Backup Application Recommendation

July 11, 2007

Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable backup to tape application

that's simple for end users to maintain? I've been using NovaSTOR products

for some of my customers and the later versions of NovaBACKUP and NovaNET

have been horribly unreliable and finicky, especially for restores.

I know BackupExec and Arcserve are used heavily, but they tend to be a

little complicated for the average end user.

July 11, 2007

Re: Backup Application Recommendation

I just use the built-in Windows Backup for one client. It's a bit tricky to

get working, but otherwise it does the job. I've done a test restore of

files and they work fine. I have some notes on everything if you're

interested.

--

Regards,

Martin X.

MCSA: M

"Absolutely" <nospam@nospam.here> wrote in message

news:e1wpm88wHHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable backup to tape application

that's simple for end users to maintain? I've been using NovaSTOR products

for some of my customers and the later versions of NovaBACKUP and NovaNET

have been horribly unreliable and finicky, especially for restores.

I know BackupExec and Arcserve are used heavily, but they tend to be a

little complicated for the average end user.

July 12, 2007

Re: Backup Application Recommendation

Would be interested for sure. I've tried it in the past and you're right,

it is slightly less than friendly. It does work, but lacks some

functionality that would be good.

"Martin X." <martin@x.x> wrote in message

news:uSURyR$wHHA.5028@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>I just use the built-in Windows Backup for one client. It's a bit tricky to

> get working, but otherwise it does the job. I've done a test restore of

> files and they work fine. I have some notes on everything if you're

> interested.

>

> --

> Regards,

> Martin X.

> MCSA: M

>

> "Absolutely" <nospam@nospam.here> wrote in message

> news:e1wpm88wHHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable backup to tape application

> that's simple for end users to maintain? I've been using NovaSTOR

> products

> for some of my customers and the later versions of NovaBACKUP and NovaNET

> have been horribly unreliable and finicky, especially for restores.

>

> I know BackupExec and Arcserve are used heavily, but they tend to be a

> little complicated for the average end user.

>

July 12, 2007

Re: Backup Application Recommendation

Here are my notes for Windows Backup:

o Note: This was tested on Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, SP 1 with a Dell

PowerVault 100T DAT72 tape drive. Since the ntbackup.exe version is the same

as on Windows Server 2003 Standard, SP 1, there should be no difference.

o Apparently there is no unified management tool for all the backup

components, so use Computer Management --> Storage --> Removable Storage to

manage the tape drive and tapes only. Use Windows Backup to manage the

backup jobs.

o The tape does not have to be formatted. Just put in any tape and set up

the backup job with the /um switch at the end. This makes the job unmanaged

so it won't care what tape is in the drive. It will just reformat the tape

that is in the drive at the time of backup.

o When you set up the backup job, there is a field for labeling the media.

Since there is only one media label for each backup job, you'll have to

create a separate backup job for each tape if you want separate labels. But

if the physical label sticker on the tape itself is labeled correctly then

that should suffice.

o If you add new files or folders to a folder that is already selected, they

will automatically be backed up in subsequent backup jobs.

o See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314844/en-us for additional info.

o Selecting "Allow only the owner and the Administrator access to the backup

data" in the Backup Job Information dialog box doesn't do anything. I made

two test file backups, one with that selection and one without. I then

copied both .bkf files to a totally different computer running Windows XP

Professional that didn't have the same administrator password. I was still

able to do a restore of both backups and access all the restored files.

o By default, ten days worth of backup logs are kept. The log files are

named backup01.log through backup10.log. The log files and the .BKS file,

which contains a list of resources to backup, are located in the profile

folder of the user who created the backup job. Under the profile folder, go

to \Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\. The

backup job will need access to that folder, so make sure that the folder is

accessible to whichever account is used to run the backup job.

o In the Computer Management MMC, there is an option to mark the tape drive

as clean. It's under Storage --> Removable Storage --> Libraries -->

right-click on the tape drive and the context menu will have an option

labeled "Mark as clean." Selecting that will set the last cleaned date on

the drive's properties --> General tab to the current date and time. Try

this if the drive's cleaning light doesn't turn off after a cleaning.

--

Regards,

Martin X.

MCSA: M

"Absolutely" <abs@spam.never> wrote in message

news:uQEEUwBxHHA.4604@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

Would be interested for sure. I've tried it in the past and you're right,

it is slightly less than friendly. It does work, but lacks some

functionality that would be good.

"Martin X." <martin@x.x> wrote in message

news:uSURyR$wHHA.5028@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>I just use the built-in Windows Backup for one client. It's a bit tricky to

> get working, but otherwise it does the job. I've done a test restore of

> files and they work fine. I have some notes on everything if you're

> interested.

>

> --

> Regards,

> Martin X.

> MCSA: M

>

> "Absolutely" <nospam@nospam.here> wrote in message

> news:e1wpm88wHHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable backup to tape application

> that's simple for end users to maintain? I've been using NovaSTOR

> products

> for some of my customers and the later versions of NovaBACKUP and NovaNET

> have been horribly unreliable and finicky, especially for restores.

>

> I know BackupExec and Arcserve are used heavily, but they tend to be a

> little complicated for the average end user.

>

July 12, 2007

Re: Backup Application Recommendation

I'll give it a try. Thanks much!

By the way, have you figured out a way to eject the tape after the backup?

"Martin X." <martin@x.x> wrote in message

news:%23wE0mOIxHHA.3328@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Here are my notes for Windows Backup:

>

> o Note: This was tested on Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard, SP 1 with a

> Dell

> PowerVault 100T DAT72 tape drive. Since the ntbackup.exe version is the

> same

> as on Windows Server 2003 Standard, SP 1, there should be no difference.

> o Apparently there is no unified management tool for all the backup

> components, so use Computer Management --> Storage --> Removable Storage

> to

> manage the tape drive and tapes only. Use Windows Backup to manage the

> backup jobs.

> o The tape does not have to be formatted. Just put in any tape and set up

> the backup job with the /um switch at the end. This makes the job

> unmanaged

> so it won't care what tape is in the drive. It will just reformat the tape

> that is in the drive at the time of backup.

> o When you set up the backup job, there is a field for labeling the media.

> Since there is only one media label for each backup job, you'll have to

> create a separate backup job for each tape if you want separate labels.

> But

> if the physical label sticker on the tape itself is labeled correctly then

> that should suffice.

> o If you add new files or folders to a folder that is already selected,

> they

> will automatically be backed up in subsequent backup jobs.

> o See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314844/en-us for additional info.

> o Selecting "Allow only the owner and the Administrator access to the

> backup

> data" in the Backup Job Information dialog box doesn't do anything. I made

> two test file backups, one with that selection and one without. I then

> copied both .bkf files to a totally different computer running Windows XP

> Professional that didn't have the same administrator password. I was still

> able to do a restore of both backups and access all the restored files.

> o By default, ten days worth of backup logs are kept. The log files are

> named backup01.log through backup10.log. The log files and the .BKS file,

> which contains a list of resources to backup, are located in the profile

> folder of the user who created the backup job. Under the profile folder,

> go

> to \Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows NT\NTBackup\data\.

> The

> backup job will need access to that folder, so make sure that the folder

> is

> accessible to whichever account is used to run the backup job.

> o In the Computer Management MMC, there is an option to mark the tape

> drive

> as clean. It's under Storage --> Removable Storage --> Libraries -->

> right-click on the tape drive and the context menu will have an option

> labeled "Mark as clean." Selecting that will set the last cleaned date on

> the drive's properties --> General tab to the current date and time. Try

> this if the drive's cleaning light doesn't turn off after a cleaning.

>

> --

> Regards,

> Martin X.

> MCSA: M

>

> "Absolutely" <abs@spam.never> wrote in message

> news:uQEEUwBxHHA.4604@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Would be interested for sure. I've tried it in the past and you're right,

> it is slightly less than friendly. It does work, but lacks some

> functionality that would be good.

>

> "Martin X." <martin@x.x> wrote in message

> news:uSURyR$wHHA.5028@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>>I just use the built-in Windows Backup for one client. It's a bit tricky

>>to

>> get working, but otherwise it does the job. I've done a test restore of

>> files and they work fine. I have some notes on everything if you're

>> interested.

>>

>> --

>> Regards,

>> Martin X.

>> MCSA: M

>>

>> "Absolutely" <nospam@nospam.here> wrote in message

>> news:e1wpm88wHHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> Anyone have a recommendation for a reliable backup to tape application

>> that's simple for end users to maintain? I've been using NovaSTOR

>> products

>> for some of my customers and the later versions of NovaBACKUP and NovaNET

>> have been horribly unreliable and finicky, especially for restores.

>>

>> I know BackupExec and Arcserve are used heavily, but they tend to be a

>> little complicated for the average end user.

>>

>

July 12, 2007

Re: Backup Application Recommendation

No--I didn't have a need to do that.

--

Regards,

Martin X.

MCSA: M

"Absolutely" <nospam@nospam.here> wrote in message

news:u89xE%23IxHHA.4476@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...