Backup software
Apr 11, 2007 | 4:27 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 870
Backup software
Hi,
I need a recommendation for easy to use software that. Basically, I would like this software to sit on a server machine on our home network and do the hard drive backup of the clients on the network.
We had a wired gigabit network at home so speed is not an issue.
Thanks!
I need a recommendation for easy to use software that. Basically, I would like this software to sit on a server machine on our home network and do the hard drive backup of the clients on the network.
We had a wired gigabit network at home so speed is not an issue.
Thanks!
Apr 11, 2007 | 4:51 pm
#2
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Are you looking for a cheap solution or a reliable solution. Windows has a built in backup software that you can use as a cheap solution, other wise Veritas Backup Exec is what many companies use - http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/p....jsp?pcid=1018
Apr 11, 2007 | 5:37 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,246
Consider looking into SyncBack. It is very easy to use. You specify the directories that you want backed up and it copies over the files to whatever destination you specify. I use another separate hard drive. I don't think the free version compresses the backed up files though.
This isn't a one size fits all solution. I'm very curious to see what others use for their backup solutions.
I wouldn't recommend using the built in windows backup software or anything from Symantec. I prefer using low-profile programs that are reliable and do exactly what they are designed to do. Symantec's stuff uses a ton of system resources, has tons of bugs, has horrible support, and is expensive so IMHO it isn't worth using.
This isn't a one size fits all solution. I'm very curious to see what others use for their backup solutions.
I wouldn't recommend using the built in windows backup software or anything from Symantec. I prefer using low-profile programs that are reliable and do exactly what they are designed to do. Symantec's stuff uses a ton of system resources, has tons of bugs, has horrible support, and is expensive so IMHO it isn't worth using.
Apr 11, 2007 | 8:46 pm
#4
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Posts: 870
The software does not have to be very cheap but of course nothing that is enterprise wide (thousands of dollars). Windows GUI of course, and the ability to manage backup from client workstations on a server (versus having the software on the client machine).
Thx
Thx
Apr 11, 2007 | 9:16 pm
#5
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What are you backing up to, DVD, another disk, tape?
Virtually any backup software can back up the clients, the easiest way is to share their drives and map them from the server, so that server is just backing up a bunch of drives it sees as local drives. That's way easier then messing with clients on the workstations, etc.
It won't get the registries, but as long as you have an export of the registry on each hard drive (something everybody should have anyways) it will have a backup of it that way.
Virtually any backup software can back up the clients, the easiest way is to share their drives and map them from the server, so that server is just backing up a bunch of drives it sees as local drives. That's way easier then messing with clients on the workstations, etc.
It won't get the registries, but as long as you have an export of the registry on each hard drive (something everybody should have anyways) it will have a backup of it that way.
Apr 11, 2007 | 9:29 pm
#6
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I've been very happy with Acronis True Image. Easier to use than Ghost, imo.
Somewhere in this forum from awhile back there is a link to a free version.
Somewhere in this forum from awhile back there is a link to a free version.
Apr 11, 2007 | 9:41 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 870
What are you backing up to, DVD, another disk, tape?
Virtually any backup software can back up the clients, the easiest way is to share their drives and map them from the server, so that server is just backing up a bunch of drives it sees as local drives. That's way easier then messing with clients on the workstations, etc.
It won't get the registries, but as long as you have an export of the registry on each hard drive (something everybody should have anyways) it will have a backup of it that way.
Virtually any backup software can back up the clients, the easiest way is to share their drives and map them from the server, so that server is just backing up a bunch of drives it sees as local drives. That's way easier then messing with clients on the workstations, etc.
It won't get the registries, but as long as you have an export of the registry on each hard drive (something everybody should have anyways) it will have a backup of it that way.
Apr 11, 2007 | 11:01 pm
#8
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I asked our IT guys about this just a week or so ago. They recommended either Paragon Drive backup or Acronis for PCs and Carbon Copy for Macs. I downloaded a trial version on Paragon yesterday and tried it. Interface took a bit of thought to figure out but once done, it seems easy to use. I need to ask one of our IT guys to make sure Im making a bootable drive on the USB drive with the way I am doing it. It looks like a solution worth considering.
Apr 12, 2007 | 5:55 am
#10
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I have used veritas, ghost and acronis and I would take acronis every day of the week. its a great product. not sure how expensive the enterprise version is but that would be my first choice.
Apr 12, 2007 | 4:50 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2004
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Microsoft is working on a product called Windows Home Server. I've been playing around with the beta version, and while it's not quite ready for primetime it looks like it's going to be very cool. Single Instance Store backups of all client PC's, and you can restore single files or a full bare-metal restore. It also becomes a central storage point with file replication across multiple disks (not RAID), so you can just plug in an extra USB drive and duplicate files. It also sets up remote access to PC's and files, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070108-8573.html
Until then, I like the idea of just using something like SyncBack (or Microsoft SyncToy).
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070108-8573.html
Until then, I like the idea of just using something like SyncBack (or Microsoft SyncToy).