Re: Seeking advise on backup plan.

From: Michael Vilain (vilain_at_spamcop.net)
Date: 10/12/04 

Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2004 14:43:59 -0700

In article <1638bead.0410120803.4f830c71@posting.google.com>,
 scjfan12@yahoo.com (scjfan122yahoo.com) wrote:

> I am a developer in charge of 5 development servers:
>
> Server 1: Ultra 60 running SunOS 5.6 with a Sun DDS2 tape drive (hold
> 1 tape)
> Server 2: Ultra Enterprise 450 running SunOS 5.6 with a DLT7000 tape
> drive (holds 8 tapes)
> Server 3: Netra 1405 running Solaris 2.7
> Server 4: Netra 1405 running Solaris 2.7
> Server 5: Netra 1405 running Solaris 2.7
>
> Upgrading the OS is out of question now. There is no backup software
> installed on any of the servers. I am not familiar with any backup
> software for Sun servers. Is it still possible to find a compatible
> backup software that can be installed on Server 2 to backup itself and
> all the other servers thru network? The server 2 is the database
> server with 12 hard drives. I am very concerned that the lack of
> technical suppor/info of such an old backup software might hinder its
> installation.
>
> Can anyone suggest a backup software that suits my needs and is easy
> to install?

When you say the DLT7000 holds up to 8 tapes, does that mean that you
have a tape library/jukebox with a DTL7000 tape drive in it. If this is
the unit I recall, it's not a gravity fed loader that can be set to
'cycle to next tape' when you run out of the current tape. It needs to
be run from backup software that can control the unit. You can start by
looking at Amanda, a free automated backup package. Google for it.

Be aware that "12 hard drives" of any significant size are going to take
_hours_ to backup. During that time, the database will have to be
'quiet' and in 'backup mode' or shutdown entirely (I'm using Oracle for
an example). I'd dedicate backup of server 2 to the local tape drive
and nothing else.

Depending on the amount of data on the other servers, they'll probably
be OK being backed up over the net (100BaseT or faster on THEIR OWN
NETWORK) to server 1.

How will you restore a system in the event of a crash? Do you have all
the software you need in safe place to do a full system restore along
with the hardcopy layouts of the disks?

How much data can you stand to loose? Do you need full, daily backups
or will weekly fulls and daily differentials do?

If all this is giving you a headache or more than you can cope with,
hire a consultant to setup the backups for you. Setting up the wrong
thing will come back to haunt you or get you fired if it doesn't work. 

-- 
DeeDee, don't press that button!  DeeDee!  NO!  Dee...