Need a backup routine for a small office

[idea]

We have 4 Windows PCs, and one brand new server that I will install Linux on. I'm trying to plan a backup system. I'm looking for recommendations on software and stuff. No heavy duty apps, just simple stuff.

#1 - OS drive images
- Whats the popular choice of software to ISO an image of C:\, and copy it to the server daily?

#2 - Files! Customer's files, database files, etc files.
- Do I share out each PC to the network, and have the server pull the files off? Doesn't seem secure that way. Do I install an app on each PC to push files to the server? Requires installing/configuring apps on each PC, but sounds better.

#3 - How do I protect the open directory on the server from a virus or some other disaster?

In case anyone is wondering, I will have 500GB's in RAID1 for 24/7 uptime, and a 500GB USB disk updated once a week then taken off-site.

 

[Adidas4275]

well i use norton ghost. it is installed on the client PC and it pushes to the server. Then I use windows scheduler and the XP backup utility to move the ghost images to an external on a weekly basis.

this if for my 5 PCs at home and my media server with RAID5.

I also have DVD D/L ghost images of each PC that I create and achive each month when i delete the images from the external drive. I use an exteral SATA drive on a x-mas light timer to turn the drive on every Monday morning from 2 am to 7am, which is enough time to transfer the updated ghost images from the PCs.

All the client PCs are set to run ghost and wake from standby at 2am

this works for me... you could replace the DVD dl archive with tape drives


and to set the shared drive on the server from viruses is you only give 1 user account write access and then configure ghost to login to the networked drive with that user. Then have your AV software auto run a scan on that directory when ever the data is set to change....


I am sure there are different ways to do this but without spending alot of $$ and using the resources I had this is how i did what you are asking for.

 

[unhappy_mage]

#1 - OS drive images
- Whats the popular choice of software to ISO an image of C:\, and copy it to the server daily?

Acronis TrueImage is nice. It doesn't make iso files as such, but then no backup tools do

#2 - Files! Customer's files, database files, etc files.
- Do I share out each PC to the network, and have the server pull the files off? Doesn't seem secure that way. Do I install an app on each PC to push files to the server? Requires installing/configuring apps on each PC, but sounds better.

Set up network shares per-user and global. Set user profiles to be stored on the server. Force people to save to the network.

#3 - How do I protect the open directory on the server from a virus or some other disaster?

Back it up. Run a firewall on the server machine. Use default-deny policies on the Samba configuration (have a list of allowed users) and on the firewall.

In case anyone is wondering, I will have 500GB's in RAID1 for 24/7 uptime, and a 500GB USB disk updated once a week then taken off-site.

Good. Consider a write-once medium in addition. Having two USB disks that you rotate between wouldn't be a bad idea, either.