backup server

Acronis is an option, follow up with Bryce.

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From: tby
Posted At: Monday, December 06, 2004 5:45 PM
Posted To: Bryce Yehl
Conversation: Seriously
Subject: Seriously

http://www.ntwizards.net/2004/12/06/seriously

I'm ready to invest significant time and money in data protection. It's time to build a home backup server. I can budget about $1200 for this project, split down the middle for hardware and software.

Presently I have six computers that need to be backed up (2 x XP Pro, 3 x Debian, 1 x Fedora) and I expect to bring three more online in the near future (Windows 2003, XP MCE, Debian). Current disk usage is pushing 300GB and I guestimate 2GB of daily changes. At first glance a 4x160GB RAID 5 array (480GB) would seem to leave me plenty of room to grow, but... three new systems plus upgrading my laptop from 40GB to 100GB will eat that up quick. To last more than a year I'll really need a 4x200GB array (600GB), which means if I do everything else on the cheap I'll still blow the hardware budget by at least a hundred bucks.

Maybe I can make that up on the software end. My main requirements are that it be server-based (Linux or Windows), provide full support for Windows XP / 2003 clients, and allow backups to disk. I'd really like something that supports backing up all Open Files — Microsoft did all the heavy lifting with the Volume Shadow Copy Service, and their crappy backup program supports it, so there is no excuse for any decent product not to. Extra points for bare-metal Windows restores and clients running Linux, Irix, or BSD. In that order.

I'd love to go with something that's free — more money for hardware and strippers. Amanda and Bacula are the only Open Source backup solutions I'm aware of. Amanda is not at all suitable, it depends on Samba to back up Windows clients and is effectively worthless. Bacula has a proper Windows client that uses the right Windows APIs to backup files — ACLs are properly bypassed and preserved — but it doesn't do Open Files or the System / Registry hives.

Legato Networker is the only commercial product I'm well-versed in, but even their Workgroup edition exceeds my $600 software budget. Dantz Retrospect is the only non-Enterprise product that I can name. Retrospect Single Server supports Unlimited Windows and Linux clients from a single Windows server... Street prices are as low as $450... Open Files and Bare-metal Restores are very expensive add-ons.

I'm open to all suggestions that can meet my requirements. Cheaper is better, free is best...

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