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Client backup software with central monitoring
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Author:  DizietSma [ Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:10 am ]
Post subject:  Client backup software with central monitoring
Hi all,

Does anyone know of a good backup solution for client workstations ? (XP, Vista W7 etc)
Titan Business Workstation used to be really good and could link to a central business server so you could see centrally at a glance which clients had had successful/failed backups.
Then they sold it GFI and now I need to find a new solution. (GFI now has a good free home PC backup using the bones of the same software).

Open file backup is a must, as is the possibility of zero user interaction.
Anyone got any good recommendations?

Many thanks,

Diz
Author:  big_D [ Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
We have profiles and home directories mirrored on the server and just back that up.
Author:  DizietSma [ Wed Jan 27, 2010 8:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
Ah.
Well the file share box is actually just XP Pro.
And their email is POP3 to PSTs on local client hard drives. No backup system currently.
Too much data for the file share box to host (10 PSTs on the XP file share? Bit much I think)
Need something that will send a daily copy of the user's PST to the file share, then the file share is backed up daily.

What folder mirroring do you use?

Thanks,
D
Author:  big_D [ Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
Windows roaming profiles. When logging into a domain, the PC compares its local copy of the user profile with that on the server and copies changes over. Same for the users home directory. It also means that any user can log onto any machine.

It would be worth looking at setting that "server" XP machine up as a Windows Small Business Server. It will give you a lot of functionality and make maintenance easier. You can also use WSUS to distribute patches to all machines on the network, instead of having them all clog up your DLS bandwidth downloading the same Windows patches 10 times!
Author:  DizietSma [ Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
Ah well, you're preaching to the converted.
I live in Spain, where the economy is mostly run by small companies.
Which have no in-house support, apart from the guy who messes around on his computer at home.

I went to see this new client and talked about SBS 2008 but he just asked me what functionality spending upwards of €2,000 would get him that he doesn't already have for his 9 users.
And I couldn't really say much, apart from explaining about making it easier for all server related functions.
But once setup (as it already is) I can see his point. Once I find a suitable candidate for the client backup procedure, it's €2k he doesn't really have spend in terms of pure functionality. It gains him little!
Sure, roaming profiles are nice but pointless in an office of 9 people. Everyone has their work area already.
He currently has per user based password secure file sharing on the XP file share 'server', and shared printers and that's what he wants.

Hard to fault that really.

D
Author:  Coref [ Sat Jan 30, 2010 7:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
Have you looked into Windows' offline files functionality? Put all the files onto a central server and then it creates local offline copies for when the laptop is away from the office. IIRC it works with any SMB/CIFS share so you could build a Linux or freenas server so licence costs wouldn't be an issue.
Author:  saspro [ Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Client backup software with central monitoring
Allway sync works quite well for mirroring stuff on one HDD to another.
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