Enterprise Backups

Enterprise backups are usually done on tape. This is the meat and potatoes of your backup scheme. To start, make sure your software is compatible and certified with your hardware. Always consider your hardware when buying soft-ware, and vice versa, since keeping these two components working in harmony will help ensure success.

Your software should serve all your backup needs. Unless it's absolutely necessary, avoid multiple software solutions. One of the important features to look for at this level is cross-platform support provided by the software. It is very rare for an enterprise to have only one kind of server OS platform. Your backup software must interact with and restore every kind of server OS you run. One method of doing this includes the use of backup agents, which are helper software on the server box to be backed up; agents facilitate communication with the central servers.

But there's more to consider than just OS compatibility. Take into account the backup of some live applications. The ability to back up database products--like Oracle and Informix--without taking them offline is a must. Other systems, like your mail server, also need backing up without being taken offline.

Make sure your backup software has an approved plug-in for your databases and application servers.

In the event of backup failure, your software should e-mail or page you with an error-condition report. Complete backup reports with statistical data, such as backup length and efficiency, should be easily accessible and compilable. Some software even produces HTML documents for pretty reports and easy viewing.

Another feature to consider is bar-code tracking and automated media-rotation schemes. To achieve the maximum life span of your tape medium, you must use, rotate and retire it regularly. If you have a large number of tapes, automation of this process is vital.

There are four main products in this space: Computer Associates International's Arcserve, IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager, Legato Systems' NetWorker 6.0 and Veritas Software's NetBackup. The up-and-coming vendors/products in this space include BakBone Software's NetVault 6.03 and Dantz Development Corp.'s Retrospect Server Backup.

Make sure to consider both ease of use and installation, since your comfort level with the software is important. If you have doubts about any given software or feel uncomfortable using it, don't buy it--no matter how good the deal looks. Confidence is essential when backing up and restoring. Faith in backup/restore schemes is a lot like faith in the Federal Reserve notes that make up the U.S. monetary supply. Belief that Federal Reserve notes are worth something is what makes the monetary system work. Your management's and users' belief in your backup/restore scheme keeps confidence high and makes your life easier. Never let 'em see you cry about your data-backup software.

Personal Backups--Local and Remote

When choosing software for personal desktop backup, first determine into which of the following three scenarios your end users fit. The first scenario is that of the remote office/home office user who is generally in one place and has access to some kind of broadband Internet service. The second scenario is that of the traveling user, with limited bandwidth and multiple locations. The third scenario is that of the central-office user who needs a personal desktop backup and is on your local LAN (see "Data-Storage Planning Bolsters Backup Effectiveness," below).

In broad terms, there are three backup methods. Let's examine these before we get into how to apply them to our triptych of scenarios.

Some software on the market allows for easy backup of personal desktop systems and laptops to local storage devices. This software, including Avantrix's Backup Plus, Dantz's Retrospect Desktop Backup, Iomega Corp.'s QuikSync, Storactive's LiveBackup 2.0 and Veritas' NetBackup, is generally designed for use with removable media, such as CD-R/CD-RW and Zip drives.

The first thing to look for here is ease of use, which is absolutely paramount if the end user will be doing the backups and handling the media. The interface must be simple and easy to schedule. The software should warn the end user when backups are getting old and need refreshing. End users are more likely than administrators to neglect backups, so a periodic reminder will help prevent disasters.

In the enterprise desktop, backups are made to attached disk, tape or magneto-optical storage over the LAN. Add-ons for your main enterprise software should cover this possibility.

On the remotely connected front, software like Veritas' NetBackup Professional and Legato's NetWorker Laptop provides backup for remote end users, either over a VPN or connected directly to the central office. NovaStor Corp.'s NovaNet-Web and Xdrive Technologies' Online Storage Box allow backup over the Internet to central servers for storage. NovaNet-Web is more of a true backup solution, with scheduling and file-redundancy checking, while Xdrive's solution requires more user intervention. The drawback to the online method is that its efficiency is dependent on the quality and speed of your Internet connection. People who are limited to dial-up connections will suffer if their modem connection is poor. After initial synchronization, however, backup should be relatively painless.

The first scenario--the remote user/home office user--presents an interesting problem for backup. If your remote-office user has a leased line or a similar kind of connection back to your general office, we recommend using an extension of your current backup system. Buying the add-on to back up one or a couple of workstations and having it centrally controlled by your enterprise backup solution is the easiest.

In the case of the home-office worker, however, that might not be best. For the SOHO (small office/ home office) user, a local backup device or an SSP (storage service provider) might be called for. SSPs run very well on broadband DSL or cable-modem connections. The argument for the local backup device, such as a CD-R/CD-RW, a Zip drive or a small tape drive, is convenience for the home user. Base this decision on your available budget, value of the data on the end user's system and the end user's computer savvy.

In the second scenario--that of the road warrior--data is always on the move and must be kept safe and secure. The newest of the options before us, the SSP, might just be the best choice in this case. In the past, companies have issued Zip drives or small tape drives. Another option was (gasp!) floppy disks--and the road warriors were actually expected to back up with these things. A barrage of cables and five extra pounds in the laptop bag meant these units were left at home or, in many cases, not used at all. But the SSP makes backing up relatively easy for the traveler.

The third scenario is by far the easiest for which to make a decision. Simply make sure that LAN backups and restores of local Ethernet-attached systems are part of the requirements for your enterprise backup solution. Virtually every enterprise backup software company offers a snap-in or some other software to help with this kind of backup. In this situation, the extra hardware of CD-R/CD-RW and small tapes is simply not worth the trouble. These users should be relatively few and far between if you've planned properly for data storage.

Many of these decisions are based on your company's centralization philosophy. Some companies--like our parent, CMP Media--are willing to let us make our own backup decisions. Other companies like to have more direct control of the user's backup experience. Make sure that whatever backup scheme you choose, it complies with your company's stated data-retention/backup policies and is a good fit, both for the end user and for the company.