Backup or not?

[Guest Eric]

In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file storage,

I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD

/ DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

My boss said why?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

All they need is education!

Thanks in advance for any suggestion

Eric

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Backup or not?

 

Eric wrote:

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file

> storage, I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me

> down because of budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for

> each dept head and they perform backup by themselves, then my boss

> suggests to use their desktop HDD / DVD for backup instead, but each

> PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails, there is no backup. On the

> other hands, each dept head can burn all data files into DVD

> periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they backup

> using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

> Eric

 

Backup each department's essential data, over the network, to another

department's machine. You'll be protected against catastrophic hardware

failure, but not against fire, malice, theft, or Flouridation.

[Guest Big Al]

Re: Backup or not?

 

Eric wrote:

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

> Eric

 

Put it into terms of money! Management understands money.

"How much money will it cost in man hours/temp employees etc to put the

lost data back into the PC's?" Compare that to a few backup drives.

 

Now adays you can buy very simple $100 or less 2.5 inch USB drives and

use a simple scheduled backup program. Haven't finished looking at

CDBackupXP but it looks pretty good. Not sure about the schedule thing.

 

That way nobody would have to do anything but the data would be backed up.

 

You might also buy a 500gig external and put it on the server and let

everyone map to it and backup to that. Not sure if this will work in

every environment. These things are well in the 100-199$ range now adays.

[Guest Shenan Stanley]

Re: Backup or not?

 

Eric wrote:

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for

> file storage, I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they

> turn me down because of budget, then I suggestion portable HDD

> device for each dept head and they perform backup by themselves,

> then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD / DVD for backup

> instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails, there is

> no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can

> they backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

 

There's really no winning with some people.

 

All you can do is present - in writing - your logical and well research

reasons. When they get turned down - you have proof of what you suggested.

Now - go find a job elsewhere - things will go bad where you are now.

 

As for your direct question of how to respond to your bosses "why" question

about whether or not an end user will burn 100+GB of data to DVD

periodically. Ask your boss when the last time they burned 25 DVDs of

non-repetative material to DVD that was all their files... and then when

they finished thought to themselves, "I can do that again next week, no

problem."

 

Of course - what your boss it really saying is, "We have no critical data.

If they lose it - it's their problem. We didn't need their data anyway."

 

Suggestion still the same - find work elsewhere.

 

--

Shenan Stanley

MS-MVP

--

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

[Guest Andrew E.]

RE: Backup or not?

 

A microsoft tech has said "A great back-up is the File-Transfer-Wizard" run

from xp or xp cd.With this one can select files/data/settings,etc to back

up,&

if xp crashes,or hd gets toasted,all youre data is saved.Save data to new

folder,

once thru,move to cd or dvd.Plus,you can use this on any OS running xp...

 

"Eric" wrote:

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

> Eric

[Guest Leythos]

Re: Backup or not?

 

In article <325C2689-6D75-42EE-88D3-9AA118568F46@microsoft.com>,

Eric@discussions.microsoft.com says...

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

 

You only need a backup of your data has value, your boss believes that

the company data has no value.

 

Even a cheap 500GB RAID-1 Snap Drive will cost about $1,100, so a small

file server with tape drive is not a lot more when you consider the

costs:

 

Server 2003 Standard $800 - licenses as needed

Small File Server hardware - $2000

LTO-2 External Tape drive and 12 tapes - $1300

 

Benefits - common storage with file security, master backup that can be

taken off site or put in fire safe, easy to use/understand and easy to

check if backups are good or not.

 

--

- Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum.

- Calling an illegal alien an "undocumented worker" is like calling a

drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist"

spam999free@rrohio.com (remove 999 for proper email address)

[Guest Nonny]

Re: Backup or not?

 

On Fri, 30 May 2008 20:19:38 -0500, "HeyBub" <heybub@gmail.com> wrote:

>Eric wrote:

>> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file

>> storage, I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me

>> down because of budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for

>> each dept head and they perform backup by themselves, then my boss

>> suggests to use their desktop HDD / DVD for backup instead, but each

>> PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails, there is no backup. On the

>> other hands, each dept head can burn all data files into DVD

>> periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they backup

>> using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

>> My boss said why?

>> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

>> All they need is education!

>> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

>> Eric

>

>Backup each department's essential data, over the network, to another

>department's machine. You'll be protected against catastrophic hardware

>failure, but not against fire, malice, theft, or Flouridation.

 

That last one is the killer! ;->

[Guest JS]

Re: Backup or not?

 

Department heads have little spare time to perform regular scheduled data

backups,

they will put it off till they find the time, return from a series of

meetings

(which means they didn't have the time that day) or get back from a business

trip.

 

Employees will invariably find one excuse or another as to why they should

not, will not or I forgot to.

 

If management believes the data they want to backup is valuable, have them

put a dollar value as the

worth of this data.

 

Then they will find that the cost of a server and raid drives and a method

for off site

(that meets security requirements) storage is not all that costly.

 

JS

 

"Eric" <Eric@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:325C2689-6D75-42EE-88D3-9AA118568F46@microsoft.com...

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file

> storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop

> HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

> Eric

[Guest Lil' Dave]

Re: Backup or not?

 

"Eric" <Eric@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:325C2689-6D75-42EE-88D3-9AA118568F46@microsoft.com...

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file

> storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop

> HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

> Eric

 

Simple. Is it worth the cost for each employee to rebuild their data vs. a

real backup scheme in the event of catastrophic failure of any origin? If

your boss can keep his conclusion in mind for any length of time, you should

be hiring some ITs real quick and equipment to support it.

--

Dave

[Guest HeyBub]

Re: Backup or not?

 

Nonny wrote:

>>

>> Backup each department's essential data, over the network, to another

>> department's machine. You'll be protected against catastrophic

>> hardware failure, but not against fire, malice, theft, or

>> Flouridation.

>

> That last one is the killer! ;->

 

No backup scheme covers ALL contingencies.

[Guest Ken Blake, MVP]

Re: Backup or not?

 

On Fri, 30 May 2008 18:08:01 -0700, Eric

<Eric@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> In office, when I request my boss to purchase backup device for file storage,

> I suggest Storage Server or Server 2003, but they turn me down because of

> budget, then I suggestion portable HDD device for each dept head and they

> perform backup by themselves, then my boss suggests to use their desktop HDD

> / DVD for backup instead, but each PC only has one HDD, if this HDD fails,

> there is no backup. On the other hands, each dept head can burn all data

> files into DVD periodically, but the size for backup is 100 GB. Can they

> backup using DVD? Yes, but will they do it? No.

> My boss said why?

> Does anyone have any suggestions on how to respond this question?

> All they need is education!

> Thanks in advance for any suggestion

 

 

It's not a specific answer to your question, but you might find

something useful to you in this article on backup I recently wrote:

 

http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=314

 

 

--

Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

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