Backup server - good idea?

Artashes

Administrator
Staff member
I was browsing the net and across a backup server service:
http://www.gnax.net/backup/

A question appeared shortly after - is it a good idea to have a backup server? How many of you actually have a remote backup server? How accurate would it be to relate success of an Internet company with having backup servers?

Any views?
 
If you have like cpanel or something like that you can download your website like once a week and the databases like once a day. This way you don't loose anything and it doesn't cost you anything ^_^
 
I keep a server here at my office connected to a T-1 that is for nothing but monthly backups of servers. We store backups locally on servers of course that are more current, but it sure is nice knowing that all of our customers can at least be restored if there were a major event.
 
Digital Caravan...56k and I do that already :P
It seems to be quite a popular thing for big companies to have weekly/monthly backups of their site done and in my country I can basically just name my price. Bought a 200gig HDD and just zip it all up once a day...Automatically d/l-ed with scripts and off I go :)

I think it worth it, but then again thats only because I'm getting paid to do it! *evil grin*
~Equinox
 
DigitalCaravan said:
true true... you could always setup an FTP on your comp and just setup a script to automatically upload it for you.
Exactly what I do every week, it feels more secure to know that the data is sitting right beside me :)
 
thoughts

I feel an off-site backup copy of your site(s) is a must. Imagine your server blew up. What would you do? I like to know that if they implode I have a place to look for data.
 
We do daily, weekly, monthly backups. They go on tapes and then from there once a week they are sent offsite. Onsite backups are kept locked in a fireproof box. When we send the next week's tapes the previous week's tapes come back to us. All tapes are cycled through so they wear evenly. Actually had to buy some more tapes about two weeks ago. Ahhh, fresh tape! :)
 
Well - frankly, sometimes - depending on what your doing, a backup server may be overkill (if your just hosting your own sites, plus a couple of customers, etc.) then a backup VPS might also do the trick - they're cheaper and they are usually managed to some degree (the level of management depends on the provider, though). However, if your talking about a mission critical operation that *needs* 100% uptime, then a backup server would be critical. However, for most of us, a backup solution, like GNAX is more than enough.

-- Jonathan
 
What I've always done is get secondary drives in my machines, then basically use all my servers as backups. For instance 1 transfers to 2, 2 to 3, 3 to 1 ;) Works well and is fairly cost effective.
 
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