Backup Solution for ~20gb

[marley1]

Hey guys -

I need help deciding on backup solution for a client who's an architect. Their is 3 workstations and 1 Windows XP machine serving files. Very basic system.

They were backing up to DVD but started having problems with open files. I then installed Genie Backup Pro, which I have found to be great for simple backups (usually use it for home user environments). This just recently starting giving problems.

Any suggestiosn for a better backup to DVD program? Nero stopped working because of open files I believe (use to have it...)

I have tried to convince them to just start using Mozy Pro, but they think internet backups are unreliable.

They have 10GB of data now, but that should grow. I need something more reliable. Budget is fairly low, but I was thinking some form of tape drive. I have a used Iomega Rev at the office that worked pretty well but Veritas only allowed to backup to disk not actually backup to tapes.

Was also thinking of getting a set of cheaper external hard drives, but i dunno.

Also this has to be either IDE, or USB. "server" is just a cheap desktop.

What do you guys suggest?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[dahlhana]

get a copy of DirSync, and copy the data to an external drive. Pickup 2 or more external drives and the latest backup home. The software is $25, but has amazing features (including ignoring skipped files etc, synch only changes files etC) and the USB drives can be had for less than $100.
http://www.archersoft.com/

 

[marley1]

i am thinking about getting a 500 gig WD USB external for daily incremental, and using the used Iomega 35GB Rev for weekly backups, and I think I will try out the backup utility in Windows XP. How reliable are the scheduled tasks?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I have a used Iomega Rev at the office that worked pretty well but Veritas only allowed to backup to disk not actually backup to tapes.

With the older versions of Backup Exec that won't support backing up to removable disk.....share out the REV drive..giving full read/write permissions. In BE...backup to the UNC path. Ex.. \\server\rev

I don't do removable USB drives on servers. Granted USB is "hot swap"...assuming you follow the proper powerdown procedure on the USB icon in the systray each time. But on servers...too much chance for a static zap to hit the chassis or motherboard or something, not a procedure I'd want to be doing on a daily basis on a production server.

 

[marley1]

YeOlde - I'm thinking of using hte 500gig USB as just a backup to disk drive, for daily incrementals, it will never leave the office. The Iomega Rev tapes will leave the office 1x a week for full weekly backups. The 500gig is just so i have enough space for about 30 days worth of incremental.,

 

[Jay_2]

why not just get a tape drive? 4mm DDS tapes can hold upto 40gig if your tape drive can do hardware compression (most can) and you can use NTBackup.

 

[dx2]

Marley -

looks like you have the right idea with incremental and then a full weekly that goes offsite.

Which ever route you do decide to go remember to do a couple test restores....nothing sucks worse than asking a client to get into backup routines and then it all falls apart with a bad set up back up data.