Mission critical backup solution

Paramount · 25 Oct 2010 at 15:41

We have a computer at work which is used to process orders, it is set up with various bits of software which have been configured so it works on our system and network.

With xmas coming up, the bosses are keen to arrange for a backup so incase the computer breaks, it won't take long to recover. So heres where I need help...

I'm aware of software like trueimage but this doesn't work across different system builds does it? For example if the computer explodes and needs to be restored on a brand new computer.

What's the best option to protect incase of hardware failing? (as in, something totally universal over systems. Is that possible?). As cheap as possible, obviously :rolleyes:

theheyes · 25 Oct 2010 at 15:55

What operating system?

Paramount · 25 Oct 2010 at 15:57

Windows XP

JonJ678 · 25 Oct 2010 at 17:18

Any hope of moving to a different one? A generic linux distribution will keep working even when the hardware changes dramatically between reboots, and tends to resist crashes in the first place.

Otherwise your best option involves redundancy. If you image the hard drive of the critical computer onto a second drive which is then unplugged and placed in a draw, downtime from hard drive failure is reduced to however long it takes to remember which draw the spare is in. If something more significant breaks and you don't have identical hardware to match it to, bringing windows back online may take somewhat longer.

I'm currently backing up windows computers by having them export a folder read only across the network, mount it on a linux box which then does rsync based things to it. This may change to installing rsync server on the windows box directly though, I'm not sure which approach is the more reliable.

SiriusB · 25 Oct 2010 at 17:59

Macrium Reflect, and an add-on called Additions, will let you image a drive and inject drivers for new hardware if the recovery machine is of a different specification.

Personally I would go down two routes:

1: Have a carbon copy of the HDD kept somewhere safe. I assume the data the machine uses is not stored locally, or is otherwise backed up elsewhere, so you wont need to update the second HDD.

2: Using Macrium Reflect/Additions create an image that will work on new hardware [if you know what the hardware is in advance, all the better]. The image is super fast to make, so you can update this regularly.

So, you use option 1 if the original HDD goes kaboom. Option 2 if other hardware on the machine goes fizzle.