Have Hardware need backup solution help please

[RTapley]

I think I have the necessary hardware but just looking for advice on backup solution.

I have approximately 140gb of data in one location and 100GB in another building.

Both sites have broadband but low cost options that I think may currently be personal but due to be change to business (not sure if that makes a difference).

I have the following hardware:

2 x 1TB network drives (currently on 1 site.)

2 or 3 PC's on each site.

My thoughts.....

Would be nice to have some sort of off site backup so was thinking, move one network drive to other site. PC's backup to local network drive and then sync the 2 drives so they both store the data for local PC's and for remote PC's.

Question is is this sensible?

How can I get the 2 drives to sync over personal broadband?

Any thoughts would be great.

thanks for any assistance..

 

[Noway2]

Welcome to Tek-Tips.

Generally speaking, hard drives make excellent back up medium with regards to reliability. That is provided that they are not attached to the device that you are trying to back up. BTW, I think you have the right idea for your backup solution.

For mirroring the drives, I would recommend some form of a program called rsync. You didn't mention what OS you are using and the vanilla rsync is a Linux utility but there are Windows variants (search this forum for more info).

If you are interested in off site backup, I personally use and have been extremely happy with Jungledisk. It is pretty low cost, starting at $5/mo for the "expensive" solution, but will vary according to the amount of storage needed.

 

[goombawaho]

Robocopy - that will sync two drives/folders. You need to install RKTOOLS first from Microsloft.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=9d467a69-57ff-4ae7-96ee-b18c4790cffd

You may run into data transfer limits like Comcast has a limit per month. Can't recall how high it is - 250GB??

The professional way to do off site backup is just that - something like Mozy or Carbonite.

 

[RTapley]

thanks for the replies.

Sorry yes I should have said it is all Microsoft. Although there are one or two Linux systems but nothing on them that needs to be backed up urgently, and I can probably get this data to the central network drive.

Have looked at Mozy and had reccomendations but will look at JungleDisk too.

Would like if possible to have a solution described where the disks sync and so have off site but on the two sites as the client is unsure about data going elsewhere if that makes sense.

Any thoughts on accessing the drives at either location through ADSL, preferably securely too?

thanks again for your assistance.

 

[Noway2]

One option to keep in mind when considering off site storage is that you can encrypt the data. Most providers will have this as an option. This should mitigate any insecurities regarding data going elsewhere. The caveat being that if you lose the password, the data becomes garbage.

 

[goombawaho]

ADSL will likely be slow to transfer data. If you're talking about >50GB, it may take forever to get the first (full) backup done. With Robocopy and assuming Rsync as well, it will then only copy changes to files, added files, removed files.

If you could copy data from site 1 and take it to site 2, you wouldn't have to do the first copy entirely over the wire. Then syncing would be pretty quick - just the changes.

Same thing taking data from site 2 to site 1.

 

[RTapley]

I have setup Logmein Hamachi2 and tested a few files over that to secure the transfer. I read a couple of good reviews of it, anyone have any thoughts about it?

It worked well from the place a regularly work back to my home as a test. But when I tried from my parents home to mine there was obviously a connection drop as Allwaysync that I was using to copy kept saying after a while it was unable to find the drive. Thought this was a good way to test as both our houses use ADSL and that is what I am going to have to implement it over.

Plan is to test with my home and parents home then to implement in live once I have the structure of what I am going to do tested.

Will Robocopy or RSync give me the same problems or will they work better?

Thanks goombawaho I was thinking that I would take a copy and drive it over to the other site and then do the sync as was thinking otherwise it would take forever as you suggested.

Thanks again for all the assistance.

 

[goombawaho]

I would caution you about using a "redneck" solution (cobbled together) vs. more of a professional solution if this is a business. Encryption is one aspect of that as mentioned before.

Business data should be more important than home user's data and so should be handled more "professionally". But you can go and do what they will support/pay for.