Real Time Backup Solution

cavemanoc · 21 Jan 2009 at 19:33

Hi. As part of a project I'm working on I need to find a real time backup solution for an access database. The file involved will be small (<2Gb) and will be used by 14 read/write users and up to 10 read only users. All I need is for any changes to the file to be automatically backed up onto another location. I've found a few possible solutions on the net, but most of them are aimed at supporting much larger structures than mine, covering a greater array of files. I really only need something that will track/backup a single database live.

I'm unsure on the platforn ATM, but since it's between WHS and Server 2003/8, I guess what works on one will work on the others

yashiro · 21 Jan 2009 at 19:36

Do you want to back up the changes only or the whole database when it's changed.

2Gb of database only entries isn't that small either.

cavemanoc · 21 Jan 2009 at 21:06

I'd be more than happy with incremental backup of live changes as there will be timed backup as well (1/4/8 hour + daily/weekly/monthly etc...)

I very much doubt the database will be 2Gb - that is simply the largest size it can be - I'm hoping to get hold of a copy of it soon so I can see exactly how big it is.

wonder_lander · 21 Jan 2009 at 23:49

WHS > Place DB into a "share" and have "duplication" enabled on the share.

Assuming the server has more than 1 disk then with duplication on the data should be duplicated on each disk

cavemanoc · 22 Jan 2009 at 09:09

That would work quite nicely - my problem is that the network will have up to 25 people on it and MS are pretty adamant that they will not open up a licensing scheme to take WHS beyond the 10 person limit.

There is another problem as well - the backup really needs to be at a record level rather than file based - I will have multiple users accessing the database at the same time - I want only the updated records to be backed up - what I need to avoid is having user A and user B both amending the DB - A saves having updated records 1&2, B then saves having updated records 7&8, but his file is newer than A's so it overwrites records 1&2 with the old data (if that makes sense).

cavemanoc · 22 Jan 2009 at 12:34

Disregard the above - I have realised my mistake

Pho · 22 Jan 2009 at 12:45

How come you aren't using SQL server for this? It's designed for concurrent users, and makes backups very easy.

wonder_lander · 22 Jan 2009 at 12:49

Pho said:
How come you aren't using SQL server for this? It's designed for concurrent users, and makes backups very easy.

This, for such an environment and requirements it sounds like the answer

cavemanoc · 22 Jan 2009 at 21:00

Finally managed to track down the previous admins (hardware and software) which certainly helped. We will be running SQL servers (2000 :eek:

- <-no progress here!) on Windows Server 2000 enterprise which solves quite a few problems. (Certainly the fact that the cluster software is built in solves one of my biggest headaches.)

Having finally cemented our requirements (hardware/software) the overall build is now a lot clearer to me. I will obviously be picking up a proper SQL course before I get stuck in which will, no doubt, answer a lot of my questions. For the time being can I assume that SQL has the functionality to do real time backups of the database? I'm assuming that Win Server will have all the timed backup options I need for the non-live backups - so hopefully I should be sorted with the following:

2 Clustered servers offering redundancy.
(Raid 1 within each)
SQL real time backup of the database.
Win Server Timed Backup of the server onto NAS box.

Means I can lose a single drive without data/time loss
I can lose a single server without downtime (Cluster)
I can lose Both servers and still keep all the data (NAS)

Should do nicely