[sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?

Tue Apr 15 16:52:08 PDT 2008

Hi All,

While I am looking for a backup "service" (remote Internet access) than
an on-site solution, I do appreciate all the time everyone took to give
me some input.  I'm looking at some vendors right now that offer me the
ability to give the users more autonomy <yes, I can hear you all now...
:-)> with regard to doing file restores in the case of a corrupted or
deleted file, etc.  It would be an initial full backup, with
incrementals to follow.  Then, for example, if they are out on the road,
I won't be getting freaked out calls from them just before a
presentation. (I hope...)

Thanks again everyone...

.. david lee

-----Original Message-----
From: sdw2003-bounces at mattware.com [mailto:sdw2003-bounces at mattware.com]
On Behalf Of James Eitzen
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 12:33 PM
To: San Diego Windows 2003 User Group
Subject: Re: [sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?

You can use a device like a sonicwall CDP> it is a disk to backup
solution
that is agent based I think. So if the device has WAN access you can
backup
remote users to it.

On Fri, Apr 11, 2008 at 6:38 PM, Lawrence <ld.cm.sdw2000 at deefamily.org>
wrote:

> Couple of issues
> - if you are thinking direct client PC to offsite backup, then you
have
> WAN
> issues to consider.
>   how much are you planning to backup?   Just \MyDocs or a little
more; or
> the whole PC?
> - do you have to deal with desktop rebuild/malware/etc - would a full
> system
> backup (and user capable recovery process be desirable)?
> - what data is being backed up to this off-site location?
>        corporate sensitive data?  If so, encryption?
> - Most PCs are way under-utilized so making them handle some de-dup
> processing is typically a non-issue (vs a 24x7 busy server)
>
> There are bound to be 3rd party providers of backup solutions.  The
other
> option would be a co-lo server that you could install the software of
your
> choice onto, and have the backup agents to that (being conscientious
of
> security issues in the process)
> Another consideration would be - you are already doing D2D2T.  Would
this
> data also need the same level of backup?  If yes, why are you trusting
an
> offsite location with this backup data?
>
> A backup solution which has the backup agent on the local PC handle
de-dup
> processing minimizes network impact (by reducing files sent) and
backup
> space required.  So when thinking of backing up 60 PCs, how much
unique
> data/files would be on them? Realistically, depends on the user.
> - If you are using Exchange and Outlook, and don't force users into
using
> PSTs, then a lot will be in their mailbox, not local desktop.
> - Copies of spreadsheets, word docs, JPGs etc wouldn't need backing up
as
> CRC checks would show they are the same.
> - At that point, the initial PC backup might take some time, but after
> that,
> the uniquely created data per day would likely be small.
> - Products like atempo's LiveBackup would give users the ability to
self
> fix
> problems, including going back in time to a specific point for a given
> file
> (ie I want last Wed vs of this file) [again, never used Atempo so
don't
> know
> if it actually works, just talking about the approach.]
>
> IF looking to backup up just minimal amounts of data and willing to
make
> users do a little of the work, and looking for a real cheap approach
> - create scripted process to auto-zip desired folders daily and email
to
> gmail (or similar); or FTP {/whatever method} file transfer that
backup
> file(s) to some Internet destination
>  - password encrypt file if desired
>  - then clean backup destination as required (to prevent filling up
with 6
> months of daily backup files)
>
> Lawrence
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:  Schuelke, David Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 8:16 AM
> To: San Diego Windows 2003 User Group
> Subject: RE: [sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?
>
> I appreciate the input, but I am looking for an off-site/remote backup
> solution for users.  I prefer block level backups, but I would
entertain
> all
> approaches.  I'm looking for backup solutions other than using local
> resources partially because of backup time constraints, space (we do
> disk-to-disk, then disk-to-tape), not to mention the convenience of
> remote/traveling users being able to do their own restores if
necessary.
>
> .. david lee
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Ernst Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 8:07 AM
> To: San Diego Windows 2003 User Group
> Subject: RE: [sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?
>
> I'll agree, if at all possible, at least with desktops, redirect the
My
> Documents folder to a server for backups.
>
> I've not tried it, but how about MS SyncToy, or other synchronization
> utilities to have laptops local My Documents folders synced to a
server?
> At least for those that are regularly at an office.
>
> Anyone tried Mozy for backups otherwise?  I use the free, 2G max at
home
> and
> it seems pretty good.  Low impact once the original data is backed up,
> just
> backs up changes.  Of course, no redundancy/grandfathering backups,
and no
> help if files are accidentally deleted, vs. disk/system crash.
>
> Rich
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lawrence Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 9:09 PM
> To: 'San Diego Windows 2003 User Group'
> Subject: RE: [sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?
>
> As John said - backing up desktop is usually best avoided if possible
> (especially with LAN PCs vs. remote)
>
> My Docs redirected to server, along with some or all of User profile
means
> unless the user intentionally stores things locally, it will all be on
the
> server (and be backed).  Other benefit - PC failures, in which case
swap
> PCs, and you are back up and running with minimal interruption.
>
> Okay .. Reality check - above not always possible
>
> I recently had a presentation by http://www.atempo.com/ - interesting
> concept.  I haven't actually used the product, by the concept sounds
good
> for their LiveBackup product
>
> The issue with this and similar products is the contention of speed of
> backup vs. LAN/WAN impact of that backup and CPU impact on machine
being
> backed up.  New backup software takes into account data
de-duplication.
>  Be
> it on a server or desktop, issues are similar.  Do you want the backup
> agent
> on the machine being backed up to process the list of already backed
up
> files, so don't put on the network?
> - puts CPU impact on the backup client and slows backup process
> (potentially) with benefit of reduced backed hardware needs
> - other approach is to have clients dump data to backup location and
have
> it
> sort things out.
> Atempo's product takes the former approach.  Sounds intriguing
>
> Lawrence
> -----Original Message-----
> From: sdw2003-bounces at mattware.com
[mailto:sdw2003-bounces at mattware.com]
> On
> Behalf Of Schuelke, David
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 2:30 PM
> To: San Diego Windows 2003 User Group
> Subject: [sdw2003] RE: Remote backup systems?
>
> Good afternoon,
>
> I'm in the beginning phase of looking into remote backup options for
our
> XP-SP2 PCs/laptops (only about 60 boxes combined, but mostly laptops)
in a
> Windows 2003 native environment.  Can anyone give me some suggestions
as a
> starting point?  At this point, only one person (our president) uses
this
> through Iron Mountain.  I have no idea yet whether this will be our
> answer.
> He actually manages two different companies that are part of our
> corporation, and it is the other site that put this together for him.
>  Iron
> Mountain will certainly be considered, but I would like to hear of any
> other
> experiences that any of you may have had in this area.  In our nightly
> backups, we use NetBackup from Veritas.  It's effectively.
>
>
>
> Am I even asking the right questions to begin with?  Any caveats that
you
> have learned through trial and error that I would like to avoid?
> :-)
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> .. david lee
>
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>

-- 
James Eitzen
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