Backups question

[shahani]

Why don't you want to use an utility like Retrospect o BackUpMyPC? Any compelling reason to use Xcopy other than that it is free?

Some of the programs like the two I mentioned or even Genie Back Up Manager are extremely intelligent and configurable.

[meese]

Wait a minute. I think your only problem is you need a space between Q: \\. Its like netuse mapped drive, space, path. Sorry about the above post.

[meese]

shahani,

I like to do things myself when I can. You tend to learn more that way

There is more to networking then the GUI. The command prompt is more powerful if you know what you are doing.

[John Prophet]

http://www.techsoftpl.com/backup/

some software called "mirrorfolder" that basically mirrors a folder or folders to another location...sort of like a raid1 setup on a file basis.



I had a client (one of my only ones, lol) using retrospect....some other peeps had set it up...anyway, it crashed all the time....I rebuilt the backup...but a few days later it crashed again...Im sort of scared of retrospect now. But the W98 comp in question was always left on, and it has surely been years without a rebuild and probably is years behind on windows updates too! So maybe retrospect wasnt fully to blame.

I do agree to a point about the command prompt...less bloat and more direct can be appealing sometimes.

JP

[meese]

I know there are some nice GUI backup options available and "mirrorfolder" looks pretty cool. But like anything else its an app that needs to be installed on all machines. Kind of a pain if you have 30 pc's (that's $23x30=$690). I've always liked to do things myself. The simple script I use does the job, and rather well. Plus its free and its not another app installed on my pc. It runs automatically on all the clients and also VPN's to my home server each night. Its been 100% reliable for over a year now.

[John Prophet]

That whole "backup to home server thru vpn" deal is sweet, I have thought a bit about that.

Is that hard to get going? I suppose the server needs to run 24/7...how are the clients setup as far as internet access goes? I guess surely they are on broadband...but is the script controlling the vpn aspect? I doubt it...so how exactly do you have the vpn thing setup? Is it just thru W2k vpn etc?

I understand the concept of vpn but am a little shaky as far as the exact details of setting one up...even fuzzier on having it be automatic, lol. Say I have a client with W98...(no one around here uses w2k, only 98 and xp home)...how would I get that 98 machine to vpn to a backup server that I had here at my apt...lets say the server here was XP Pro. (if its too much trouble to explain, dont worry about it, lol....I am just trying to get a clear picture in my head)

JP

[John Prophet]

Could tight VNC be used if needed? (in case they dont have W2k or WinXP)

JP

[meese]

Below is the batch file I run each night from my work server to my home server. I removed stuff for less clutter. What I do is have each client pc copy only updated or new data to the server at login each day. Then run the batch file below each night using the windows task scheduler. Look closely at the last section of the batch file that uses the "RASDIAL" command. Pretty cool and powerful, as is xcopy if you know how to use it. Both my home and work networks are domains, but you should be able to VPN between workgroups.

Oh yea, I have cable at home and work for internet access and the servers run 24/7.

----------------------------------------------------
@ECHO OFF
CLS
ECHO Transmitting

e:
cd\
xcopy E: G: /D /E /Y


NET USE X: \\server2\D$
e:
cd\
xcopy Access X:\Access\ /D /S /E /Y
xcopy Accounting X:\Accounting\ /D /S /E /Y
ECHO Transfer Complete, will hang-up now.
NET USE X: /DELETE


RASDIAL VPN_HOME
NET USE X: \\home_svr\D\ftp-bak\T5
e:
cd\
xcopy Access X:\Access\ /D /S /E /Y
xcopy Accounting X:\Accounting\ /D /S /E /Y
ECHO Transfer Complete, will hang-up now.
RASDIAL VPN_HOME /DISCONNECT
NET USE X: /DELETE
-------------------------------------------------------

[John Prophet]

Ok, I understand like half of that...I have used xcopy before, but its been a while and it had nothing to do with networking...I used to put it and xcopy32 on my boot floppies but cant remember why, it was a couple years ago, lol.

I guess what I really dont get is.....how does it know to connect to YOUR computer at home as opposed to one of the millions of others online. I dont see IP addresses in other words.

So does that mean the vpn is already setup on the machine and that AFTER the vpn is ALREADY setup that you just use the RASDIAL command? So "VPN_Home" is the name of a pre existing connection?


This is cool stuff, I must learn it, lol.

JP

[meese]

Exactly. The VPN connection is already setup. VPN_HOME is the name of the connection.

The first section of the batch file:

e:
cd\
xcopy E: G: /D /E /Y.

copies the E: drive to the G: drive on my primary server.


The second section:

NET USE X: \\server2\D$
e:
cd\
xcopy Access X:\Access\ /D /S /E /Y
xcopy Accounting X:\Accounting\ /D /S /E /Y
ECHO Transfer Complete, will hang-up now.
NET USE X: /DELETE

copies the e: drive of the primary server to the secondary server.


Also the xcopy /D /E /Y only copies the updated stuff so you only need to copy all the data one time. After that it only will copy files that have changed ot that are new.