For my backup regime... poll

[jim]

It's very true that not all backup solutions are appropriate for all situations, but tape drives are so flexible that it's hard to think of a situation in which a tape drive wouldn't be a sensible option to play at least some part in the backup strategy...

I don't know, outlay for the tape drive is the one hurdle most people are unlikely to pass.

And the other caveat I'd add is lazy/forgetful IT staff. When I started at my current job, the guy I was replacing informed me that backup tapes were stored on top of the server because "it's a pain going back and forth", as I nodded.

[Fatboy40]

For me a USB HDD and SyncToy from Microsoft do the trick, mirroring changes between my computer's key data folders and the USB HDD. One day I'll get Windows 7 setup at home which pretty much has SyncToy built in to it now with a nice new front end to it

The only potential downside I see to the above is dropping the USB HDD from a height and killing it, and by some wierd fluke my computer dies within the time it takes for Scan or eBuyer to deliver me a new one.

[mycarsavw]

Who remembers Zip discs?

<hand up>

Anyone ever thought of backing up onto SD cards? DVD capacity flash storage in an easy-to-store package...

No moving parts, tiny footprint...hmm. If only the packaged were easier to open and didn't require a blowtorch, I think you may be on to something there!

The problem is that a HDD is a mechanical evice - not so much a question of if it will fail, just a question of when! I store on a fileserver with a Raid 1 array, but that is backed up periodically to a tape. (And I only started doing that when I had a problem with the Raid Array - or more accurately, the Logical volums on the array, and thought that all was lost - fortunately it wasn't, but it was a lesson well learned)

Agreed. Both FreeNAS boxes are RAID 1 and one mirrors the other (a backup of a backup if you like). I also have an EHDD which is taken off site every evening.

I guess there is nothing that is 100% failsafe.

[Fatboy40]

Oh yes! (and the LS120 floppy disk)

I was going to mention the Iomega Jaz but you've managed to remind me of an even bigger DoDo

I remember the pundits thinking it was going to be the holy grail for cheap and easy storage, it was quite fast though at the time, just had a shelf life of slightly longer than a fly.

[scaryjim]

... When I started at my current job, the guy I was replacing informed me that backup tapes were stored on top of the server because "it's a pain going back and forth", as I nodded.

I'd lol if it wasn't for the fact that I don't think I've actually swapped the 2 backup HDDs we use at work for about a month. In my defence though, the server room is almost a mile from the office, so the "procedure" was always going to be something of an ideal rather than a reality...

[TooNice]

Anyone ever thought of backing up onto SD cards? DVD capacity flash storage in an easy-to-store package...

Not that cheap at the moment though, due to the cost of flash memory.

I remember the ZIP drive. And LS120. I went with the SparQ because I found the former two too small, and the Jaz drive too expensive.

Also considered a certain proprietary CD-RW of sort, but I can't remember what it's called anymore :/ Ah, the PD drive. Who remember THAT?

[Zak33]

Windows Home Server..

get cheap old PC... put disk in it...

install WHS and let it duplicate files..

use WHS to create regular back up's of entire PC...
if PC breaks, use WHS to re install OS to broke PC.. and if not want to do that, use WHS to open the backup up, and copy files from it...

and.. if you have 2 HDD or more.. and if WHS loses master disk... use WHS DVD to reinstall to new HDD and it finds all the files on the second hard drive... and they work....

I have done this.. it worked.

Something called Tomb Stones... WHS puts copy files onto second drive and then ignore them but remembers where they are with Tomb Stones... if master drive fails... when you reinstall to new drive.. it spots the tombstones.. and retrieves data.

I have 4 PC's and 1 WHS

WHS has one 160 gig drive.. and 1 750 drive.

I replicated a WHS disaster by taking out 160 OS drive (wich willl also have had some of the backups of my 4 PC's on)

I put in new drive.. totally blank... booted from WHS disk.. chose REPAIR... (it must spot the tombstons on other disk to know it was ever a WHS machine) and oncve it was done, and updated to latest.. I had all the backups..


And the magic is.. when you get close to running out of space.. put another drive in

it does it ALL for you...

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would also not use cheap DVDs for backup either.

[scaryjim]

Windows Home Server..

<snip>

it does it ALL for you...

Seriously? It does all that?

Dammit, I definitely need me some of that! Must look into minimum specs etc...

Presumably there's a version of full Windows Server that has similar functionality?

[jim]

Seriously? It does all that?

Dammit, I definitely need me some of that! Must look into minimum specs etc...

Presumably there's a version of full Windows Server that has similar functionality?

No, WHS is completely different. It's basically a specialised build of Server 2003 with various clever features added to it - the way it utilises disk space is the most obvious thing they've added, since it's such a dramatic change, but there's a heck of a lot of differences. Paul Thurrott did a few decent articles on it, worth reading those if you're interested.

At the same time, it's not a proper server though - some features are removed. Active Directory for example is pretty much impossible - so there's a lot to check out when it comes to them.

[mikerr]

WHS is indeed great, just surprised it does more than its bigger brother microsoft server OSes in the way of backup.