File server for company

[TheBuzzer]

Hi i am wondering what are some of the better software solutions for a file server nowadays?

Does microsoft server 2012 have build in file recovery or is it still better to use something like Symantec backup exec on the server?

 

[ashman]

NTFS has had file recovery for ever, but this is not the same as a backup solution. WIndows server has always had a built in backup program, some like it and others hate it, it is certainly pretty bare bones, but it will get the job done if you are just doing straight data backup with no requirement for exchange or SQL. What are the clients requirements? You can sell them a server with any OS you want for simple file storage or even go with a name brand NAS from Qnap or Synology for file storage although you'd need a backup solution for that, maybe something cloud based like drop box or crashplan depending on the size of their data.

 

[TheBuzzer]

well going to be for back up and also recover overwritten files and deleted files.

So mainly want a more complex file server that also handles backing up so if any files been changed there is still a old copy that it could build.

 

[drescherjm]

Is this a file server or a backup server? I mean do not put your backups on the same raid as your source (since if the array died you would loose everything) although it would be even better to not put the backups on the fileserver at all (again so a powersupply or other HW issue does not wipe out all of your data). I recommend to put the backups on a separate server or even better yet use an LTO5 or LTO6 tape autocahanger for your backups.

 

[TheBuzzer]

couldn't it be on one server?


like one raid set will be main data files while another raid set will be the backups?

also plan to do raid 6 where two drives can fail per raid array and not lose data

 

[_Gea]

couldn't it be on one server?
like one raid set will be main data files while another raid set will be the backups?
also plan to do raid 6 where two drives can fail per raid array and not lose data

Happy Hour in case of fire, any hardware problems, a virus or someone has stolen the box.
One box is ok when your backup disks (at least two sets) are elsewhere

Mostly you do not need only backups but a history.
(I, someone or a virus has deleted/modified this files last month - i need it now)
- You need enough backups or better a snapshots history.

 

[drescherjm]

What happens if the raid controller corrupts both raid6 arrays or a virus destroys both raid arrays or the power supply blows out every drive on both arrays?

 

[TheBuzzer]

What happens if the raid controller corrupts both raid6 arrays or a virus destroys both raid arrays or the power supply blows out every drive on both arrays?

well the company was planning to do cloud backup too.


so i guess the file server is not really for backup in a way where files are somewhere else.


what it is backing up is different versions of the same file so if any thing got deleted or modified it can go back to what it was.

also what happens if the company get a virus that deletes all the files, wouldnt it also get to the cloud and delete those files too?

 

[drescherjm]

also what happens if the company get a virus that deletes all the files, wouldnt it also get to the cloud and delete those files too?

Probably not. The cloud would not be executing files that it is backing up or communicating with windows protocols to get the virus in the first place. Also the cloud backup will probably not be running windows so it will be immune to windows viruses.

 

[TheBuzzer]

I guess the main thing i am looking for first is a file server that can go back in time like a shower copy of the files that get modified or changed. still needs user access permissions for the files.

so no data becomes lost in the file server during normal operations.



than a backup server that will backup files and stuff will be something else. so mainly want a file server that can recover modified and deleted files.

 

[Shockey]

well the company was planning to do cloud backup too.


so i guess the file server is not really for backup in a way where files are somewhere else.


what it is backing up is different versions of the same file so if any thing got deleted or modified it can go back to what it was.

also what happens if the company get a virus that deletes all the files, wouldnt it also get to the cloud and delete those files too?

differential backup. You can set the retention policy of how many different version of a file you wish to keep before deleting older version. Or keep copy of every change made to the file.

 

[TheBuzzer]

ya what type of software is good in doing differential backup and yet saves space? i been looking at arcserve d2d which might be the type of software i need.

 

[Shockey]

ya what type of software is good in doing differential backup and yet saves space? i been looking at arcserve d2d which might be the type of software i need.

This is where my knowledge end as i don't deal with software at work. I just use CrashPlan to backup my home computer to my file server. I can't say. do let us know your findings.

 

[kac77]

ya what type of software is good in doing differential backup and yet saves space? i been looking at arcserve d2d which might be the type of software i need.

There are actually a lot of packages that do that. One that comes to mind is an old favorite of mine and it's called BackupPC. It will do historical backups and does essentially dedup on the backups.

Although I think before getting to the actual backup software you should hammer out your hardware and OS requirements first.

 

[_Gea]

From what I see, you need a fileserver for Windows clients with good data-security and read-only versioning of files.

If you look around you will discover:
- best datasecurity is available with newer filesystems and ZFS as its best
- read only versioning is integrated. You can save unlimited snaps
(read only versions of your filesystem at a time), You can create without delay and initial space consumption even
in the range of a snap every 5 minutes. You can create different snap histories like do a snap every 15 minutes, keep 4,
or do a snap every day, keep 30 or a snap every month, keep 12 ...

If you are not a Linux/Unix guy, you should use appliances where you can manage the server via browser like
FreeNas (FreeBSD based) or Napp-it or NexentaStor (Solaris based, last commercially only).

Best Windows compatibility is available with the Solaris CIFS server. It offers access to snaps via Windows
Previous Version, supports Windows user security id's and Windows ACL access rules.

A cheap and often quite good enough server is a 200 Euro HP Microserver for example with a 3way mirror of 2-4 TB disks
where two disks are allowed to fail without dataloss. Buy a second and place it on a different physical location
for backups and access in case of a problem with the first box. Keep them in sync with a different snap-history.

With napp-it to Go and the HP Server I have created a preconfigured USB stick where you do not need to install anything.
You can download a file, clone to a USB stick and manage all settings via browser. Its basically free software and commercially usable.

 

[TheBuzzer]

From what I see, you need a fileserver for Windows clients with good data-security and read-only versioning of files.

If you look around you will discover:
- best datasecurity is available with newer filesystems and ZFS as its best
- read only versioning is integrated. You can save unlimited snaps
(read only versions of your filesystem at a time), You can create without delay and initial space consumption even
in the range of a snap every 5 minutes. You can create different snap histories like do a snap every 15 minutes, keep 4,
or do a snap every day, keep 30 or a snap every month, keep 12 ...

If you are not a Linux/Unix guy, you should use appliances where you can manage the server via browser like
FreeNas (FreeBSD based) or Napp-it or NexentaStor (Solaris based, last commercially only).

Best Windows compatibility is available with the Solaris CIFS server. It offers access to snaps via Windows
Previous Version, supports Windows user security id's and Windows ACL access rules.

A cheap and often quite good enough server is a 200 Euro HP Microserver for example with a 3way mirror of 2-4 TB disks
where two disks are allowed to fail without dataloss. Buy a second and place it on a different physical location
for backups and access in case of a problem with the first box. Keep them in sync with a different snap-history.

With napp-it to Go and the HP Server I have created a preconfigured USB stick where you do not need to install anything.
You can download a file, clone to a USB stick and manage all settings via browser. Its basically free software and commercially usable.

I tried freenas and it seems to be what I wanted, i could use the windows previous versions to go back to old snapshots of the file and could set snapshot to do every 5 minutes.


now the question is how to do backup the freenas data files also does freenas support raid configuration or it would just be software raid?