francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis) (07/26/90)
I'm looking for helpful suggestions as to my back-up options. We've got a few hundred Macs, and a few hundred Suns, Suns on Ethernet, Macs connected in by several Fastpaths. I'm looking for a way to back up my Mac servers (data being most important -- I can reconstruct the server folder simply enough) using our existing equipment. The possibilities that I am presently aware of would include: 1) Dumping the contents of the servers to a Unix box through ftp or through AppleShare (oh, yeah, we've got three Gator boxes and are running KIP, plus at least part of CAP). 2) Directly accessing the Exabyte tape drives? 3) Getting A/UX and using it to copy Mac volumes to a tape somehow? I'm not sure if any of this makes sense; would my best bet be to suggest getting NetStream/JetStream, and handling things that way? Or is there some relatively simple way to get tape back-ups onto our Unix machines? Heck, i'm willing to suggest Network Diskfit and a Syquest cartridge hard drive. Right now, I'd just like to know what you people out there are doing to back up your 80+ meg HD's, especially if you use a connected Unix network in the process. Thanks in advance. -- R David Francis francis@cis.ohio-state.edu
albert@sunburn.stanford.edu (Albert Peters) (07/26/90)
In article <82445@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis) writes: >I'm looking for helpful suggestions as to my back-up options. We've >got a few hundred Macs, and a few hundred Suns, Suns on Ethernet, Macs >connected in by several Fastpaths. I'm looking for a way to back up >my Mac servers (data being most important -- I can reconstruct the >server folder simply enough) using our existing equipment. The >possibilities that I am presently aware of would include: [Miscellaneous ideas: Unix, ftp, appleshare, gator boxes, KIP, CAP, A/UX, NetStream/JetStream, and Network Diskfit] You can get some information about Mac backup software from the July 1989 issue of MacUser. I'm working on a similar problem. We have a half dozen Macintoshes that I'd like to back up to a UNIX machine. Right now I'm considering using Redux to backup the Mac files via AUFS to the UNIX machines. Redux and DiskFit both have the advantage of being "imaging". That is, they maintain an "image" of the Mac's hard disk. Since our UNIX machines are backed up nightly, there is no need to keep a complete chronology of the changes to the files in the backup. But, neither Redux nor Network Diskfit handle AUFS terribly well. Neither one can do incremental backups over AUFS. Since Redux allows more control in choosing which files to backup, it is leading in the consideration. Coupled with QuicKeys/QuickTimer, I can trigger the backup late at night or via a single key combination. I'd also appreciate any info others may have on this subject. -A
meldal@bach.Stanford.EDU (Sigurd Meldal) (07/26/90)
In article <82445@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> francis@giza.cis.ohio-state.edu (RD Francis) writes: >Heck, i'm willing to suggest Network Diskfit and a Syquest cartridge >hard drive. Right now, I'd just like to know what you people out >there are doing to back up your 80+ meg HD's, especially if you use a >connected Unix network in the process. Here is one scenario: Hardware configuration: A network of UNIX boxes with their own backup system (eventually everything ends up on tape), and a set of Macs connected to the internet (in our case directly through ethernet cards, but KIPs or Gatorboxes should do just as well). The macs have large harddisks (300 MByte). Backup configuration: One UNIX box runs CAP, and functions as an AppleShare server. Designate one directory on the UNIX box as a backup volume, and let the Macs that are going to be backed up mount it. Install RetroSpect, an archiving/backup program. RetroSpect will automatically initiate backups at the intervals I choose (daily for documents, weekly for programs and the system folder). RetroSpect will back up to the AppleShare backup volume, and the UNIX backup system will move it onto tape whenever appropriate. RetroSpect is a wonderful program - it does full backups, incrementals, selective on almost any criteria you may wish for, and automatically (e.g. at 2AM when I am not at work). Best of luck, Sigurd Meldal -- Hard mail: ERL 456 | Internet: meldal@anna.stanford.edu Computer Systems Lab.| Stanford University | BitNet: meldal%anna.stanford.edu@forsythe.bitnet Stanford CA 94305 | Uucp: ...decwrl!glacier!shasta!anna!meldal USA | phone: +1 415 723 6027 fax: +1 415 725 7398