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Backup Solutions for Small Tech Companies?
Brushfireb asks: "This has been hit on before, but given the cheap cost of hard drives, larger capacities and speed increases in possible storage (USB2, FIOS, etc) we though that an update would be really helpful. Here's the scenario: We are a small tech company and we have an assortment of workstations (Macs, Linux and Windows desktops), and servers (Web, Database, File, e-Mail, DNS, etc) that run on different Linux distributions. What advice or recommendations do Slashdot readers have for our needs that: won't break the bank; won't force us to take our servers down for an extended period of time (our servers must run 24/7); are reliable; and are easily to maintain. What are some typical mistakes that small tech companies make when it comes to backing up? What software and hardware do Slashdot readers use to accomplish these tasks in similar situations?"
I use and recommend rsnapshot for taking disk-to-disk backups of unix based servers and PCs. It has a *really* slick directory structure where each daily/weekly/monthly backup directory is a *full* snapshot - but by using hard links, it only saves the changed files multiple times. Also, because it uses rsync, it only copies changed files across the network, and can use ssh no problem.
It's downsides: it's basically just a wrapper for rsync. It requires a lot of babysitting (if your backups fail for some reason, it'll try to do full backups the next day possibly with disasterous consequences as it tries to jam hundreds of gig down your T1). Also, it has to log in as root on all of your boxes, so there are some very careful sercurity considerations.
But a box with a bunch of disks in it, put it off site, and whamo you have a complete backup solution.
For the windows users, I like backuppc. I have never actually used it, but it allows windows users to choose when their backups are taken, and allows them to recover files themselves through a web interface. It's big downside is the cryptic way it stores files internally, making it really hard to extract files without using the web interface.
If you have money enough then Netbackup is a very nice solution: version handling, user-restore, fine-grain authentication of systems and users. User friendly interface, Scales excellent. There are modules for databases and different OS-es.
Not cheap at all. When the database dies, it's very difficult to revive it. I suggest having a stand-in copy just in case.
I tested about 10 more or less freeware programs like Amanda, afbackup, Arkeia etc. - and idn't liked any of them.
Basically I use 2 scripts on systems not on Netbackup:
1) 2-week cycle: Total bup on friday, incremental on weekdays, none on Sat-, Sundays. Local tape streamer or scp to another machine with large disk capacity and tape it from that one.
No user interaction, only sysadmin access. Two tapes or tape sets for week one and for week 2 or disk directory A and B.
90% of restore is within 2 weeks. Perfect for smaller, developer systems.
I use ufsdump, dump and/or gnu tar depending on OS and tasks. Written i shell script
2) Monthly cycle: Total bup once a month, incremental backup is a backup of all of the data that has changed since the last total backup weekly and daily incrementals from the nearest backup.
I use GNU tar with labeling, plain text listing files for search for versions via grep. Several shell scripts in crontab and an demand. Wheel users and sysadmin access only.
Data is stored for several months. Typical use smaller servers.
My most important advice: nobody get fired having a working backup!
So time after time evaluate you backups!
You must be sure that you can do Bare Metall Recovery at any time!
Live CDs are nice to have at hand!
Again: nobody will be fired having a working backup! If your boss thinks that you spent too much time on restore-practice tell him that in case you have not enough security to do a BMR will he write it down that this is on his account...
http://backuppc.sourceforge.net/
If you have knowledgable IT, Amanda is nice--it will let you spend money on a nice tape changer and media, rather than expensive backup software that is often flakier than Amanda. If you don't have knowledgable IT, I'd actually say the next-best would be to out-source the backups.
It is backed up nightly onto a large raid system, and then once a week it is backed up to dvd from the raid.
And if on the 6th day the RAID controller goes haywire and screws up your data, you've lost 6 days of inserts/updates/deletes.
Maybe your data is pretty static, but for most 99.9% of businesses, daily backups are essential.
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
We have around 15 desktops and 10 servers being backup by this solution. It was trivial to setup. Drives are secure while in transport and storage. Its automated. Recoveries can be made very easily from the website on the linux server.
Its much easier for us than the tape backup system (Veritas) that it replaced.
The only issue is that with windows servers, it cant access open files. Our sql servers simply make a backup copy of their databases which it grabs, but exchange will cause you issues.
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