Back up software

[bhouse]

We have a small network with 12 PCs - 7Win XP pro and 5 Win2K. They all connnect to a Win 2003 server, but with data files stored on a network-attached RAID5 system.

Generally, all company-specific files are saved on the RAID. However, some files (large graphics, Outlook emails etc) tend to get saved on individual PCs.

We need some software that will run at times we specify to save specific folders on specific PCs to the RAID to (a) make sure they're saved centrally and (b) ensure that they'll be included in the nightly backup.

We're not looking for a free solution - we're very happy to pay for womething that works.

At present I've found very inflexible systems that are free(ish) and  very expensive systems (£x000) that will do anything .

Does anyone know of a flexible solution at a reasonable cost (which I'd define as up to £100 per PC)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Brian

[Blatman]

I'm not an IT pro, but... why not set up a mail server with MSExchange (or whatever Linux software may work...) and back that up with the Raid array along with everything else?

[adamnreeves]

As blatman points out if you use exchange then all emails are stored on the exchange server and replicated down to the PCs. However you have documents stored on the PCs also. The best solution is really to shared folders from the RAID array and store documents here which can be accessed from all the PCs that require access. Not sure if you have a domain controller and if so how you have setup because you can cache user profiles as well which will effectively store application data, etc on the central server, however this method can begin to get slow, especially if the PCs are remote. If you are after a flexible backup solution, have a look at veritas this allows netbackup, and has plugins for various database servers etc. Veritas can be expensive though.

[Leon B]

Symantec Backup Exec is excellent and will do what you want.  You can install the remote agent on any pc of server and then select on the main backup server exactly what you want backed up from your network.

If you're using Microsoft Outlook without exchange then you could move all the users PST files onto the server which will then get backed up.  If you leave the files there and redirect Outlook to open the pst file from there it will be easy peasy.  Ofcourse if you are using Exchange then I would hope you're already backing up the storage area's.

[markh1970]

You could set up a Windows Home Server (HP make one), connect to the Raid setup. It has an app that runs on the workstations which will back up the whole drive, or particular folders to a central store automatically, and hands off.

It will also open shares of files for all, and even has a pre-configured web server for remote access included (it is based on a special Windows 2003 version).

Or do as I do (I use Windows home server as well), and run Genie-soft Backup which can do timed backups.

Genie-Soft

Not expensive either.

[Mike H]

On the 2003 server go to :

Start->All Program->Accessories->System Tools->Backup

Et, voila !  Windows backup utility including networked data and schedules.

Get your users to put required files into shared folder(s) on their local drives and away you go.  The backup utility allows you to browse your domain (not too tasking with only 17 PCs) and look for files/folders to include in scheduled backups.

Edit -> Forgot to say you don't need to pay for it as you should have it already!!  Not checked Windows 2003 Web Edition though - but as you are running the server as a domain file store then I don't think you'll have Web Edition anyway.

Mike  

[bhouse]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions.

By way of reply:

Blatman/Adam - We have some legacy PCs attached to the network with email from before the server was installed. That's why it would be good to have a way of backing up all OUtlook folderd fropm PC to server. Also, individual PCs can be dealing with quite large files (512MB-8GB) so if we start saving on the raid it'll make the network run slower than my 11! I'll take a look at Veritas.

Leon - I've come to be rather dubious about Symantec products largely because of the dog's dinner than is Norton AntiVirus. On your recommendation (so you're to blame!!!) I'll have a look at Backup Exec

Mark - funnily enough we'd looked at the HP thing and the software that came with it for managing backups is pants. Similarly, the software that came with the RAID offers to back up entire PCs but without the option to specify folders etc. I'll have a look at Genie Soft.

Mike H - On Exchange Server (not web edition) I can only find a way of backing up files already on the server. I could map shared folders from the PCs to drives on the server and I guess it should work but I'd really like a system where individual users can specify their own folders to back up from their own PCs rather than having to do eveything on the server.

[Leon B]

Lol, well I'd have to agree, I hate Norton Anitvirus with a passion, the old old versions were good but I dont use it or recommend it to anyone now.  Backup Exec is in a different league and is most commonly used in the IT industry along with Arcserve.

Couldnt you just setup home shares on the NAS and transfer all data there?  Delete traces of the local files then map the user to their home shared drive.

[John Williams (Panda) - Joint Manchester AO]

one way i do it for one of my clients is....

use robocopy as a scheduled task to copy the "my documents folder" to the server each night and then run backup exec on the server after the job has completed.

because they haven't paid for the desktop agents.

i prefer veritas as a backup system because you get a report and a log in an easy to see format, also the recovery times are much better as the catalogues are saved to the tape.

you get what you pay for!

cheers

john

[bhouse]

Home shares won't work as individual work files can be quite large - big graphics for example so people have the files on their local PC. If we have 5 or 6 being worked on the network would be too slow.I just want to make sure that a hard disk crash on one PC doesn't result is a particular project disappearing off the face of the earth.

[DerekJ]

I run BackupExec in work (50 PCs and 2 servers) and can tell you from experience that it's a VERY good program.    

I assume you have some tape hardware on the server so just pop BEX on there and you can set up sheduled jobs to backup from the NAS and workstations [assuming they are on :-) ] across the LAN.

As the data is running over the LAN it's best to do the bulk backup of the NAS overnight and do the workstations during the day.

Hope this helps

Derek

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Buy a few 500Gb USB external hard drives and use Task Scheduler to schedule a batch file that copies the data using a utility called Robocopy to the contents of the hard drive. Simple and effective, especially if your data store is separate from your operating system

[Pinto Boy]

Another vote for Robocopy. I use it at home to backup My Docs to another internal drive. It is a command line utility but has a GUI which is fairly user friendly. I can PM links if you want them.

[karlos]

I'll take a look at Veritas.

I'll have a look at Backup Exec

Just so you know...  Symantec bought out Veritas a while ago.  Good bit of software to be honest, amongst other things it has an open file option (which may be extra thinking about it) so if someone has a file open over night it still gets backed up which is quite useful.

[Mike H]

Mike H - On Exchange Server (not web edition) I can only find a way of backing up files already on the server. I could map shared folders from the PCs to drives on the server and I guess it should work but I'd really like a system where individual users can specify their own folders to back up from their own PCs rather than having to do eveything on the server.

Re - shared folders.....

If each user puts all the stuff they wany backed up under a folder on their own hard drive that they then share - (for the server account to see) then it's not that bad a thing to setup in a small network.  In the Win2003 Backup wizard you can browse your Windows domain and select shared folders (and their subfolders) from each computer,  no need for mapping drives from server to PC - or at least you can in the version I've looked at (Win 2003 Server Standard and Win 2003 Server Enterprise).  Which makes it a simple once only job to set up as the locations are all held as part of the backup job - which can then be scheduled and made incremental/copy/daily etc etc.

If you want users to be able to specify individual folder from various locations on their local drives in an ad-hoc way then, yes you I guess you will need something that has a client component which means paying more money.  IMO for something that really you can already 'sort of' do.

Good luck anyway.

Mike