Backup over WAN

[DebiJo]

I have 250 servers over a WAN. Each server has about 3.5 gig of data. Currently, each server has an internal tape drive and the local users are instructed to rotate the tapes daily. Between tape media, tape drive, and tape rotation problems, corporate spends a tremendous amount of time and money troubleshooting and maintaining 250 separate backup systems.

We are looking for a solution to backup all this data 250 * 3.5 gig to a server at the corporate offices over the WAN. Does anyone have a suggestion? We are looking at xcopy, ftp, backup software, etc.. Very open to a solution that would work.

Thanks in advance,
Debi

 

[adpwl1]

How often are you looking to push 3.5GB of data across the WAN?
What is the daily average of data being backed up?
What size are the WAN links?
How long are the backup windows?

No Matter how you do it, the WAN links are going to be the big issue. A T1 could do 5GB per hour. This is based on a T1 running at 1.544mpbs. Most T1's run slower than that with distance and other overhead stuff.

Since you want to backup the data and possibly restore it, you need to look at a process that confirms the data was written correctly, so FTP would not be a good recommendation.

 

[JimBT]

Just a suggestion, but have you considered LiveVault. This service is perfect for large numbers of remote servers and backs up your data in real time.

 

[DebiJo]

I appreicate the LiveVault suggestion, we have talked to them, but really want our data here not there.

Thanks for the suggestion,
Debi

 

[john7]

Check out Avamar (At avamar.com) really cool solution. After the initial full, everything else is a differental/incremental. But restores look like you did all fulls.

 

[oppie007]

Has anyone tried Dantz Retrospect® for this? (

http://www.dantz.com).

I have no experience with it, but they seem to have some cool ideas, like:

Retrospect recognizes identical files on one or more computers and backs up just one copy. This could save a tone of traffic. Most of those servers probably have lots of identical files.

multi-volume Open File Backup capability allows back up of applications such as databases, e-mail, etc while live and in operation.

Restore without getting back unwanted deleted, renamed, and moved files.

It can restore the operating system and registry to a live system.

The Disaster Recovery Wizard creates a bootable CD image from the backup even after the computer to be restored has died.