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Searching For A Reliable Backup System?

Posted by Cliff on from the when-tape-isn't-good-enough dept.

InfoSec asks: "We run a great deal (read all) of our current business on Linux, and we have found that tape backup is far too unreliable for our purposes. We have used Quantum DLT 7000s (two of which died), and we have two VXA drives (11 hours to restore three tarballs). Is there a better solution?"

5 of 24 comments (clear)

  1. Redundant tape arrays by Tet · · Score: 3
    tape backup is far too unreliable for our purposes

    So use redundancy. RAIT is the tape equivalent of RAID for disks. Basically, your data is written across an array of tapes with varying amounts of redundancy (from simple parity, all the way up to mirrored ECC stripes, depending on how much you want to spend :-). There uses to be a CLARiiON DLT array, but since EMC's buyouy of Data General, that seems to have been discontinued. Still, there are plenty of other suppliers of tape arrays. Here's one from Adic, and here's one from Compaq.

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  2. Re:forget Travan too =) by compwizrd · · Score: 2

    Maybe i'm lucky then, because i've got a 12/24 at home, a 12/24 in operation at one of our plants, and a 12/24 in the main server at the office. They get cleaned every 3 months or so with a cleaning tape(yes, not until the stupid light blinks, i'm that lazy). I'll have to do some research into the Sony's. Our HP's are up around 2 years now, far as long term goes. How does the Sony load the tapes? The Hp's just pull it in a bit, leaving the door open, so if you leave the tape in there all the time, you're FUBAR if you have a dust problem. Does the sony pull the tape all the way in and close the door?

    And yes, i've heard ArcServe is evil =)

    I'm still using the backup that comes with NT, mainly cause every company wants far too much money for their NT Server backup software.

  3. Re:Backup programs ? by larien · · Score: 3
    Try Amanda. It's free, runs under most versions of *nix and will even back up SMB shares (if you have samba installed). It is also fairly intelligent and will run different levels of backup depending on how much has changed on disk (eg, if not a lot has changed, it'll do an incremental; if a lot has changed, it might as well just do a full dump etc).

    We use it here to backup our Unix stuff and it rarely needs poking; it just chugs away in the background and the only intervention we have to do is change tapes every day (which you'll get on any backup system without a tape array).
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  4. This is Not a Flame (TINAF) Post by Brazilian+Geek · · Score: 2

    I use ArcServer on an NT 'cause I need a backup tracking system that's easy to configure (ok, Arcserver's not easy but after hacking at it for a while I managed to understand it) and Arcserver's doing a great job for my needs. It deals out about 11Gbs of backup daily on a DDS-2 Seagate and I haven't had any bad experiences with it yet.

    What I want to know is - remember that TINAF (This is not a flame) post - what's so wrong about Arcserver?

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  5. Re:Backup programs...from a guy who does backups by TBone · · Score: 2

    If you're running a large installation of servers, I'd have to recommend Veritas NetBackup. I'd also have to !recommend Networker, as I've had no end of problems with it in all the places I've worked for anything but the single-server, local drive version.

    Pros:

    • Distributed architecture scales with absolutely no problems. We run NetBackup on about 800 servers spread throughout the entire eastern part of the United States, from workstations to large NT and UNIX servers.
    • Largest supported platform list that I've ever seen. NB 4.0 has been verified on most Linux distributions as a client, as well as just about every UNIX, Windows, and Mac platform, and some platforms I didn't even know existed (WTF is Auspex? People still run UNICOS on CRAY servers? And why would anyone run Data General's DG/UX?).
    • Widescale device support, from standalone drives to huge libraries.
    • Non-OS client software out the ying-yang. Pick your database, there's software to get it to back up to NB. Have Network Appliance boxes? Get the NDMP client.
    • In it's simplest setup, every image on tape is a GNU tar tarball. If you lose your master server, grab the backup tape, forward to the file you want, and tar it off by hand.
    • Lots of additional software that works with NB. Want to manage duplication and offsite tape storage? Get the Vault extension to do it automatically. Need spiffy reporting? Get the Advanced Reporter package.
    • Pick your interface to the software. Commandline, X, or Java. I believe the Java interface will even run through a web page.

    Cons:

    • The NetBackup Server software doesn't run on Linux. It does run on just about every other UNIX, and Windows NT and 2000
    • Learning curve is steep. I've been one of the primary admins here since we installed the product last year, and I still have to go running to the docs every time there's a problem I don't have memorized yet
    • License Keys. They're a pain in the keester. I don't like dealing with keys when I have a site license for the damn software, I just want to install it all over the freaking place.
    • $$$$. I believe our site license cost us just over $1M. Contact your local rep to find out how much you'll get reamed :)

    I've used Legato Networker, SCH Reels, various dump utilities, and Veritas NBU, and NBU is by far the best product I've seen so far. Any questions, drop me a line

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