I

idea

Gawd
Joined
Jan 24, 2005
Messages
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I don't have any real questions. Just wanted to start a conversation. Doing stuff at work makes me nervous because so much depends on it. What I could use though, is a recommendation on backup software. There will be 4 PCs that will need to be backed up daily, hopefully a few days worth of snapshots if possible. I'm not sure how it works.

I work at a printshop that a couple years back I moved it into the computer age by adding a few PCs and networking them. Now I plan to add one more PC and a fileserver into the mix. The PCs are all Dell so the new one will probably be too, but the server I will build myself... seems like the easiest route.

Its purpose is really for daily backups, light file serving, and remote access. It will run Slackware Linux. I'm gonna go as cheap as possible on the build, but it will have 2x500GB in RAID-1.
 
You're better off going with a Dell for server because if you purchase the right warranty, if a part goes down a new one will be onsite with a technician in 3 hours.

You might get away with your RAID, but you will probably want to do an offsite backup sort of thing. It could be as simple as a pair of identical external USB hard drives that the owner swaps every day (one at home, one at work).

'Luck
 
The prices for Dell servers are rediculous considering the hardware that goes in it. I configured one. First 500GB hdds are $299, second is $398, wtf? And while I'm pretty good at linux, I like to know the hardware that goes in it so I can roll my own kernel and debug problems. I can build my own server for $600 with better parts than a $1200 Dell PowerEdge. And if there's a problem, I am on site immediately, Dell is there in a few hours :)

Yes, the USB hard drive thing is a must. RAID1 for 100% uptime, and two USB hdds in rotation. Or since I'm cheap, I'll find a way to put 1 to use.
 
How important is the data that will be backed up? How much is it worth the company?

Reason I ask is because companies will, almost universally, skimp on the backup costs in the hopes of saving money.

Tape is what you want. A 21 tape rotation. Daily, Weekly and Monthlys. This is a standard rotation schedule, and would afford you the ability to go back to specific points in the past and get a file. Depending on how much data you are backing up and how fast the needs are growing, DDS or LTO are your options.

I strongly recommend against relying on RAID for your backups.
 
RAID is not backup. RAID is nice in its own way. I can lose a drive in the array here at work and although performance is degraded there is no data loss and I can have another drive from Dell within a few hours.

But if something worse happens then I can go to my backup, using the previously mentioned Daily/Weekly/Monthly rotation. That means a tape for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and a set of four tapes for Friday that rotate. The last business day of each month gets it's own monthly archival tape. Most of these are stored offsite.

No matter what OS you go with get a backup solution, and test it regularly. Backups are great as long as they have been proven restorable. :)
 
OK I know all about The Theory of Backups. I won't rely on RAID. However, I will skimp on tape. Tape is overkill. I will rely on one or maybe two 500GB usb hdd to take off-site.
 
idea said:
OK I know all about The Theory of Backups. I won't rely on RAID. However, I will skimp on tape. Tape is overkill. I will rely on one or maybe two 500GB usb hdd to take off-site.
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Why did you make this thread if you're just going to shoot down tried and true advice from many people in the IT industry?

A decent tape drive and the accompanying tapes are a great backup investment that involves little interaction between the solution and the administrator. Is your time at the print shop exclusively for IT en devours? If not, I'd seriously take the advice from these people. You don't want to be working on a project for the print shop and have a server go down. You'll end up having to decide which to focus on, the project or the downed server, instead of utilizing the warranty and doing your real job.
 
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