Backup ideas needed

[iv76erson03]

Ya'll are clever folks, so I thought I'd toss this question out:

I had been using a 36 GB tape drive to back up my company's server. I do a nightly backup on weekdays and rotate 10 tapes, so I always have a copy of each day's hard drive for two weeks. That way when a file "disappears" and I don't find out about it for a couple days, I'm still safe. I have long term backups that I also do once every month. I keep all of the tapes in my fireproof safe at the office.

I just crossed over the 36 GB mark on my server a couple weeks ago and I'm weighing my options for a new system. I don't want to have to get a larger tape drive, the 80GB (uncompressed) ones run $600-$700. I have also been thinking about getting a couple 64GB USB thumb drives and just doing weekly backups. An external hard drive would be fine too, but it would be more of a pain to take the whole drive out to the safe every night. I also would have to find some good backup software (preferably free).

Any one have any ideas that would be cost effective and easy to use?

[RealBlackStuff]

Removable hot-swappable hard drives come to mind.
These should be standard fare on a server!
Use e.g. Acronis True Image for a full backup on Friday night on the spare HD. Then do incremental image on tape on MON thru THU.
Next Friday use a second swappable HD for the next full image. Continue with a second set of incremental images on MON thru THU.
With 2 spare HDs and 10 tapes you should be quite well covered.

[iv76erson03]

The server is 6 years old, so think standard fare for 2003.

That might be a good idea, whats that easiest way to do incremental backups on a tape drive with windows server 2003. Is it built in or do I need software?

[spuddog]

If you want to use Acronis you will have to buy the server edition. It costs $609.00 and up. I tried using acronis home on a server I have and it does not work.

Scott

[tomh009]

That might be a good idea, whats that easiest way to do incremental backups on a tape drive with windows server 2003. Is it built in or do I need software?

The standard Windows backup can do incremental and differential backups.

Personally I would recommend doing differential rather than incremental -- they'll still be small, and if you need to rebuild Thursday's image, all you need is the full backup from Friday, and Thursday's differential tape. With incremental you'd need the full backup, plust Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu tapes. Otherwise I fully endorse the RealBlackStuff's suggestions.

[iv76erson03]

Yeah, I agree, I wouldn't do incremental. I was planning on differential. most of the files we change are excel sheets which aren't big, so even if i'm doing differential for a couple weeks, we won't have a problem. I'll give er a shot in a week or so in windows and see if i can figure it out. thanks for the suggestions.

[RealBlackStuff]

I haven't used a backup program in years! I take regular images (onto another internal and an external HD), much faster and less hassle.
So I wasn't too familiar anymore with the current 'backup' terminology.
Differential sounds good! (my car also got one )