Backup devices? SC101? LaCie Ethernet Disk?

[Pete]

Hi

I'm looking to improve the 'mess' that is my current backup strategy.

Currently I simply copy all my files to a USB external HD, creating
several folders of different dates and occasionally copying everything
to CD for a more permanent, and offsite backup. This wasn't too bad
when I didn't have a lot of files. But I don't really have a
'history' where I could restore a file from a certain point in
time, and there are times when I forget to backup or don't have time
to create a 'mobile' copy of the backup to take with me.

I would like a solution that automatically backs up from 2 computers
networked via a netgear modem/router, that would also allow me to
create some kind of copy to CD/DVD/ USB disk, for mobile/off site
backup. I have heard of software that will automatically backup a file
when it changes, which sounds an ideal. I have also heard that some
software makes it possible to restore files from various times/changes
which sounds good.

I have so far considered several potential solutions:
Initially I thought of Netgear's SC101. Although cheep and apparently
having good software, there seems to be a lot of people having problems
with this device on their forums.

The 250GB LaCie NAS Mini 10/100 & USB2 d2 Hard Drive (7200rpm, 8MB)
seems very reasonable too, but their website doesn't seem to say
much.

The Buffalo Linkstation 250GB USB 2.0 RJ45 is more expensive, but I
like the fact that it says it will automatically backup its files to an
external USB disk.

I'm not sure what software would be best either, there seems lots of
reviews in magazines for 'system' backup software like Ghost and
TrueImage, but not much else. I have seen posts suggesting the likes of
VCOM's AutoSave and Centered Systems' secondcopy but are these
likely to work with any of the storage solutions I've looked at?

Thanks for any help given
Pete

 

[Neil Maxwell]

I'm looking to improve the 'mess' that is my current backup strategy.

Here's what I do to back up multiple networked PCs, and it's worked
very well so far. I'm not real good at doing scheduled stuff, so I
have it as automated as possible.

I use True Image 8 (www.acronis.com - now at 9, which I haven't
tried), an external USB2 HD on one PC, and an Iomega NAS100D network
HD in a remote location. I've had good luck with the less expensive
Iomega network HDs, but my needs are simple and I only run XP.

You can sometimes get them for a very good price from their factory
outlet store (http://www.iomega.com/direct/outlet/landing.jsp).

- Weekly TI8 full backup and daily incremental backup of each PC to
the USB HD, all to the same backup set name, so it resets once a week
and doesn't keep growing.

- Weekly TI8 alternate full backup, no incrementals, offset from the
main weekly backup by 1/2 week. This is in case the main backup gets
corrupted somehow (like being interrupted during the full backup).

- Daily mirror of the above files, using Second Copy
(www.centered.com), to the network drive, which is physically
separated from the PCs. This gives me a redundant copy of both sets
of backups in a remote location, in case of a burglary where the thief
gets both the PC and the main backup drive.

The TI8 backup file sizes are set for 700 MB, as this will allow me to
copy them to CD or DVD without any extra hoopjumping. Now and again
(I shoot for once a month, but actually hit once a quarter), I burn
the alternate backup set to DVD and stash it in my big safe, which
provides some level of fire protection.

For files I want to back up more than once a day or independently from
the TI backups, I use Second Copy to backup the folder(s) they live
in. It won't back up open files (which TI will), but it's another
level of redundancy that I like. These mostly go to a second
networked drive, but some PCs have a second internal drive for this.

 

[Peter]

Here's what I do to back up multiple networked PCs, and it's worked

very well so far. I'm not real good at doing scheduled stuff, so I
have it as automated as possible.

I thought that scheduling is a part of automation.

I use True Image 8 (www.acronis.com - now at 9, which I haven't
tried), an external USB2 HD on one PC, and an Iomega NAS100D network
HD in a remote location. I've had good luck with the less expensive
Iomega network HDs, but my needs are simple and I only run XP.

How far is the remote location?

You can sometimes get them for a very good price from their factory
outlet store (http://www.iomega.com/direct/outlet/landing.jsp).

- Weekly TI8 full backup and daily incremental backup of each PC to
the USB HD, all to the same backup set name, so it resets once a week
and doesn't keep growing.

- Weekly TI8 alternate full backup, no incrementals, offset from the
main weekly backup by 1/2 week. This is in case the main backup gets
corrupted somehow (like being interrupted during the full backup).

- Daily mirror of the above files, using Second Copy
(www.centered.com), to the network drive, which is physically
separated from the PCs. This gives me a redundant copy of both sets
of backups in a remote location, in case of a burglary where the thief
gets both the PC and the main backup drive.

The TI8 backup file sizes are set for 700 MB, as this will allow me to
copy them to CD or DVD without any extra hoopjumping. Now and again
(I shoot for once a month, but actually hit once a quarter), I burn
the alternate backup set to DVD and stash it in my big safe, which
provides some level of fire protection.

For files I want to back up more than once a day or independently from
the TI backups, I use Second Copy to backup the folder(s) they live
in. It won't back up open files (which TI will), but it's another
level of redundancy that I like. These mostly go to a second
networked drive, but some PCs have a second internal drive for this.

How big are your backups?

 

[Neil Maxwell]

I thought that scheduling is a part of automation.

Meat schedule vs. PC schedule. I have a Palm Pilot with a bunch of
stuff that I'm scheduled to do. That doesn't mean I get it done on
time. The PC's automation is much more reliable, in my case.

How far is the remote location?

In my case, the other end of the house, in a storage location, stashed
out of sight. I could put them into the safe, where they'd replace
the heater that keeps my steel from rusting, but I haven't bothered
with that yet. They don't restart after a power outage (we've had a
few lately), so I have to go push the buttons to get them back online.

If you want a really remote location, you could mirror to a set of
external HDs that you could send off somewhere, or drop your DVD
copies into a safe deposit box, the mail, or whatever. That's all
human glue stuff, which I'm not so good at, as I said, so I draw the
line there. YMMV.

How big are your backups?

Depends on the PC - mostly in the 10-30G range. One runs in the 200+G
range, but there's not much really critical data there, so it backs up
to a second HD in the same box, and the critical data gets Second
Copy'd to one of the 'net drives. On my main PC, I typically put
games and other high-volume, low-criticality stuff on a different
partition and don't bother backing up that partition.

Works well for me.

 

[Peter]

Meat schedule vs. PC schedule. I have a Palm Pilot with a bunch of
stuff that I'm scheduled to do. That doesn't mean I get it done on
time. The PC's automation is much more reliable, in my case.


In my case, the other end of the house, in a storage location, stashed
out of sight. I could put them into the safe, where they'd replace
the heater that keeps my steel from rusting, but I haven't bothered
with that yet. They don't restart after a power outage (we've had a
few lately), so I have to go push the buttons to get them back online.

If you want a really remote location, you could mirror to a set of
external HDs that you could send off somewhere, or drop your DVD
copies into a safe deposit box, the mail, or whatever. That's all
human glue stuff, which I'm not so good at, as I said, so I draw the
line there. YMMV.

Most people with personal or small businesses use car for second/remote site
storage. For that, tapes (LTO-1) seem to do better than multiple external
drives.

Keeping backup at the same site has drawbacks.

Depends on the PC - mostly in the 10-30G range. One runs in the 200+G
range, but there's not much really critical data there, so it backs up
to a second HD in the same box, and the critical data gets Second
Copy'd to one of the 'net drives. On my main PC, I typically put
games and other high-volume, low-criticality stuff on a different
partition and don't bother backing up that partition.

Works well for me.

Do you really burn DVDs for alternate backup sets of 10-30GB?
That part is hard to automate (DVD robots cost more than LTO-1 tape drives).

 

[Neil Maxwell]

Most people with personal or small businesses use car for second/remote site
storage. For that, tapes (LTO-1) seem to do better than multiple external
drives.

There's no way I'd keep something like that in my car, but we all make
our risk decisions, and I can see how it's an appealing solution. I'd
mostly worry about security. You could get around that with a good
lockbox or secret stash and strong encryption (which TI doesn't do),
but it's not on the horizon for my needs.

I used to use tape, and got out of it completely some years back.
There were just too many issues for me. If I had to do offsites of
100G+ data, I'd definitely use HDs, but that's me.

Keeping backup at the same site has drawbacks.

That's the truth.

Do you really burn DVDs for alternate backup sets of 10-30GB?
That part is hard to automate (DVD robots cost more than LTO-1 tape drives).

This is more meat scheduling. My goal is to keep both hardware and
software as simple as possible, and DVD robots just aren't part of my
needs. I'd definitely go to HDs first.

As it is, I do a manual dump of each backup set to DVDs, usually when
I'm planning on being on one of the PCs for an extended period. Each
backup set will fit on 6 DVDs, which are not that big a deal for me.
If I wanted to do this weekly, it would be different.

In my case, this covers just about everything I'm at risk of except
major fire or meteor strike/nuclear attack/other cataclysmic disaster.
We don't have tornados, hurricanes, or floods where I live - only
earthquakes.