What backup software to get?

[CA1080629]

First let me say this is for my personnal home PC.

I used to use 1Safe to backup my PC everyday and since it offers drive letter access I moved all my large (1GB+) video files to tapes so I could watch them off the tape, now they went bankrupt so I need another program and realize 1Safe was probably the only one with drive letter access so I'll have to live without it.

Here's what I want it to do:
-I want to be able to make 1 full backup, then everyday make an incremental backup that is added to the original full backup, and each version of each file should be kept, so if I decide I want to restore to 3 days ago, I enter the date and it restores from the fullbackup and all the followinf incrementals until 3 days ago

-I tried TapeWare and noticed the stats all stay at 0 if I backup only 1 large file, it seems to measure performance at the end of each file copied so I have no stats available when copiying a large file, I would like one that shows the real transfer rate

-In the event of a crash, I would like to be able to just enter the tape and a startup/recovery floppy and restore all my data including windows without having to first install windows and the restore software

Thanks

[Mr. Dean]

First of all, what type of drive do you have?

There are many different backup applications out there, most popular (i've seen) are Backup Exec, Arcserve, and Tapeware.

[Bob_196]

Hello,

Which tape drive are you planning on using?

Cheers
Bob

.

[Mr. Dean]

Also what Operating System do you have?

[CA1080629]

SDX-420C IDE AIT1 drive under Windows XP.

Thanks

[Munir_1]

You might need to check with the software venders
and since this Is A Sony Drive

See Software Compatibility Guide:
http://www.storagebysony.com/OEM/reseller/media/allait_isv_chart.pdf

http://www.storagebysony.com/OEM/products/productmain.asp?id=161

[CA1080629]

Thanks, that tells me which is compatible with my drive.

But which have the features I requested in my original post?

Thanks

[Bob_196]

As this is a forum for HP products - it would probably be in your best interest to contact the software vendors directly for specific information on the backup softwares that are compatible with your tape drive. Or failing that the manufactuer of your drive - i.e. Sony


Cheers
Bob

.

[CA1080629]

I know what is and isnt compatible with my drive, I want to know what software can do what I requested in my original post.
Thanks

[Munir_1]

>>> Here's what I want it to do:
-I want to be able to make 1 full backup, then everyday make an incremental backup that is added to the original full backup, and each version of each file should be kept, so if I decide I want to restore to 3 days ago, I enter the date and it restores from the fullbackup and all the followinf incrementals until 3 days ago

-I tried TapeWare and noticed the stats all stay at 0 if I backup only 1 large file, it seems to measure performance at the end of each file copied so I have no stats available when copiying a large file, I would like one that shows the real transfer rate

-In the event of a crash, I would like to be able to just enter the tape and a startup/recovery floppy and restore all my data including windows without having to first install windows and the restore software
>>>>

I understand that you are looking for a backup software that is cable of doing what you mentioned above.
I donâ t know what software able of that, but I was humbly suggesting to contact the Backup software companies.
Find what it compatible with your drive contact them and then ask them if there software capable of doing that or not

Muni

[Bob_196]

Sacha,

my previous post suggested the following:

"...it would probably be in your best interest to contact the software vendors directly for specific information on the backup softwares..."

Meaning, if for example, Backup Exec is a compatible software for your Sony tape drive the best place to get specific information regarding what Bakup Exec can offer would be to call Veritas Bakup Exec.

Veritas (Backup Exec) - 800-342-0652
Computer Associates (ARCserve) - 800-645-3042
Yosemite Technologies (Tapeware) - 800-228-9236

[CA800271]

I'm speaking from a Small Business (10 client) setting. Some of the software suggested are great for the Enterprise folks, but cost as much as another PC. A fare portion of the cost of your tape drive was likely software for use with it.

I use Nova Backup from NovaStor and Datakeeper 5.0 from PowerQuest and neither of them are "perfect". Your most important statements have to do with the recovery process. After dutifully backing up to network attached storage, I found that there was a default setting (easily changed) in Datakeeper that made it only back up "files" and not applications; to save disk space and process overhead. This is okay (if you know about it) and does a fine job of the incremental restore that you describe (it asks how many versions you want to save), but uses resources on the PC being backed up and (at least this version, that came with our Snap Server) only saves to hard disk. Nova Backup Server edition is my daily backup software of choice (we have a "good old" HP Colorado 5GB ATAPI drive) but I don't use it for incremental backups, as the restore procedure is tricky if you spanned tapes or CDs (my package included backup to CD software, which I use for client full backups). The spanned CD files are first created on a hard disk (in .qix format and correctly sized for burning) and then must be burned to CD. These CDs can then be used (with the included boot CD) to restore a full backup without pre-installing software to a bare drive. Symantec Ghost will restore this way as well, but lacks a scheduling program (that I am aware of).

The "tradition" has always been to install the last full backup and then all of the incrementals since the full backup. At home, I have an HP 20GB SCSI DAT drive that I took from a retired Compaq server. It came with the Enterprise software that others have mentioned, but I use the software included in XP Pro and have no compatibility issues. I don't think there is a more affordable alternative to use what you already have.