Do you still use tapes?

[FN-GM]

Just wondered how many people still use tape drives to backup? we have finally ditched them for a NAS solution.

 

We have one NAS Box onsite and then another one on the other side of town in the local CLC. We use a fiber connection between the two so its nice and fast.

[DMcCoy]

Spent the day putting one of my new LTO4s into a rack in fact!

[sparkeh]

Yeah at one site we do and I have never liked it.

 

Not actively looking at replacing yet but will nearer budget time. I think I will get the nod to move to NAS backup.

[7andY]

The good thing about tapes is that they are very easy to rotate, and store offsite - you do store offsite as well, don't you?

 

Cheers, 7&Y

[Fuzzz]

Still use tapes overhere... Their not (very) fragile, cheap, fast (enough), easy to rotate and I can keep an archive of several months. (Plus, ofcourse, the yearly and half-yearly archives)

[Hightower]

We use tapes Also use a FreeNAS box for certain backups too (but this is really used for quick restores when kids delete work - not as a serious recovery tool)

 

Would love to move to something a bit more modern but money disagree's at the minute. Possibility of setting up virtualisation on network so would take another look at the solution then I guess.

[elsiegee40]

you do store offsite as well, don't you?

 

Cheers, 7&Y

 

this old chestnut ... No we don't store off site. We have large grounds with 4 separate buildings a good distance from each other.

 

The NAS in use is secured in the building farthest from that containing the server. The one not in use is stored securely (not networked) in the building next furthest away (there's about 5 metres in it!)

 

After much discussion, we decided that this was the least risk option for us.

 

We use tapes Also use a FreeNAS box for certain backups too (but this is really used for quick restores when kids delete work - not as a serious recovery tool)

 

Volume shadow copy is in place for quick data recovery for those accidental deletions!

[Pete10141748]

We use tapes for 2 of our servers, they came with tape drives so we figured we'd use them.

 

One of our other servers used a strnage combination of a USB drive and a small-form HDD disk, the other we use a portable HDD.

 

 

All are stored offsite with relevant people (finance/admin backup with the Bursar, work/files/profiles etc. with us)

 

Would like to change to all portable HDD's or maybe offsite storage done via the 'net, but for the time being money dictates we have to keep doing what we are doing

[Little-Miss]

I use a NAS. Only a little network, so its ok at the moment..

[DMcCoy]

this old chestnut ... No we don't store off site. We have large grounds with 4 separate buildings a good distance from each other.

 

The NAS in use is secured in the building farthest from that containing the server. The one not in use is stored securely (not networked) in the building next furthest away (there's about 5 metres in it!)

 

After much discussion, we decided that this was the least risk option for us.

 

 

 

Volume shadow copy is in place for quick data recovery for those accidental deletions!

 

Still one site though? The problem is, I would assume that the chances of all buildings catching fire probably increase if it's arson.

[ICT_GUY]

Too many gigs for Tape. Might be able to use it for User Data but that's about it.

 

I will be buying a few 64gig usb sticks next year, at which point they should be sub £30 I will also buy another external HD for the main DC.

[jamin100]

We still use tapes (2 form primary) here and also some NAS located at the farthest point in the building as a backup.

 

CMIS data is backed up to an external HD attached to the server and also over the net every night.

[7andY]

Too many gigs for Tape. .

 

Wow - must be some size. My tape system will store up to 800GB

 

7&Y

[pete]

We backup to disk, then to tape.

[SimpleSi]

We still use tapes (2 form primary) here and also some NAS located at the farthest point in the building as a backup.

 

CMIS data is backed up to an external HD attached to the server and also over the net every night.

 

Who/where/how much does it cost for the backup over the net?

 

regards

 

Simon

[plexer]

The usage on my backup share on my san/nas is currently 871GB.

 

Ben

[Jamman960]

We've used tape to date but we've out grown it unfourtunatly, until about a year and a half ago the school only had 1 server to backup and we now have 4.

 

We'd need to buy a new high capacity tape drive along with the tapes and extra veritas licenses etc etc so I've put togeather a plan for a new nas server to be housed in the furthest point on our site. I'm also looking at having 2 spare 1tb drives to be hot swapped for off site storage.

 

My current estimate comes in at around £900, tapes etc would push us to at least £1500 and still wouldn't offer any where near as much storage as the nas will.

[elsiegee40]

Still one site though? The problem is, I would assume that the chances of all buildings catching fire probably increase if it's arson.

 

1. Arsonists would need to be fit Very steep hill! Vehicular access to premises very difficult.

 

2. Fireproof safe

[Fuzzz]

2. Fireproof safe

 

The save can be fireproof, but is it rated for datastorage? Otherwise it still can become too hot inside the safe for your tapes/HDD's

[elsiegee40]

The save can be fireproof, but is it rated for datastorage? Otherwise it still can become too hot inside the safe for your tapes/HDD's

 

 

Yep

[Fuzzz]

Then you've got it covered!

 

(I have to get myself one of those too! )

Edited November 18, 2008 by Fuzzz
typo

[localzuk]

Let's put it this way - if a fire happens in your school, the least of your worries is going to be the data held on your server. There's gonna be a lot more to worry about...

[ICT_GUY]

Wow - must be some size. My tape system will store up to 800GB

 

7&Y

 

 

What I was getting at, was that for the volume of data, the cost of the drive and the tapes would be more beer tokens than I currently have in the piggy bank. USB sticks would do as off site backup for not much coinage.

[Ex-MGSTech]

yes, we use disk to disk to tape

 

Out of curiosity, which NAS boxes/Backup software are people using?

 

I ditched backup exec on our admin LAN last year and we're currently using Backup Assist.

 

Steve