What do you backup? (Following on...)

[Edu-IT]

Following on from my recent posts I'm wondering what you backup? I think what I have is pretty spot on but be good to review it.

 

1) Network shares : files

2) User areas and profiles

3) Software shares (MSI packages)

4) System State

 

C: has also made it's way into our job but am I right in thinking that this is not necessary?

 

In terms of SIMS we have a script to backup the database. That and DOCSTORAGE enough?

 

How about Exchange 2007; Information Store enough?

 

Probably a trivial question but always good to get others opinions.

[EduTech]

We backup,

 

- Student User Area's

- Staff User Area's

 

and at the moment we are looking at the best way to backup,

 

- Exchange

- SharePoint (Granular Backup)

 

NM is looking into Acronis and Backup Exec

 

James.

[dhicks]

A timely question - I'm just re-configuring our backup server as I type (specifically, I'm trying to figure out why neither Debian or Ubuntu will re-install on what, until a few hours ago, was a perfectly serviceable Ubuntu 7.10 server). As well as that already mentioned, we also try and keep archives of workstations disk images as each of our workstations is individually installed. I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with our dedicated photos server - I've just had to move it to a 1TB machine as the old 200GB one was full.

 

--

David Hicks

[6Foot2]

We backup incrementally on a daily basis.

 

Weekly backup [basically amounts to a full backup]

 

Monthly backup: Full backup.

 

What is backed up:

 

Servers [NAS server, Domain controller, member servers, SIMS server, application and print server and single workstation for Ringmaster]

 

Software: Symantec Backup Exec: 12.D

[glennda]

we backup is backup exec

 

file server's (user areas and profiles for the important members of staff, or ones that use lots of macros etc in them so that if they go t*ts up they lose lots of stuff)

exchange servers x 2

RIS/WDS Server

Music Server

Sims server (daily full sql backup)

1 xdc (with the roles)

DHCP/DNS

Print server once in a blue moon

[Edu-IT]

I was wondering more about what you backup on the servers as opposed to which severs.

 

I'm pretty much satisfied that we have users documents and shared documents covered, it's more what is needed from the C: drive if anything, for recovery. And also what exactly is needed from Exchange and SIMS.

 

I seem to recall when we migrated our SIMS servers all we took across what the database and DOCSTORAGE. Everything else was freshly installed.

[glennda]

for the file servers not much point doing system state, unless you some things running on it that would change the system state (e.g some software that runs from being installed on the server)

[Edu-IT]

Okay, so:

 

DC: System State, Shadow Copy Components, Any network shares/documents

SIMS: System State, Shadow Copy Components, DOCSTORAGE & SQL databases

Exchange: System State, Shadow Copy Components, Information Store

[m25man]

I use BESR 2010 and backup everything.

Restore anything to anywhere anytime.

 

The fact is clustering and failover is still beyond most schools IT budgets so I prefer to have a plan ready to restore the entire machine if need be to whatever hardware I can get my hands on.

[elsiegee40]

Given that the C: drive is such a small proportion of the overall backup, I've taken a belt and braces approach. There may be little point in having it, but if I lose the server and then discover that I did need it, it would be too late.

[sted]

Given that the C: drive is such a small proportion of the overall backup, I've taken a belt and braces approach. There may be little point in having it, but if I lose the server and then discover that I did need it, it would be too late.

 

depends if the hdd fails having a complete backup of c is good and on most of my servers its not that big.

 

 

depends on the school (all but 2 of mine are single server and another has a hyper v print server but if that croaks i could rebuild it in an hour anyway) generally i back up whatever will fit on the nas box/tape generally i use ntbackup for c/systemstate and all tape stuff. 2008 i use macrium to dump a image of c to a nasbox then robocopy everything else across nice and simple and i can allow sensible teachers access to recover documents etc

[Edu-IT]

At present backing up 'anything and everything' is still coming in well under our backup capacity so I am not too worried right now but as we get further down the line to keep backup times low and ensure that the backup can fit on to the media I have it's going to be something I need to address.

 

Thinks it's best to stay like this then?

[maniac]

At the moment, I just backup essential data as our current backup system is struggling to cope - AIT3 tapes are just not cutting it for capacity any more.

 

We backup:

 

Storage server:

Student home areas

Shared areas

Staff Home areas and profiles

Netadmin shared area

 

Domain Controllers

System state

The entire C:\ - just in case

sysvol share - I know this is included anyway, but I like to ensure this is backed up as it contains a lot of my scripts which have taken months of tweeking to get right.

 

Exchange

All mailboxes and public areas using Backupexec Exchange addon

 

Webservers

MSSQL and mySQL run a scheduled backup which is then backed up to tape

The inetpub directory

 

Other servers:

Various locally hosted SQL databases for Backup exec, virus checker management etc.

 

My software share hosting my MSIs etc.

 

Few other bits and pieces that I can't remember at the moment.

 

SIMS is backed up remotely for us by our LEA, and they handle any issues with restoring data. This service only costs us £500 a year, which is a bargain to take that burden away from me. Kent LEA are very good with some of the services they are offering now.

 

I have a server restore kit which contains all the CDs to re-build a server from scratch, together with all license keys, copy of backup exec with license keys and any other software installed on my servers. In my 6 years of managing networks I've only had to re-build a server and restore it from backuptapes once thankfully!

 

We do a full backup on a Friday, and differential backups for the rest of the week. it takes about 16hrs to do a fullbackup and verify of our system, and uses 4 tapes at the moment, so the only day I can run it with enough time for it to finish is Friday night.

 

LTO4 tape changer on order however.

 

(anyone in the market for a sony AIT3 changer???)

 

For quick restore of lost work, we run Volume Shadow Copies on our Student home area and staff home area drives, this allows almost one click restore of lost work. We used to allow students access to do this themselves, but of course forgot it also allows them to easily restore all the peskey flash games they insist on clogging my network up with, so we had to remove access to that tab for students.

 

Mike.

Edited January 26, 2010 by maniac

[Edu-IT]

40 minutes to do a daily differential and 210 minutes to do a weekly full so I guess it's no problem to carry on backing up everything.