My backup server must daily back-up

[doranalan]

My backup server must daily back-up 35GB of data from the domain controller. Unfortunately, the domain controller has only a single NIC and as a result of people logging onto the network, pulling down profiles, etc, this slows down the backup process (10 hrs!). Both the domain controller and the backup server are part of a domain, but since both machines are right beside each other, i want to install 3com gigabit cards in each and simply use a patch cable between them. I would then map a drive on the backup server to the domain controller folders and back-up this mapped drive.

Am i heading in the right direction?

 

[gwichman]

Seems like a hack and surely someone down the line is going to look at your solution and think to himself "what were they thinking?". If indeed you are network bound as you describe and have identified that the network adapter is sufficiently utilized during normal operations (not backups) that you dont want to piggyback the backups on it, then yes by all means add another adapter. I don't know that i would use a patch cable but thats one way of doing it and saves you a port in your switch. I'm not sure why you need to map a drive either.

Personally i'd just add upgrade to gigabit if thats feasible. If not (perhaps your switch has no gig ports and you're unwilling to buy/upgrade to gigabit) then go for the 2nd NIC. Assign another subnet to that new NIC and perhaps an alias to the backup server's NIC and voila. With an alias you shouldn't need to add another NIC to the backup server nor use a patch cable..