Currently reviewing what we do for NT Server backups, using Arcserve we backup everything, all system files, various applications and sql databases.

Problem we have is that backups often come up incomplete as a temporary file has been found that couldn't be backed up.

My question is, in the event of a system failure we would have to reload the O/S, re-install all the applications and then restore any required files such as databases etc.

So why backup the entire C , it's normally system files that have the trouble backing up.
We use the open file agent, and relevant sql, exchange agents etc.

Thought I would post on here hoping to get some opinions on what other people do..

 

I've just completed a propsal for an fibre based backup solution using Legato. These days, Arcserve seems to be out of favour and Legato is the fashionable backup tool.

I assume your OS, logs and data are all on separate volumes and can be backed up independently. What hardware have you got, how many servers need backing up, and what's the total volume of data?

Phil

 

Legato

Backup exec with open file option.. and IDR Option..

Backup C drive as it can contain DHCP Scopes, DNS crap, Login Scripts, Profiles..

David

 

Alternative thinking maybe...

Use something like V2i to do a real time snap shot to another box on the server, maybe a cheap Quantum or Maxtor SAN appliance.

This covers system failure or immediate file restore requirements for those oops! moments.

Then use a tape drive to copy these images for long term archive and off-site DR copies.

Chris.

 

Legato

Mixed environment, clients for almost everything we can throw at it...


Steve

 

easy way - secondry drive that is not used - norton ghost entire server disk onto other one

 

norton ghost is not simple and certainly not something I would recommend for a server backup.

Argh..

Are you a project manager?

 

Legato - fashionable and fecking expensive

Veritas Backup exec expensive but good IDR (intelligent distaster recovery) option.

Arcserve - IMO product that WAS superb (3 years ago) but lost the place though it is superb at backing up novell servers.

 

Legato rocks

But Backup Exec is what we use for the majority of our servers. With our sql servers we use the agent but also backup the "sql backup" files, just in case

H

 

LOL about ghosting servers. The snapshot idea is exactly what I'm working on at the moment and almost gives you immediate restore times?

Phil

 

Retrospect.

T.

 

Or look into a company called IN Technology based in harrogate... they backup via leased lines..

David

 

Interesting thread - always nice to hear what is the *current* preferred method of backing up!

Might give that powerquest thing a try - I'd only need to buy in a spare 40GB hard disk to receive the ghost image. As mentioned, I'd stick my ghost arhives onto a tape.

Makes sense for us as we employ a lot of bespoke database apps (not written in-house) who we'd need to pay to re-install after a disaster, not to mention the OS, etc..

At present, we've been getting away with using DVD+RW discs, but I like the idea of ghosting the whole server drives onto a spare IDE hard-disk! Disaster Recovery would be pretty quick and painless!

Whats the preferred tape drive these days ?

-DV

 

lol ghosting servers

i assume you arent talking about raid servers here?

i use arcserve 2000 and backup to tape Sony AIT 100GB - which is ok - but i find arcserve a bit annoying.

 

Thanks for the replies so far
Been too busy to read this thread!, thought it would have died a death as no-one likes backups

Might have a look at this Legato product, we got around 150 NT servers to back up, might test it on 1 or 2 before I kick out Arcserve and get a PO raised to buy 150 copies though

Can you ghost RAID5 arrays then?, also, how easy is it to restore an individual file or folder if all you have is a complete image?

 

What are you backing these 150 odd servers up onto mega - central tape libraries or individual drives? what sort of backup window have you got? What sort of volume of data are we talking about? Are they all on one site or spread about? what sort of n/w infrastructure have you got? Any 24x7 apps etc etc.....

I didn't realise you were talking a serious number of servers - there are some serious options available to you.

 

ghosting raid'ed servers is not something symantec recommend and is not support by them (i think its a case of it "might" work, but its not worth the hassle if u want to rely on it)

with that many servers if you have a descent LAN/WAN infrastructure i would have thought you would want to use some sort of optical storage libary system. (depending on data amounts and lan speed/ amount of servers to backup)

if you dont have a descent network infrastructure then i would have thought arcserve or similar would do the job (i.e. backup to tape/images)

cheers,
simon.

P.S. Is it just me or are backups just one massive headache that wont leave the back of a support person's mind...

 

Given that it is 150 servers it has to be Legato really.

 

Tivoli Storage Manager, not particularly cheap though.


Edited to say, but then we haven't that many NT servers, so maybe not the best choice for you.

[Edited by MooseRacer - 4/7/2003 6:40:49 PM]

 

Agree with mooseracer.. that changes it slightly as that is enterprise backup.. so ghost is not an option... its not like its automated..

What DR procedures do you have?

How many servers to restore? doing what?

file, print, apps, database, email, AD?

TSM is a good option if you also use unix systems etc.. as is legato..

You are going to need some fast network to do that centrally (but you knew this as your profile name suggests)

I would recommend a central tape libary with a gigabit backbone / seperate subnet to backup accross..

What is the budget?

Total Data Size??

1TB 2TB??

David

[Edited by David_Wallis - 4/9/2003 10:22:12 AM]

 

Another thumbs up for Legato. I get involved with big Enterprise-wide Networker installations on Solaris, Linux and MS and it seems pretty good.

Have you thought of backing up to disk ? What with the release (by EMC) of ATA FC drives, it is now quite cheap to have your most used data backed up to disks, then offloaded to tape say at the end of each week. That means your restore time is very short. You can also restore from tape direct without going through the disks in the middle (you can with Networker 7 anyway).

To sort of answer one of your questions, I think as long as the Networker server is running you can restore any data to any client. On a UNIX Networker server is is normal to take a cpio or some other sort of OS level dump of the root filesystems so that the server can be restored.

Dave

[Edited by druddle - 4/9/2003 11:49:32 AM]

 

We use our own product called HP Dataprotector it used to be called Omniback but some bright spark changed the name.

We currently backup about 600GB a night and it takes about 6 hours but saying that we do have 6 backup servers backing up about 400 Servers.

Runs on HPUX, SOLARIS, NT & W2K AFAIK

I can send you a working eval copy if your interested.


[Edited by Wurzel - 4/9/2003 2:14:19 PM]