Backup Solution

[jsnetman]

We are going to purchase 2 new servers over the summer, each will contain 2TB of usable space for the school. Our current system has 800GB of usable storage and is almost full. Backing up this 800GB is taking almost the whole weekend. When we move to the 4TB setup I need a fast backup solution.

 

My current thought is to purchase a SAN and iSCSI connection to the servers and use it to backup the main servers and then to a multi tape loader to backup the SAN onto tape. Am I doing the right thing here as the cost of the SAN is currently looking at 9k ish and the tape loader 4k.

 

What are your thoughts and how would you backup 4TB over 2 servers.

[tmcd35]

2 x 4Tb Buffalo Terrastation NAS boxes @ £1000 each and 1 copy of Yosemite Backup 8.7 Unlimited Windows Servers Licence @ £650. Total cost £2650. Ask Simon at CPL, he just supplied me with this kit (installing it over Easter - be pleased to see the back of Backup Exec and tapes).

[Haptic]

Many thanks TMCD35,

 

Give me a pm if you would like any help jsnetman!

[plexer]

Was that £650 with 12 months maintenance?

 

Ben

[jsnetman]

Thanks Tmcd 35, we have tried nas before and the backup seemed to take forever for the 800gb and I still need to get it onto tape for offsite storage.

[tmcd35]

@Plexer: just checked the actual order. I paid £575 for Yosemite 8.7. Runs on an unlimited number of Windows servers and does include the 1 year gold support contract.

 

Does not include SQL or DR support.

 

@Jasnetman: We use a Rackmount for on-site and a portable NAS box for off-site. Full backups to the off site NAS three times a year - during half terms. Only 1 full back up per year on to the on-site NAS. The rest of the back-ups are incremental or differential.

 

Tend not to have a problem with backup speed. Using 1Gpbs link between servers and NAS. The larger differential back-ups run over weekends and the full back-up during holiday times.

Edited March 25, 2009 by tmcd35

[mrbios]

Personally i would stick with tapes, HP ultrium tape drives i would recommend, 1.5TB per tape (might be able to get bigger, that's the biggest we've used)

 

Ours is currently backing up 850gb daily and over a TB on the weekends (All our VMs, exchange, and everything on the iSCSI and more) daily takes about 8-9hours, weekly takes about 10-11, even has the possibility to go faster but certain areas constrain the speed

 

Only reason i prefer tapes is for transportation purposes, we keep all our tapes in a fireproof safe in a separate building

 

I've used one of those 1TB buffalo terastations and it was a pile of junk, i hope yours is better but from experience i wouldn't go near them ever again, what's the speed like on your buffalo option tmcd?