backup in small office solution needed

janesssssy · 16 Mar 2010 at 16:06

A reall quick one if anybody can help.
I look after an office with 30 users. Currently backing up 300GB of data, on a 1tb external USB drive. We have 2 drives so one is on for week1 and the other is off site untill we swap for the next week.

Problem is that the full backups are taking 18 hours and are cutting in to daily operations. So a very slow network.

Any ideas what backup solution I can implement? I know I could spend £1000's but as its onsly an office of 30 users that does seem over the top.

mast3r · 16 Mar 2010 at 16:12

do they have a Server or all client pcs?

Gigabit switch?

Differential backups?

walnuts · 16 Mar 2010 at 16:16

What type data are you backing up?

What software you using?

If your mostly dealing with file shares maybe think about using file syncronization so you won't need to backup the whole 300gb to your usb drive just backup changes. I use tool called Super Flexible File Syncronizer.

Venares · 16 Mar 2010 at 16:36

For something that size id probbly use Acronis Echo Universal Restore.
Take your main full backup at the weekend and then run incrementails during the week.
This way you can totaly recover you systems from bare metal to ANY other hardware should the worst happen.

Also Id probbly look into WHY your network is so slow, 300GB should not take more than an hour to transfer over gigabit, assuming they are of course using gigabit.
If not then thats your first port of call right there.

janesssssy · 16 Mar 2010 at 22:50

mast3r said:
do they have a Server or all client pcs?

Gigabit switch?

Differential backups?

Gigabit switch yep on a domain, considering going down that line of differential backups although alwaysperferred full backups.

janesssssy · 16 Mar 2010 at 22:52

walnuts said:
What type data are you backing up?

What software you using?

If your mostly dealing with file shares maybe think about using file syncronization so you won't need to backup the whole 300gb to your usb drive just backup changes. I use tool called Super Flexible File Syncronizer.

Atm im just using ntbackup doing a daily full backup which is taking far too long.
I have software called viceversa so may consider this or differential.

janesssssy · 16 Mar 2010 at 22:54

Venares said:
For something that size id probbly use Acronis Echo Universal Restore.
Take your main full backup at the weekend and then run incrementails during the week.
This way you can totaly recover you systems from bare metal to ANY other hardware should the worst happen.

Also Id probbly look into WHY your network is so slow, 300GB should not take more than an hour to transfer over gigabit, assuming they are of course using gigabit.
If not then thats your first port of call right there.

Acronis, very good idea, I will look in to that tomorrow with my other possibilities.

Although if you read post my backup is on a 1tb USB drive not over the network.
we have cisco gbit switches and gigabit NICS in all system. Network is lovely and fast.

Venares · 16 Mar 2010 at 23:26

Maybe worth looking into an eSATA card or cheap desktop with eSATA and attach an eSATA dock.
Would definatly speed things up i'd have thought.

CraigN · 17 Mar 2010 at 01:35

If your storing it all on the same disk then Differentials will be fine should you need to restore.

Do a full backup at the start of the week and diffs every day then when you swap disks around do another full followed by diffs.

the full will still take the same time but its only one day of slowness compared to everyday for no cost