Network backup strategy

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booyaa

Limp Gawd
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Apr 4, 2001
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I've made a few posts related to this topic over the past month or so but they have been specific questions. Now I need some advice on how to implement a backup system to support the following network.

The network is a mix of laptops and desktops. Most of the laptops get taken home at night or taken on the road and worked with.

I need to get a backup plan in place to save everyone's work. Assume that on the laptops/desktops all the important work-related files are in "My Documents"

I'm open to just about anything. Let me know what you use or what you wish you had in place.
 
If it's an AD environment, or not, just have My Docs redirect to a central server.

How many people are there, and how critical is the work? A common schedule would be to do a full backup on the weekend, and an incremental everynight.
 
It is an AD environment. If I redirect My Docs to a central server will they have access to it offline? (For that matter are you reffering to Offline Files?)

There are about 20 people, and the work is very critical.
For the backup schedule I was just going to use a GFS setup.

My question has more to do with the layout of folders, or server setups.
They used to have RetroSpect running but it looks like a pain in the ass to get working.
 
you can have each persons "my docs" on a central server and windows will, or should automatically "syncronize" the persons folder when they connect / disconnect. basically working "offline"
 
My problem with that solution was the fact that if they were disconnected from the network the offline files folder didn't maintain directory structure. Basically all the files were just dumped into one folder, which isn't good if someone has 4 years of word documents.

That may be something they have to compromise on.
 
As long as they access the files that are synched offline from their original path (IE: network drive letter under "My Computer" or redirected "My Documents" folder on desktop) the folder(s) should maintain all directory structure.

Only when accessed from the "Offline Files" shortcut on the desktop do you end up with a total mish-mash of files. There is basically no reason to access files via that method. The only time I use it is to fix oddball synch problems with laptop users.
 
We just recently started using SynchToy which is a freebie from Microsoft that seems to be basically a highly glorified XCOPY, but it works fairly well. Its a manual process though, that's the drawback to it, but it works great.

Let me know if you need/want the link.
 
Yeah, when you enable my docs redirection, it automatically enables offline folders, and as goofball said, you do not want to use the "offline files" shortcut.
 
What about the good ol' logon script method?

You said this is an AD environment, when your users with laptops are away on work trips or whatever, they do work and are dandy, and when they are back in the office, do they logon to a domain? if they do, you could simply call logon scripts that copy all their files to the fileserver in the office.....

although, this is basically the same as the file synchronization that is offered in WinXP (2000 too?)
 
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