Small business data backup Options

[Moph]

Hi guys

I'm starting up an engineering consultancy next month (just me - no staff) and am looking at data backup strategies for my home 'server' ... which is the computer in my sig running XP Pro.

I have a Sharkoon USB3 dual HDD dock and a few external 2TB drives, with Acronis TrueImage for backing up my file system and SyncBackPro for doing versioned incremental backups of data files. My data backup strategy is:

- no internal RAID, going with the KISS rule and due to me running out of space in there
- nightly non-versioned SyncBackPro backup of company data onto a 2.5" HDD which will leave the office when I do (home office)
- nightly versioned SyncBackPro backup of company data onto 3.5" HDD which will live in my data rated fireproof safe
- weekly Acronis backup of file system

Questions:

1) I have 5 x 2TB HDDs and 1 x 640GB HDD (all bare) to play with. What is my best rotation schedule, remembering that backups are versioned so retention of 'old' backups isn't really critical? I've been thinking of using the single 640GB for my file system (as worst case if that also died I can reinstall Windows from scratch and be back operational with all business software installed in about 5-6 hours max) and just rotating the 4 x 2TB hard drives on a nightly basis to even out usage and minimise potential data loss if a backup drive dies?

2) Should I be looking at running a Virtual Server under XP Pro? I've vaguely heard that this might let me use Acronis to recover my file system onto a completely new PC if the old one were stolen or otherwise died completely.

Any general advice would be appreciated too. I'm pretty sure what I'm proposing will work well, but there may be better methods out there using the gear I already have. I'm not fussed about internal RAID because as I said I'm running short of room in the case, and can swap a dead internal drive for one of the 4 backups in about 5 minutes anyway ... not a problem there. Loss of a single day's data wouldn't be a major inconvenience as I wouldn't yet have overwritten my memory card (photographs), and would be able to pump out the report again pretty quickly having already written it once.

Cheers =)

[Master_Scythe]

1. rotation matters little i what you describe

2. If you;re storing files only, and not the OS, you can drop the image back onto ANY drive with acronis. Just make sure you make the backups using their bootable environment (acronisboot.iso) and all will go smoothly.

While you backup plan doesnt account for shit like natural disasters; maje sure before you begin any of this you invest in a fireproof and waterproof safe; as it sounds unlikely you'll be able to source good off site storage.

[Jeruselem]

Oh yes, Acronis TrueImage is now obselete. It's now called Backup & Recovery
http://www.acronis.com.au/backup-recovery/

[CptnChrysler]

Whatever you go with, keep it simple.

You're more likely to backup regularly if you keep you system quick, simple and logical.

Also test your system works.
Can you recover a file or system properly?
Too many people run their backups and never actually test they work.

[Moph]

Okay - got it sorted.

5x 2TB drives will rotate nightly to backup all data - effectively a backup sync operation with versioning. M, W, F will be kept in a fireproof safe in the garage. Tu will be kept in my work car. Th will be kept in a lock box in the shed. If something happens to take all of those out at once, I'm unlikely to be around to worry about it!

Will also sync critical and active data (accounts, client management system, current projects) to a 500GB mobile drive and my tablet nightly. That way it leaves the office when I do.

Acronis will be used to image off my system files (Windows, programs) so I can recover quickly in case of OS malfunction. That's not so critical because I can reinstall Windows and all work apps/settings in about 4 hours from scratch (just did it tonight so I start my backups from fresh). So the system will just be backed up to a single 640GB drive and stored in the safe.

I'm happy with that =)

This post has been edited by Moph: Jun 24 2011, 01:58 AM

[Master_Scythe]

Sounds good; and yep the tablet counts as an offsite backup.
Hope that client data is encrypted. You lose that tab you have a good law suite on your hands if the data gets out.

Thats about all :D good plan

[aliali]

You realise Acronis can also do individual file backup as well as OS images? It also does incremental and differential backups if wanted.
Personally I stopped using Acronis as it was giving me trouble, but that was on Win 7 64 bit. I have now moved to Macrium Reflect which seems to work with no issues.

[Master_Scythe]

I only ever do full HDD images; otherwise i havea 32GB USB stick for backups; which gets blown away each HDD image.

Works for me.

[Moph]

I know Acronis can do full differential/incremental backups ... I just happen to like SyncBackPro better =)

I used SyncroMagic for years until they were bought out and everything fell over, and it's a very similar interface. Was worth the extra $50 to me to have that familiarity and ease of control back - and it just dumps everything across in standard file/folder format rather than into a proprietary .tib file that has to be interpreted by Acronis. If I have a dead drive, I can simply straight-swap it with my backup drive and keep going. Acronis is awesome for OS backups though.

[The Tick]

Will also sync critical and active data (accounts, client management system, current projects) to a 500GB mobile drive and my tablet nightly. That way it leaves the office when I do.

How much data would be considered "active"?

There are some cloud backup services which can give you up to 5GB for free (eg. sugarsync) for those "essential" files.

[Moph]

Due to site photos, I usually have about 2GB of 'active' project data at any one time. That would roll over weekly though and I just don't have the uplink speed to cope with it. iiNet ADSL2+ but 4km from the exchange so I get 2.38Mbps down / 0.35 Mbps up =(

[Master_Scythe]

Cant switch to Annex-M ADSL2+? or is it already M?

[Moph]

Cant switch to Annex-M ADSL2+? or is it already M?

Nah have to upgrade to a business plan for that. Internet isn't critical to my operations (and I'll be able to tether my phone if the ADSL goes down) so not worth the extra $$ each month.

[aliali]

I used SyncroMagic for years until they were bought out and everything fell over, and it's a very similar interface. Was worth the extra $50 to me to have that familiarity and ease of control back - and it just dumps everything across in standard file/folder format rather than into a proprietary .tib file that has to be interpreted by Acronis. If I have a dead drive, I can simply straight-swap it with my backup drive and keep going. Acronis is awesome for OS backups though.

Ah fair enough. If you are familiar with it and it does exactly what you want then it is perfect for the job, no bones about that at all. Just though you may have been unnecessarily over complicating it with two backup solutions. Clearly I was wrong.
:-)
With that up speed you must be on an ADSL1 only port or have really nasty attenuation.
Should get at least 800Kb up on an ADSL2+ port.
My line figures on a TW ADSL 2+ port
Upstream 864
Downstream 3232
SNR Margin(Upstream) 7.0
SNR Margin(Downstream) 6.6
Line Attenuation(Upstream) 31.0
Line Attenuation(Downstream) 58.0

[Moph]

Yeah I have actually had to drop back to ADSL1 to maintain a stable connection. ADSL2 I can get up to 3.5Mbps but experience regular loss of synchronisation - just not usable. When I first had it put on ADSL2 was stable, but then June/July 2010 it went wonky and I had to drop back to ADSL1. Visionstream then Telstra came out to test the line and found some faults, but basically said it was impossible to fix and I'd just have to live with it. For general use it's okay ... just frustrating when watching Youtube (has to buffer 720p) and using Google Maps etc.

Upstream 416
Downstream 2752
SNR Margin (up) 1.8 dB
SNR Margin (down) 13.0 dB
Line Attenuation (up) 31.5 dB
Line Attenuation (down) 59.5dB

[Jeruselem]

Telstra sold you a ADSL2+ service and give you an ADSL1 one? That's rubbish. They just could be bothered fixing it.

[Moph]

Telstra sold you a ADSL2+ service and give you an ADSL1 one? That's rubbish. They just could be bothered fixing it.

Nope ... iiNet sold me the ADSL2+ service (and it worked for 9 months). Then it went to hell and they handballed to Telstra as it was a line problem. Telstra said I was lucky to have ever had a stable ADSL2 connection and recommended dropping back to ADSL. It wasn't dramatically slower on ADSL than ADSL2 anyway ... dropped from about 3Mbps to 2.4Mbps using speedtest.net.

Maybe could argue to escape my contract but meh. Got 6 months left on it and will probably go wireless from there.

[Jeruselem]

Telstra sold you a ADSL2+ service and give you an ADSL1 one? That's rubbish. They just could be bothered fixing it.

Nope ... iiNet sold me the ADSL2+ service (and it worked for 9 months). Then it went to hell and they handballed to Telstra as it was a line problem. Telstra said I was lucky to have ever had a stable ADSL2 connection and recommended dropping back to ADSL. It wasn't dramatically slower on ADSL than ADSL2 anyway ... dropped from about 3Mbps to 2.4Mbps using speedtest.net.

Maybe could argue to escape my contract but meh. Got 6 months left on it and will probably go wireless from there.

Ah, so it was Telstra's fault all along then.