Comments on: Office Backups: The Journey, Part 1 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/ A Technology Crow in search of Bright Shiny Objects Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:44:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Patrick Siefe http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-50412 Patrick Siefe Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:53:04 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-50412 When restoring, Mozy Pro Can take 24 hours (or more, as I sit waiting at hour 30) on a weekend (weekdays would take longer) to simply GATHER the files that you need to download before you can even start to download them. (50k files or a VERY SMALL server) This makes it worthless for Dr.s lawyers, dentist, hotels,... or anyone who needs their data restored rapidly. Further, I have been on the phone waiting simply for someone to answer the phone for over an hour so far with no response. When restoring, Mozy Pro Can take 24 hours (or more, as I sit waiting at hour 30) on a weekend (weekdays would take longer) to simply GATHER the files that you need to download before you can even start to download them. (50k files or a VERY SMALL server) This makes it worthless for Dr.s lawyers, dentist, hotels,… or anyone who needs their data restored rapidly.

Further, I have been on the phone waiting simply for someone to answer the phone for over an hour so far with no response.

]]> By: MozyPro Failures » Solo Technology http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-47064 MozyPro Failures » Solo Technology Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:26:43 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-47064 [...] let me clarify: MozyPro worked well for me until the backups got too big. Then it became awful and I switched over to LogMeIn Backup which I’m still quite happy with. But [...] [...] let me clarify: MozyPro worked well for me until the backups got too big. Then it became awful and I switched over to LogMeIn Backup which I’m still quite happy with. But [...]

]]> By: -DC- http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-19001 -DC- Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:33:57 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-19001 How well does Amanda handle NTFS permissions? I started using Unison with Cygwin and ran into several issues, especially on Vista. Unison uses Rsync technology to perform copies which means it's able to do "diff" file updates as opposed to entire file copies every time it changes (read: less bandwidth.) But I'm finding that *nix archive tools on Windows don't work so well because of permissions and file locking issues, or even long file names. So now I'm playing around with SyncToy and possibly Robocopy, both Windows oriented. I back up to a remote (parent's house) NAS device (NSLU2) running Linux firmware that allows me to tunnel SMB over SSH, ensuring the traffic is encrypted. I can also enable SSH compression to cut down on bandwidth and utilize its fast blowfish (or even faster, RC4) encryption cypher. Seems to work pretty well and I don't have to worry about loading some company's proprietary software on my computer or worry about them snooping through my files--or worry about having to pay them! How well does Amanda handle NTFS permissions? I started using Unison with Cygwin and ran into several issues, especially on Vista. Unison uses Rsync technology to perform copies which means it’s able to do “diff” file updates as opposed to entire file copies every time it changes (read: less bandwidth.) But I’m finding that *nix archive tools on Windows don’t work so well because of permissions and file locking issues, or even long file names. So now I’m playing around with SyncToy and possibly Robocopy, both Windows oriented. I back up to a remote (parent’s house) NAS device (NSLU2) running Linux firmware that allows me to tunnel SMB over SSH, ensuring the traffic is encrypted. I can also enable SSH compression to cut down on bandwidth and utilize its fast blowfish (or even faster, RC4) encryption cypher. Seems to work pretty well and I don’t have to worry about loading some company’s proprietary software on my computer or worry about them snooping through my files–or worry about having to pay them!

]]> By: Office Backups: The Journey, Part 2 » Solo Technology http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16096 Office Backups: The Journey, Part 2 » Solo Technology Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:34:46 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16096 [...] Zeitgeist « Office Backups: The Journey, Part 1 [...] [...] Zeitgeist « Office Backups: The Journey, Part 1 [...]

]]> By: Vox http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16084 Vox Sun, 18 Nov 2007 20:03:35 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16084 The thing with encryption is that it slows down things ever more than the throttled bandwidth of your ISP...and when you have a 30,000 files backup, it's gonna be slooooow...10hr for a backup? only for a complete network, not for a single server. As for amanda...I don't know if it runs on a windows server as backup repository, but...you don't need to install samba or cygwin on your windows backup clients...samba = SMB = CIFS...it's how windows shares files with windows...so, no...you'd only have to install, at worse, a small linux box (amanda is not a resource monster) and the amanda clients on your boxes, at best (if it runs as backup server on windows), just the amanda clients. As for remote data centers....it all depends on how they are connected to the main one...but I'd probably go the sneakernet way...local backup server with detachable HDs and shipping around once a month. Amanda is a PITA to understand because it's completely different from the usual backup paradigm (you don't tell it when you want a full backup and incremental backups...it decides on its own depending on network load and other factors, you just tell it "I want a full backup once a week" or once a month or whatever, and it decides on its own when it happens), but once you got it working, nothing comes close to it, IMNSHO and experience. Hell, I'm thinking that if your major problem is the upload time with online backups, I'd do an on-disk backup with amanda on each site and just backup the amanda server online...that way, you have the best of both worlds...a local fast backup and an offsite backup for when the building burns down. The thing with encryption is that it slows down things ever more than the throttled bandwidth of your ISP…and when you have a 30,000 files backup, it’s gonna be slooooow…10hr for a backup? only for a complete network, not for a single server.

As for amanda…I don’t know if it runs on a windows server as backup repository, but…you don’t need to install samba or cygwin on your windows backup clients…samba = SMB = CIFS…it’s how windows shares files with windows…so, no…you’d only have to install, at worse, a small linux box (amanda is not a resource monster) and the amanda clients on your boxes, at best (if it runs as backup server on windows), just the amanda clients.

As for remote data centers….it all depends on how they are connected to the main one…but I’d probably go the sneakernet way…local backup server with detachable HDs and shipping around once a month.

Amanda is a PITA to understand because it’s completely different from the usual backup paradigm (you don’t tell it when you want a full backup and incremental backups…it decides on its own depending on network load and other factors, you just tell it “I want a full backup once a week” or once a month or whatever, and it decides on its own when it happens), but once you got it working, nothing comes close to it, IMNSHO and experience.

Hell, I’m thinking that if your major problem is the upload time with online backups, I’d do an on-disk backup with amanda on each site and just backup the amanda server online…that way, you have the best of both worlds…a local fast backup and an offsite backup for when the building burns down.

]]> By: Chris http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16053 Chris Sun, 18 Nov 2007 05:00:50 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16053 @bob - I'm actually glad to hear that as it helps me realize I'm not the only one with the issues. I kept asking, "Am I really the only one with these issues?" but never got a square answer... @vox - good grief man, of <strong>course</strong> encryption is in the mix! Files are encrypted before they ever leave the machine and are sent over an encrypted link. Until tonight, the only Amanda I've ever heard of is my niece living 3 states away. I run a (mostly) windows shop. Also, I don't have the luxury of running gigabit between the office servers and our two remote data centers... I probably won't be installing samba or cygwin on my production servers to explore this option (and can a windows server even be the repository?!?) That being said, I think you'll find part 2 of this a bit more palatable, at least from an architectural standpoint. Also, thanks for mentioning it. Definitely a product that'll be good to be aware of for the future in other environments! :-) @bob – I’m actually glad to hear that as it helps me realize I’m not the only one with the issues. I kept asking, “Am I really the only one with these issues?” but never got a square answer…

@vox – good grief man, of course encryption is in the mix! Files are encrypted before they ever leave the machine and are sent over an encrypted link.

Until tonight, the only Amanda I’ve ever heard of is my niece living 3 states away. I run a (mostly) windows shop. Also, I don’t have the luxury of running gigabit between the office servers and our two remote data centers… I probably won’t be installing samba or cygwin on my production servers to explore this option (and can a windows server even be the repository?!?)

That being said, I think you’ll find part 2 of this a bit more palatable, at least from an architectural standpoint.

Also, thanks for mentioning it. Definitely a product that’ll be good to be aware of for the future in other environments! :-)

]]> By: Vox http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16034 Vox Sun, 18 Nov 2007 01:04:03 +0000 http://www.solo-technology.com/blog/2007/11/17/office-backups-the-journey-part-1/#comment-16034 Ok, I don't know what the love for online backups is...I really *really* don't like them, all I see is the cons...slow times (no matter how good their service is, your maximum speed is still just as fast as your internet pipe is...and nobody has gigabit internet...at least none of my clients); then you are putting your data in the hands of a complete unknown...your important business data...ugh, don't get me started on that. And if you talk about encryption...think about even more time. For me, backups are done one way and one way only...amanda+removable HDs+gigabit ethernet. Amanda rules the world when it comes to backups, it backs up linux or windows with ease, fast as all hell, and the restore options are simple, because it uses, at least in linux, standard tools to do the actual backup archives. Ok, I don’t know what the love for online backups is…I really *really* don’t like them, all I see is the cons…slow times (no matter how good their service is, your maximum speed is still just as fast as your internet pipe is…and nobody has gigabit internet…at least none of my clients); then you are putting your data in the hands of a complete unknown…your important business data…ugh, don’t get me started on that. And if you talk about encryption…think about even more time.

For me, backups are done one way and one way only…amanda+removable HDs+gigabit ethernet. Amanda rules the world when it comes to backups, it backs up linux or windows with ease, fast as all hell, and the restore options are simple, because it uses, at least in linux, standard tools to do the actual backup archives.

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