server backups

[pinbrook]

yes the thorny question of backups... we have the facility to be able to offer clients who host with us the ability to request that we back up certain files from their webspace (not emails). This is over and above the normal backup routines we do for our own purposes.

I was just after a few ideas as to what kind of data people would like to see backed up from webspace and the frequency.

Specifically thinking of actinic clients, and assuming people do their own regular PC backup, would it be useful to backup any acd files found for example?

or would be be useful to backup a folder called PB_backup and allow people to put anything in this folder they wanted to be remotely backed up.

any other ideas?

[Darren B]

interesting question.

If im honest then the big plus with actinic is everything is on your pc so you only risk loosing orders not downloaded.

The idea of an upload folder is a good idea, but im guessing some clients will have additional software which the server copy is the only copy.

But i dabble with my own backups and can never make a decisions as to what i really need to back up and what i dont

[leehack]

I think the thing about backups is that people rarely think about them until it is too late and the horse is in another county. I don't think offering a folder will do much at all to be honest, people are lax in this area, so a backup needs to alleviate that laxness. I had a client last year lose over 6 months of updates, because he couldn't be bothered to do it, he was almost in tears when he rang me and I sent him the snapshot I first sent back to him some 6 months ago.

If a host was to offer anything of any use in this area, for me they would need to do a monthly backup of all html files and place that in a safe folder and also the same on any jpg or gif files. Ideally have 2 backups available, so the new one overwrites the oldest.

Backing up in this area from a host's POV is useless to someone who is good in the area of backups (when using actinic), I think you are predominantly catering for the vast majority of lax people, in which case html files and images are the only thing of any interest or use to me, if the worst has happened.

[Darren B]

i use cobian backup eveyday now, it backs up my laptop and pc to my nas drive, i also download from the server to the laptop, i decide which ones to use, well i try and decide which ones

[leehack]

I have Acronis 11 which runs a daily backup to an external drive (250GB per week) and also a daily overwritten backup to a second hard drive. My wife has a 3rd external drive which she brings home once a week and then takes back to work once the whole system is backed up. And finally my dad has a DVD backup of My Documents once a month as that contains the stuff i am really bothered about.

The biggest failing in this area is people not catering for either a burglary or a fire at their premises. You can get the most ardent backeruperer (new word), whose face drops when you say and what about a burglary or fire?

[Darren B]

I use cobian at work to duplicate my server backups aswell, then i have them in different places. However the laptop only has the one here and a partial one is uploaded to the sever in a fat zip file.

[consciouspnm]

I run a Windows Home Server (shameless plug) which backs up all the PCs and laptops automatically every night. I've then got a job running on the WHS to transfer all the backups and shared data to an encrypted NAS drive which is sitting in a box outside my house (details on my blog).

[Duncan Rounding]

...an encrypted NAS drive which is sitting in a box outside my house...

What would we do without our sheds?

[pinbrook]

thanks for the replies, can i assume from them that no-one is really interested in a service to backup webspace?

i see this as separate to what peeps do on a daily basis to backup their pcs, and certainly in addition as i have to consider the time/cost to retreive data on request.

I have seen posts in the past where someone has found out too late that their host doesn't offer to backup servers or offer to retreive from them.

Lee's suggestion of html/images is a good one as it doesn't require any input, my suggestion of acd does of course require the acd to have been ftped into place.

any more ideas (excuding how you backup your pc) would be appreciated before i put this idea to bed.

[TraceyHand]

I think the idea of this kind of backup is a good one however, when you put it out to an Actinic-orientated crowd, you get a different response than you would from most others because a 'webspace backup' doesn't give the lifesaving benefits to an Actinic user that it might give to other website owners.

Now, if you can find a way to remotely tap into everyone's computers, create a snapshot and back THAT up, THEN you'd get everyone's attention

[pinbrook]

I think the idea of this kind of backup is a good one however, when you put it out to an Actinic-orientated crowd, you get a different response than you would from most others because a 'webspace backup' doesn't give the lifesaving benefits to an Actinic user that it might give to other website owners.

You are abolutely correct Tracey, this is why i am throwing it out to ideas as i have the facility to do it, but am not convinced of the usefullness.

Now, if you can find a way to remotely tap into everyone's computers, create a snapshot and back THAT up, THEN you'd get everyone's attention

Now there's a good idea.

[Darren B]

Gabe lost loads of work when his dedicated server crashed and discovered no back up was made at all.

I dont think theres an easy answer really, i guess it depends on how much extra it will cost in relation to the work involved. Especially if its a service you offer to all and only a couple take you up on the it.

Trying to teach people the importance of back up's without it seeming like a sales pitch is not going to be easy

[RuralWeb]

To should be able to set the backup to auto FTP the site1 folder which would cover most people with a setup and forget option. This is the way the DELL online backup works

[party_pete]

An auto ftp version to send my .acd to would be ideal.

Currently using Carbonite and also saving daily .acd's to disk and usb flashdrive, can be time consuming, so anything that provides the security of storing the .acd with a minimum of work on my part would be very welcome.

It would also need to be idiot proof ;-)

[Darren B]

As i mentioned earlier

Take a look at cobian http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm

it has a number of choices and will do ftp on a shedule along with loads of other usefull options such as full back up, differentials and incrementals and zip funtions to.