Re: Best Backup Practices
- From: "Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 07:53:42 -0500
I should have stated that the reason you use alternating backup devices is
so that you can move one of them offsite each night. Of course, a tape
backup system would be easier to handle (tapes easier to handle) but I got
the impression that cost was an issue for you and tape systems are more
expensive than a couple of external USB hard drives. Of course, any
bi-weekly or monthly archive of a backup on a third external drive should be
moved offsite for safety.
As for imaging your server, that can be a good idea after major software
installs such as line of business apps or Service Packs. It can even be
incorporated into a daily scheme. This will allow faster recovery if you
need to flatten the server. Some of the MVPs have been testing Paragon's
Drive Backup for live (daily) imaging. Reports are that the $50 product
seems to work fine with SBS 2003. However, it won't yet handle dynamic
disks so if you're using RAID1 software mirroring, you'll have to look for a
different product.
Paragon Drive Backup
http://www.drive-backup.com/
As for the desktops, keep things simple. Force your users to store ALL data
files that they create on the SBS server in their user folders or in shared
folders where it can be backed up daily and where Volume Shadow Copy can
keep a versioning history of revisions to files. This can be done through
the use of written policies, training, and/or roaming profiles or folder
redirection. I wouldn't back up or image the desktop OSs unless you have a
specific reason. What you want to do is have all data on the server so
that, if a workstation goes down, a user can hop on another workstation and
be up and running again quickly. Now, they won't see their original profile
(desktop, Internet Explorer Favorities, shortcut), unless you're using
roaming profiles, but they can do their job until you either get the
original workstation rebuilt or install a replacement. Disaster recovery is
as much about creating a good user as it is about creating a good backup.
--
Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
===================================
"James" <nospam> wrote in message
news:%23gx0B5WqFHA.2968@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> One follow up question please. I cut this from an article this morning and
> wonder if it might apply to my situation. (I hope you can read it).
> "".
> We are growing at a fast pace and I do worry a lot about backing up
> everything (OS on desktops, all email, database and SBS).
>
> Like most small companies we have had a few different technicians install
> and repair our machines over the years with varied results. Currently
> there is only one tech I would trust to do this correctly. He is not cheap
> but he is honest. However this is tricky stuff and I need to give some
> overall direction to a project like this. The one area I didn't see (or
> just overlooked since this is a whole new procedure for me) in Merv's
> backup scheme is offsite storage in case of fire or theft. I know no
> backup scheme is perfect but how close can I get? Thanks again.
>
>
> "James" <nospam> wrote in message
> news:ejw6SmSqFHA.1324@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Thanks very much Merv.
>>
>> "Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:%23K7XmfSqFHA.3424@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> If you now have 10 GB of server data to back up (including the operating
>>> system) and want to plan for growth, I'd recommend a 200-250 GB external
>>> USB drive. I've used Lacie, Maxtor, Western Digital and some I've put
>>> together myself from purchased enclosures and IDE drives.
>>> http://www.cdw.com/shop/search/results.aspx?key=usb+external+hard+drive&filteredsortorder=MFG&platform=all
>>>
>>> A 250 GB model will format to about 225 GB. The SBS Backup Wizard will
>>> allow you to schedule up to 10 backups. So a 250 GB drive will allow
>>> you
>>> to do 5 backups of 40GB each to that drive, with some room left over.
>>> Make sure the drive is formatted NTFS and not FAT (convert it if you
>>> need
>>> to).
>>>
>>> DRIVE 1
>>> MonBackupWeek1
>>> WedBackupWeek1
>>> FriBackupWeek1
>>> TueBackupWeek2
>>> ThuBackupWeek2
>>>
>>> DRIVE 2
>>> TueBackupWeek1
>>> ThuBackupWeek1
>>> MonBackupWeek2
>>> WedBackupWeek2
>>> FriBackupWeek2
>>>
>>> This will get you two weeks of backups before any of them is overwritten
>>> by the Backup Wizard. (The backup files are called Small Business
>>> Server
>>> Backup (01).bkf ... Small Business Server Backup (02).bkf ... etc.). If
>>> you forget to swap out a hard drive, your sheduling sequence may be off
>>> but the Backup wizard will simply overwrite any backup file it needs to.
>>> While this is not completely desirable, at least you'll always have the
>>> latest backup. (And using the SBS wizard automatically turns on
>>> Exchange's
>>> Deleted Item Retention and Volume Shadow Copy).
>>>
>>> --
>>> Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
>>> ===================================
>>> "James" <nospam> wrote in message
>>> news:eRWv5FSqFHA.2604@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Thanks. As you can tell, I am no technician. The thing I liked about
>>>> the
>>>> DVD's was how easy and portable they were as well as the feeling I got
>>>> each time I dropped off the newest one at the bank. Please tell me what
>>>> you would recommend if I substitute a HD backup system for the DVD's.
>>>> "Merv Porter [SBS-MVP]" <mwport@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>> news:%23Vz2A%23RqFHA.2364@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> IMO, DVD's are probably never going to be a viable backup media for
>>>>> SBS.
>>>>> I'm using the SBS Backup Wizard plus alternating external hard drives
>>>>> (USB or Firewire) for my clients. Over a year with some and no
>>>>> problems
>>>>> yet. A third external drive may be useful for an archive backup every
>>>>> month.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Merv Porter [SBS MVP]
>>>>> ===================================
>>>>>
>>>>> "James" <nospam> wrote in message
>>>>> news:uM4tJwRqFHA.2364@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>> Has anyone implemented a reliable, easy to use backup system using
>>>>>> DVD's? I
>>>>>> can't find any RW-DVD's with more than 4.7GB's. We need to backup
>>>>>> five
>>>>>> machines and SBS Premium for a total of about 10GB's and growing. I'd
>>>>>> like
>>>>>> to use the built-in ntbackup as opposed to a 3rd party one
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I am not as up to date on this as I should be but from what I know
>>>>>> tape
>>>>>> backups arer slow, costly and cumbersome, although reliable. Possibly
>>>>>> a
>>>>>> portable HD would work for us but I am not sure.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> When we had less data, and prior to SBS, we backed up our small
>>>>>> network
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> DVD's everyday and once every week I would drop off the latest one in
>>>>>> my
>>>>>> safety depoit box at the bank. That worked well and I would like to
>>>>>> continue
>>>>>> it if possible. Thanks for any suggestions.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
.
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