backup for Windows

[stargate]

I am looking for Windows Backup software that does incremental backup to tapes. I just purchased USB DAT160 drive and don't know which backup software to get. I am a Mac guy and used Retrospect for years. As we pretty much have no choice on OS X but there is lots and lots of solutions for PC. Which one to get? I have just one Windows 2003 Server to backup with 12GB data (accounting). Tape drive will be attached to server itself. I can always get Retrospect for Windows but maybe there is something better? I need to have scripts (schedule) and to be a reliable software not freeware or shareware.

Derek

 

[mattbeals]

I wouldn't bother with DAT drives. Just buy a few USB hard drives and do differential backups by copying data. I seriously wouldn't worry about Retrospect, ArcServe, Veritas, DAT/DLT/LTO/AIT for that. If it's a SQL database you can do SQL dumps so that you can rebuild the DB in a really bad situation.

 

[Joeno]

Back up for Windows

Back up for Windows

I would migrate to Server 2008, install a second drive 1 ot 2 TB. and let the OS do the backups. You can schedule your backups including the Iso of your main drive.

Joe

 

[stargate]

That's nice but I simply asked what windows software is better than Retrospect?

Can you guys stick to that simple question?

Matt, I want to take tape home I cannot do this with drive so easy. I carry enough stuff in my backpack. I don't need to carry additional harddrives even 2.5" USB. I even don't carry FlashDrives anymore and switched to SDHC cards because they are way lighter.

JoeNo, I am not sure switching to Server 2008 is free and I will not be able to take it home either. If I would get any server it would be Snow Leopard Unlimited for $499, tens of thousands cheaper than Windowse Servers for 1000 users.

Derek

 

[pmhapp]

We use Retrospect for Windows.

 

[disbellj]

I used to use Retrospect. I replaced it and about a couple thousand CDs with 2 external drives and Carbon Copy Cloner (free). One is a clone of the main drive, and the second is a clone of it.

Backed up by free Carbon Copy Cloner (about 10 hours), and now can incremental backup to bootable external in about 30 minutes each Friday with same program. One external in the room, one external kept in firesafe. Able to go to Apple Store and plug in USB and it go as fast or faster from the external drive as from the internal drive (or can do that here).

Whole dept. is on one machine that runs virtualization (Windows, Linux). If it weren't for dastardly dongles, there would be no way we'd ever be without what we need and not be able to get back up and running shortly, but it seems that the printing industry doesn't mind vendors' dongles and Windows holdin' 'em by the short hairs if you know what I'm sayin'.

Of course, if a Seagate FreeAgent is too big to carry, maybe you could get a smaller one than this one. Not bad for having to carry like once a week for sure.

Regards,

Don

Note: And if you say "I said Windows software", I would say virtualize Windows and make it what it always should have been - just another program you run on your Mac.

That's nice but I simply asked what windows software is better than Retrospect?

Can you guys stick to that simple question?

Matt, I want to take tape home I cannot do this with drive so easy. I carry enough stuff in my backpack. I don't need to carry additional harddrives even 2.5" USB. I even don't carry FlashDrives anymore and switched to SDHC cards because they are way lighter.

JoeNo, I am not sure switching to Server 2008 is free and I will not be able to take it home either. If I would get any server it would be Snow Leopard Unlimited for $499, tens of thousands cheaper than Windowse Servers for 1000 users.

Derek

 

[mattbeals]

Derek, a SDHC is a good thing to carry, but it doesn't weigh much more than a flash drive. Having said that.... Using tools like Windows xcopy, and there are several others, is a great way to backup your files. And a USB hard drive directly attached will be the fastest and most reliable way. A 2.5" inch drive doesn't weigh much. I carry a 40lb backpack of "tools" and my computer. A few pounds for that price/performance and reliablility is well worth it. My two USB hard drives only account for a couple of pounds at most. A DAT drive with DDS compression can't match the storage capacity of a hard drive.

What you might want to try is to see if Windows Backup will recognize your DAT drive. If it does then I would say go with that. It is a basic but effective backup program. More than people would give it credit for...

 

[geoman]

Stargate, maybe get a bigger bag.

 

[hondarr9]

We use usb externals. I have 2, one I leave in house and one I back up on once a month and take home. We used to use tapes and Arcserve, what a nightmare! I used to try and retrieve files from tapes and more than once they were no good. With all the compression that happens with tapes you are risking file integrity. just my $.02

 

[Hopkins Printing]

Hi Stargate,

Having used BackupExec from Symantec, ArcServe from Computer Associates, and Retrospect (Mac and Windows versions), Retrospect would have my vote. It's easy to use, has what it calls a "Progressive Backup" feature which will handle your incremental backup needs and has the scripting/scheduling features you mentioned.

The others are good solutions but I just find Retrospect easier to use IMHO.

Cheers,
Jon Morgan
Hopkins Printing

 

[copper7op]

I have a ESATA Mirrored drive with 2x2TB drives in it for my own storage, and a FreeNAS box with 4x2TB drives for my Network storage. Works great.

 

[mattbeals]

Customer of mine took two decommissioned Dell servers (each with 8 bays I think) and put 1TB drives in them. Set up a RAID, install Windows Server and back up away. You can just copy everything over to the new RAID volume on the server and call it good. If you can configure each server the same then you could copy the file to both servers in case of a whoops.

How much data do you have to backup and: How long are you required to retain data? How long do you want to retain data? What data is it that you want to keep?

 

[copper7op]

Also, if its under 500gb, have you considered carbonite? carbonite.com is an online storage, 55 dollars US a year for unlimited storage, and they have an auto-sync app

 

[seratne]

I'll second copper7op's suggestion, if you have the upload speed to have the backup complete in a time that's acceptable to you.

Setup a sync folder and point Windows built in backup to it so only the incremental changes have to be uploaded each time.

At least this way, in a catastrophe, you don't have to worry about reinstalling the tape drive in another system, tape drives going bad, forgetting last nights backup at home (if you're taking it offsite), etc..