Complete Network Backup

  • Thread starter Thread starter gtslabs
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gtslabs

I am looking to backup my computer network. I have about 7 computers
running XP and a Maxtor Shared Storage Drive I used as a file server.
I just bought another Maxtor Shared Storage Plus network drive to use
as a central backup location. I wanted it to backup every computer on
the network.
Maxtor just told me I have to install the software on each computer and
back up each computer separately. This is not what I was expecting.
IS there any software to automatically back up everything on my
network? I am using a LAN setup in WinXp.
 
gtslabs said:
I am looking to backup my computer network. I have about 7 computers
running XP and a Maxtor Shared Storage Drive I used as a file server.
I just bought another Maxtor Shared Storage Plus network drive to use
as a central backup location. I wanted it to backup every computer on
the network.
Maxtor just told me I have to install the software on each computer and
back up each computer separately. This is not what I was expecting.
IS there any software to automatically back up everything on my
network? I am using a LAN setup in WinXp.
Click to expand...

Yes. But you have to install it on each computer. :-)

Think about it, if one piece of software could magically get access to
backup every file on every computer on your lan, what would that be
saying about the security posture of each individual host?
 
Todd, what do I have to install on each computer?

I was able to do what I need with the default windows backup by
selecting each location. However I did see the entire network as an
option but it was grayed out.

I am not too concerned about internal security as most are data
aquisition workstations.
Thanks
Steven
 
There is ntbackup with every version of modern Windows (it has to be
installed if you have XP/home.

It works fine and can do a full backup or incremental of a client to a
server disk that can ve used to restore to bare iron or selectively
for individual files. Bare iron restore is a bit of a PITA untiil
you've figured it out, and we don't d that, often, do we?

I do what you want using Acronis TI. I have a server with two big
disks in it. I do client backups to those disks. I flip-flop so that
if one of the server disks crashes I haven't lost my backups. (make
sure the big disks ARE NOT DYNAMIC if you ever intent to boot the
Acronis recovery CD to do a bare iron restore from a local disk.)
 
gtslabs said:
Todd, what do I have to install on each computer?
Click to expand...

Depends on your selection of network backup software.

If you don't care too much about security, you can create a file share
of the drives on each workstation, then from one machine with the
backup disk on it, go after the relevant files on each computer's
share. A bit tedious, but doable.

Expect that the version of the software that came with the drive will
probably disable backing up network shared drives so they can upsell
you on their network-oriented backup software. Those solutions
typically have a server component and then you install agent software
on each desktop machine. You'd hang the big drive off the server
machine in that case.
 
gtslabs said:
I am looking to backup my computer network. I have about 7 computers
running XP and a Maxtor Shared Storage Drive I used as a file server.
I just bought another Maxtor Shared Storage Plus network drive to use
as a central backup location. I wanted it to backup every computer on
the network.
Maxtor just told me I have to install the software on each computer and
back up each computer separately. This is not what I was expecting.
IS there any software to automatically back up everything on my
network? I am using a LAN setup in WinXp.
Click to expand...

Hang on - you're using a *Maxtor* product as a backup medium?

I think you need to tread cautiously on this one; such as ensuring each
individual backs up their own data files onto DVD each and every day.



Odie
 
Todd H. said:
Yes. But you have to install it on each computer. :-)

Think about it, if one piece of software could magically get access to
backup every file on every computer on your lan, what would that be
saying about the security posture of each individual host?
Click to expand...

That you have configured it to allow that app to do that.
 
gtslabs said:
I am looking to backup my computer network. I have about 7 computers
running XP and a Maxtor Shared Storage Drive I used as a file server.
I just bought another Maxtor Shared Storage Plus network drive to use
as a central backup location. I wanted it to backup every computer on
the network.
Maxtor just told me I have to install the software on each computer and
back up each computer separately. This is not what I was expecting.
IS there any software to automatically back up everything on my
network? I am using a LAN setup in WinXp.
Click to expand...

I would second the True Image option for the full backups, every week,
month or whenever you choose.

I also use Cobain Backup to do incremental daily backups.
 
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