October 28, 2009 at 9:37 am
So I have more thoughts & info after our big & informative WHS, RAID, Carbonite/Mozy, etc discussion.
I subscribed to Carbonite. Thought it was awesome at first. Now I find that it doesn't seem to "easily find" new files. Perhaps it's my error, but ...
Second, I became sold on WHS and was ready to set up a system with it.
Third, I just got a new Windows 7 Ultimate system and discovered Windows Backup. Seems like a Eureka moment to me ... I have my 2TB Mirror Edition MyBook hanging off a USB port and have Windows Backup scheduled to run once each day.
Pros:
1. Simple & Cheap
2. Seemingly does the job (ie backs up the data in case a drive goes bad)
3. No additional system/server/hardware to setup, run, and burn electricity
Cons:
1. A fire or similar catastrophe would destroy all my data
(solution: occasionally rotate thru a couple external HDs and store one offsite)
2. Older Windows OS's don't have this apparently robust version of Windows Backup.
3. Doesn't back up other computers in the house
(though it apparently can back up networked Win 7 machines)
4. Can't access it remotely & thus share data offsite
(that's not really a backup issue)
Summary is I think I'm going the route of a scheduled Windows Backup to an external hard drive that will only cost me the price of an external My Book, and alleviate the need for an additional WHS machine.
Thoughts?
October 28, 2009 at 9:52 am
I recently, very unfortunately, had to put my HP Media Smart server (which runs WHS) to the ultimate test and it failed terribly!
Firstly the power supply blew. This meant that, because it hosts most of my files on the server and backs them up on another disk in the same physical server, I didn't have access to either the live files or the backups without moving the disk to another machine and then back again when I got it up and running.
Although I thought it would be an easy fix (call HP to order new part and install it), it turns out that HP are extremely difficult to get hold of and even then they don't support out of warranty servers. I ended up tracking down a small company in Scotland who sent me a similar PSU, which I then had to rewire to match HP's nonstandard layout before I could get the server running again.
Secondly, while I was waiting for the power supply to arrive for the WHS, the disk in my main server failed, loosing a couple of weeks worth of data which would otherwise have been backed up on the WHS.
Now I know we can't plan for everything on a home network without spending relatively stupid amounts of money, but I may have to have a rethink around the WHS and it's role on my network!
October 28, 2009 at 11:59 am
The real failure here was the choice of a proprietary system to host WHS, which inherently tied the success of your backup scheme to the availability of parts for that computer. This is why I "ALWAYS BUILD MY OWN MACHINES FROM PARTS". That way, I can always just go get another power supply, motherboard, hard drive, or whatever, and I don't have to worry about whether or not I can recover quickly. I also always buy hardware at the top end of the capacity realm, and at the higher end of the quality spectrum. The one time I failed to do that, I had data loss on my wife's computer, and that has not been a good thing. I still have a computer that's over 10 years old, and it continues to work quite well, although I'm going to have to replace it fairly soon as the hard drives life expectancy has either already expired or will very soon.
Steve
(aka sgmunson)
:-):-):-)
Ben Moorhouse (10/28/2009)
I recently, very unfortunately, had to put my HP Media Smart server (which runs WHS) to the ultimate test and it failed terribly!Firstly the power supply blew. This meant that, because it hosts most of my files on the server and backs them up on another disk in the same physical server, I didn't have access to either the live files or the backups without moving the disk to another machine and then back again when I got it up and running.
Although I thought it would be an easy fix (call HP to order new part and install it), it turns out that HP are extremely difficult to get hold of and even then they don't support out of warranty servers. I ended up tracking down a small company in Scotland who sent me a similar PSU, which I then had to rewire to match HP's nonstandard layout before I could get the server running again.
Secondly, while I was waiting for the power supply to arrive for the WHS, the disk in my main server failed, loosing a couple of weeks worth of data which would otherwise have been backed up on the WHS.
Now I know we can't plan for everything on a home network without spending relatively stupid amounts of money, but I may have to have a rethink around the WHS and it's role on my network!
Steve (aka sgmunson) 🙂 🙂 🙂
Rent Servers for Income (picks and shovels strategy)
October 28, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Anyone with experience with "Windows Backup", particularly the recent versions?
October 29, 2009 at 2:02 am
Tell me about it! I built my other machines, which is what I do normally. This one was a quick and simple looking solution, and from past experience, HP are normally reliable.
The hard drive failure is probably the same situation as you, but with an 8 year old machine... so be careful 😉
sgmunson (10/28/2009)
The real failure here was the choice of a proprietary system to host WHS, which inherently tied the success of your backup scheme to the availability of parts for that computer. This is why I "ALWAYS BUILD MY OWN MACHINES FROM PARTS". That way, I can always just go get another power supply, motherboard, hard drive, or whatever, and I don't have to worry about whether or not I can recover quickly. I also always buy hardware at the top end of the capacity realm, and at the higher end of the quality spectrum. The one time I failed to do that, I had data loss on my wife's computer, and that has not been a good thing. I still have a computer that's over 10 years old, and it continues to work quite well, although I'm going to have to replace it fairly soon as the hard drives life expectancy has either already expired or will very soon.Steve
(aka sgmunson)
:-):-):-)
October 29, 2009 at 8:52 am
Windows Backup was in Vista, and I think XP. I've used it a few times, weekly backups, and it worked OK for me. I recovered some stuff, though I never tried a full system recovery. Not sure I would now. I'd rahter reinstall stuff, and not reinstall some other things.
I debated the HP, but for the reasons Steve mentioned, I didn't want to get stuck with some silly connector or proprietary part. It's burned me before, so I'm taking an old machine I know, and have replaced some parts, and it's slated to be WHS when I get time. It's got 750GB of space on 2 drives, and I need to get another one or two in there.
October 29, 2009 at 9:04 am
Sounds like a much better plan!
WHS doesn't take much to run nicely either, so old machines are perfect (as long as the drives are reliable!)
October 29, 2009 at 9:07 am
Yeah, but why not just use Windows Backup, unless you're dead set on backing up multiple computers and they aren't Win 7 computers?
October 29, 2009 at 10:03 am
Who has one machine?
If you have one machine, Backup is great.
November 17, 2009 at 9:40 am
Has anyone use the iDrive online backup service? I'm thinking of getting that set up this weekend...it's the only one I've found that supports backup of Server 2003. (I think Mozy supports it, but you have to pay extra because they consider you a business customer instead of a personal user for that OS).
The Redneck DBA
November 17, 2009 at 11:23 am
I myself would never use an online backup service. I believe that in order to keep your data secure, then you should only use local backup services. If I were to use an online backup service, then I would require idemity clauses such that the vendor of the service would be required cover costs associated with any breach in their environment that would cause harm to my business.
James E. Freedle II
November 17, 2009 at 11:25 am
I'm sure most companies that provide online backups for businesses would do that...but I'm just talking my personal data (mostly digital pictures and things with sentimental value). I don't really have anything that I would particularly care about if someone else got a hold of it.
The Redneck DBA
November 17, 2009 at 9:17 pm
For my personal backup needs, the Home Server works greatly for that purpose. I can attach a removable drive to the server and backup my Home Server to the drive, remove and place in a Fireproof safe or take it to a Safe Deposit box at the bank (which would require a cost).
James E. Freedle II
November 18, 2009 at 3:28 am
Windows Backup, on Windows 7, is now doing the job for me ... daily incremental backup to an external hard drive.
April 22, 2016 at 8:10 am
Is anyone using xcopy to copy the files?
Copy all files of c:\TRs to the d:\trs folder including subfolders
xcopy c:\TRs d:\trs /D /E
412-977-3526 call/text
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