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I recently got my nice shiny LaCie 160GB USB2.0 hard drive as my backup device, and it's fantastic. Takes me about an hour to backup the whole of my D drive, which is about 70GB full ATM. Plugs in and works :)
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/tony.canning/lacie.jpg
Looks sexy too!
So how does everyone else backup their important data?
Our primary back medium is a 500GB Lacie Firewire 800 disk,
http://www.lacie.com/imgstore/produc...igdisk_lft.jpg
which then gets streamed off onto AIT3 tapes. NB: Sony's stated compression ratio for this medium is a joke, one of the grossest overstatements I've met. The native capacity is 100GB per tape and even with compression, don't reckon on getting more than 120-130. Word to the wise, is all.
DDS4 tape drive in my fileserver 20-40gb on a tape.
Back up? Oh, you mean that thing professionals do...
If my drive goes up the wall, at home, I lose some games and some music. I absorb this damage, and come back stronger. Like a wasp.
Actually, I don't think I've ever had a harddrive give up on me... burning important stuff to DVD is as sophisticated as I get.
In that case I won't tell you about the 20GB Quantum sat on my desk spluttering its last as it gives up it's few intact remaining files to the other disk in the machine I've bunged it in... :P
Well rather haphazardly I'm afraid :(.
My main drive is a RAID 0 Arrayand I have another 80 GB drive in my main system which is used to backup up important stuff on the RAID array. I do that quite often (every few days) but not quite as often as I should :(. Then I periodically put stuff on CDs if its finished or on CF or SD card if I'm working on it. Also I have a network drive and copy important stuff to that as well.
PS Nice looking drive Howard :rockon: . I want one.
Oh and Vaul I have also had a HDD fail after only 18 months although I managed to get most of the important stuff of it by slaving in another system :(.
No he means what do you do with stuff you no longer have space for :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Vaul
RAID 1 in the server, i occasionally copy important stuff to there (and all my important music & dvd rips are on there)
What did of "stuff" would that be? ;)Quote:
No he means what do you do with stuff you no longer have space for
i dont really, all my music is backed up on my iPod tho so if all my drives die ive still got that, but all my games etc arent backed up at all ;/
still its not too much trouble to reinstall it all again
I had to choose CD's or DVD's, though I back up mainly to my 2nd HDD (not listed). Important stuff is saved to DVD's.
Backing up was never really in my mind until my HDD died. Then it was. Cos it was a royal pain in the arse. Lol.
It totally depends on the data you back up. If you back up 200 gig worth of web server log files chances are they will fit on one ait3 tape. If you back up 130gig worth of (already compressed and therefore uncompressible) jpeg files, you'll be lucky if it fits.Quote:
Originally Posted by nichomach
On a mix of server system files, and user data (word, ppt, excel, etc) i fit about 45-50gb onto a 35GB ait tape. Thats not bad compression.
Its just your fault for trying to back up uncompresible stuff :p
Butuz
I have a seperate Hard Drive that is my backup, just has all the applications, pictures, patches, drivers and updates for a quick intall takes about 1 to 2 hr for a complete reinstall. Other than that DVD's. Everything that I need that doesnt fit on the back up will probably fit on a DVD and just to be on the safe side I back the backup drive once every now and again.
I know it sound a bit extreme but I use programs that use all four of my processors (2 real = 4 hyperthreaded) at 100% and with older versions of windows I used to get fatal errors every now and again purely because it couldnt cope, XP pro does seem a damn site more stable. Anyway I like to flatten my system every know and again to clear out all the junk.
I have been trying to figure out a way to backup all my data... Well I have decided to get 4 Mator 250GB harddrives and put them in a nice raid! This will alow me the speed I need when restoring to my raptors and will provide the security I need! Humm... Now all I need is $800 dollars....
DVDs.
Last time I backed up i used 5 DVDs, which I got for free, buy one pack of 5, get one free at HMV :)
when you say "a nice raid" and "speed", you're not talking about raid 0... right? o_O
Heck no! ;) 4 drives in a raid 0... :eek: I wouldn't even keep my recycle bin on that!
160GB samsung spinpoint as my main drive, connect the power to a spare 80GB western digital when I want to throw stuff on it. 30GB of mp3's is beginning to be tough to look after! Especially since I have sold so many hard disks recently. I rely upon mirroring important data to other drives.
My system's stuff partition contains all system drivers, downloaded utilities and your usual internet programs such as mIRC, firefox etc. If I lost those it wouldn't be very nice to find and download them all again!
Dvd
20Gb 5400rpm Maxtor in my main rig which I haven't got any other use for other than to store my drivers and apps and backup to. Also backup to a samba share on my server so i've always got three copies of my data floating around.
i backup up my settings + emails etc to a cdrw fairly often and every so often larger things like mydocs etc to a dvd-rw
Have a DFS split between three raid 5 arrays for important stuff. Main rig gets a weekly image, which are overwritten after 3 months.
Just got a DVD writer, so I'll be archiving some stuff to that for long term storage.
Online backup using FASTbit compression to a secure server over a 448bit blowfish encrypted link :)
only backs up the binary changes to each file so the backup set each night isn't that small.
*stops pimping* ;)
most of my day to day backups are covered by volume shadow copy though.
I got a tape drive in my server to back up the important stuff :)
I only back up when I'm re-formatting... I collect sooo much junk it's unreal.. just bung drivers and some program installers that are hard to find elsewhere on to CD and format the lot... everything I need I have a CD for, and the rest is on the web. Tis easy with bb :)
I just bang stuff on DVD/CD when I need to. Does the job for me, I have no real need for more extravagant methods.
I back all the essentials off the primary drive (My Documents etc.) onto my secondary...
Then...
All the stuff on the secondary gets copied across to my Maxtor One touch 160Gb...
Then...
The same files get copied across to my wifes 250Gb Maxtor One Touch...
Then...
All the photos and videos (15,000+, 20Gb Vid) get copied across onto her Mac Powerbook...
Then...
All the same photos and vids, plus various essentials, gets burnt onto DVD....3 times...one copy for us, one copy for a primary remote location (my parents), and one to go in our safety deposit box at the bank...
Thinking about it, it's a little over the top, but computers and data don't like me, so I don't take any chances...
dvdr - cheap, quite a lot of storage, compatible
Now THAT'S defence in depth! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by ibm
yeh ibm im impressed. maybe i should hire you if i ever need important stuff backed up!
120GB External Hard Drive Caddy has all my RIS images on and all my other software on the drive for easy access :)
http://www.greymata.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/3818.gif
Just use DVD's myself :)
Home
DVD for permanent writing, CDRW for regular data and a USB memory stick most days fro my outlook.pst.
Work
SDLT 160/320GB
I have two DAT drives on our fileserver which at 2AM and 2PM every day backs up various network resources (like the My Documents) on all the PCs and desktops etc. then there are various other backups taken like storage drives etc. although they are just mirrored onto other drives on the fileserver as its much too big to fit on DAT tapes.
Basic Steps:
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1) I purchased a 2nd 160GB hard drive for $100 at Bestbuy.
2) I used Ghost to create a base-line image of my drives.
3) Then I cleared the archive attribute on all the files.
4) Next I scheduled Ahead's Nero Backup program to create a (Differential) archive of my drives files every 2 days. Differential archive backups don't clear the archive bit so each time it runs it backs up everything that was modified since the last time I cleared all the archive attributes, i.e. created a Ghost baseline image.
What should backup what?
--------------------------
I use Symantec's Ghost to create an image file of my entire drive. It is fast. Ghost will backup everything, unless you tell it not to. You cannot backup individual files or folders. You must backup an entire drive or one or more partitions on a drive. It only backs up one drive at a time unless you create a batch file to automate it. Symantec has done a good job of creating menus and wizards to make the process easy for you. There is a lot of application help and Symantec has provided a lot of web-based help. Ghost is great because all I have to do to restore my baseline hard drive files is to boot from my PC from the Ghost Boot CD/DVD or Floppy and point Ghost at the baseline ghost image and tell it to restore.
I use Ahead Nero Backup to create a backup of everything that has changed in specific folders, "C:\Documents and Settings" and some application folders, since the last Ghost backup image was created. I use the Differential backup for two reasons.
The first reason is so I don't have to restore each backup incrementally. This is a pain and you can have problems with it. I like to be able to just restore the latest archive or a recent one and not 10-20 individual ones. That way I can restore the Ghost baseline image and then the latest Differential archive set and I'm done. A full system restore of 120GB drive can be done in less than 2 hours and I only lost what I did in the last 48 hours or less. It's great of recovering from viruses and spy ware.
The second reason to use a Differential backup is so I can go back in time and get a file I changed recently, before I changed it. Many times I or (?) will screw something up and I wish I could go back to what I had before. This gives me the option.
The drawback of using Differential backups is that they keep getting bigger and multiplying. Every time one is created it, it has a different date-time file name and thus a different archive set is created. If you never delete them you will run out of hard drive space. I suggest you create a scheduler message to pop up and remind you to clean out your old archives periodically, every 14 days. I usually keep the last 5 archive sets and delete the others. Hard disk space will be the determining factor though. After a while you will decide to redo your Ghost baseline image and clear all the file archive attributes. Then the Differential archive will be small again. You could also, write a small program to delete all files but the last 5 in your Differential archive folder and have the scheduler execute it every night.
Backup Logic:
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It takes Many Many hours to get back to where you were after you loose your hard drive. And Yes, it probably is about time you redo things, but I rather do it in a planned fashion not when fait decides I need to. Fait has a strange way of picking inconvenient times. If you don't save it, you will loose it. Many people only backup certain files. What about all the time you spent changing/tweaking or having someone else tweak the settings in Windows and different applications so they work the way you want them to. Tweaking is time consuming and you will not remember all the tweaks until you notice they are missing. Then you have to remember how they were done. This doesn't touch on the time it takes to research your hardware and download and install the latest drivers. But remember, the latest driver is not always the fastest, most compatible or safest driver to use.
I like to plan ahead and automate the process as much as possible. Let the computer do most of the work. Document the procedure and have the scheduler program display reminder messages and run batch files to perform routine procedures.
Backup Tools:
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I buy Symantec System Works 2003 Pro. It comes with Norton Utilities, Anti-Virus, Ghost and updates for 1 year. If you buy a $5 mouse, you can legally get the OEM version for about $9. Ghost will put everything (all partitions) in one bootable image file and compress it. It even has the option to create multiple image files so they can each be stored on a DVD. With high compression, multi-layer DVDs holding 8.5GB each and 16x writers for $150, it is an attractive option. You can use Ghost Explorer to extract individual files. You can test the integrity of the Ghost image file. It has an automated utility to create Ghost Boot disk for standalone, mapped drive network connections or TCP/IP network drive connections and others.
The Ahead Nero Backup program is a good but not optimal archive utility. I'm looking for a better solution. It does a good job of scheduling and archiving the files. A big plus is that it uses the ZIP file format. There is nothing like being able to use your favorite ZIP file manager application to access your archived files. Nero Backup sets up a parent folder for the archive. It then builds a tree structure under the parent folder mirroring the original location of the files. This allows you to get to your files easily. A big negative is the individual ZIP file archives don't' contain the file's path name, data, time or file attribute information. It stores that information in a separate file that is located in the same folder as the archive's parent folder.
I'm looking for a better backup program that:
1) Supports Full, Differential and Incremental backups (like Nero Backup).
2) Has a good file selecting utility (like Nero Backup).
3) Supports the ZIP format (like Nero Backup).
4) Stores the entire backup in one ZIP file.
5) The files in the ZIP file include the file name, path, date, time and file attribute, basically a standard ZIP file.
I'm sure it is already out there and I just need to look around for it. ( Any suggestions? )
Comments about DOS Bootable Restore:
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I recommend a DOS boot disk and application for the baseline image restore process. If you don't have Windows to boot from, it is easier to get DOS OS and restore application up and running. The combined space for the DOS OS and the restore application is a lot less than a windows app. Your floppy or CD/DVD can be a DOS bootable restore disk that may even contain your baseline backup image file.
Closing:
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This concept can be applied to other applications like Ghost and Nero Backup. Find a program that can create a bootable image file of your hard drive. Make sure it can create a bootable CD/DVD or Floppy with all the required tools on it. Find a program to create Differential archives of your files. Schedule a message to monitor and cleanup the Differential archive folder files.
Have fun and feel confident that you have protection.
9/10/2004
Ransom Jones, Sr.
Sr. Programming Analysis
Hexus-Ransom@JonesPCs.com
Very impressive.
Please, post more!!!!!
Butuz
Back home in Sri Lanka I've got a linux server setup. It has a 200GB Boot HDD and another 120GB HDD (both PATA). I mainly have my Anime mirrored on these 2 HDDs with alot of other data.
My main workstation is my Shuttle that has 2x 120GB SATA HDDs. Again critical data + Anime is mirrored to the second HDD (all by hand) but it works!
Every week or so I burn off data to DVD via my Shuttle and Powerbook and keep stuff nicely backed up. So far it has not failed me!
RAID 1 array with 2 x 200GB Seagate drives. Also burn the very important stuff (Photos etc.) to DVD-R every few months... just in case the RAID card died and killed the two drives... also, currently, looking into some form of NAS.
backup onto another pc on the network and work kept at home onto a 512MB Memory key
Documents & e-mails once a week & HDD's monthly using Acronis true Image & storing on Backup drive or DVD
I don't back up and after reading this thread, I think I should. :)
I might use CDs to back up onto. :D
I got a 200Gig Drive which I back-up to an external drive, I also copy anything important to DVD and am planning to store them all my DVD's to my mum's house, incase anything happens to my place (fire, theft).
The only thing I remeber from my Back-Up Techniques from Uni. Grandfather, Father, Son Technique ??
Raid 5 SATA controllers are only £70 now. Well worth a thought. Raid 0 with Pariity so you get your drives striped (2-3 of them) with 1 as parity. As long as no more than one fails at once your data is safe.
Bit of a combo solution. Main backup is to my little file server, this has a tape drive on it that auto backs up documents and pics. I also use Gmail drive to backup my most important docs, as theres no point in having your important stuff backed up in the same house as your computer lives. Bigger stuff I cant put in the gmail drive is on dvd and gets dropped off at my parents when I can be arsed.
2 x 80 drives for my drivers and patches and other misc large files.
If I can be bothered I backup to DVD as well and with 25 discs being 4.99 its better than CD and just as good :)
DVD or another pc on the network.
But... have you ever done a test restore??? ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by ibm
I have separate drives for OS/Apps/Data/Archived data.
I make Ghost images of OS and/or Apps whenever I see fit.
I do full backups weekly to SDLT320 tape, and daily differential backups to DLT40/80.
But if I was starting from scratch I'd backup to multiple removable or external USB2 hard drives. So cheap, so fast.
P.S. If you're wondering why I need to backup so often: Be afraid, be very afraid. Not safe, but very fast. I make no apologies and expect no sympathy.
(The System & Program disks are 15K U320 SCSIs. The mirrored IDEs are Seagate 7200.7 Pluses.)
dam i better start doing this stuff i only backup for format time lol