Question about a backup-scheme

[Pewima]

I work at a middle-sized company and had some severe problems using arcserve 2000. I'm now trying the trial version of the Small-business edition of Dantz Retrospect, and have the following question:

 

We'd like to use the following backup scheme:

 

- Every first thursday of the month a full backup is created on tape: 'month 1'

- Every following thursday a full backup is created on tapes: 'week 1', 'week 2', 'week 3' and 'week 4'

- Then every other week changes to the full backup are written to different tapes on two tapesets every night. In week A: 'A-Friday, A-Monday, A-Tuesday, A-Wednesday', in week B: 'B-Friday, B-Monday, B-Tuesday, B-Wednesday', then starting over again with the A tapeset.

 

How would I implement this into retrospect? I found the recycle function, but that needs an erased or new tape. Isn't it possible to automatically let the recycle funciton erase the tape every thursday?

 

Thanks in advance for your answer!

[Pewima]

Isn't there anyone who has a little help to offer?

[Mikee]

Hi.

 

Your question shows that you don't know about Retrospect much

 

So, I suggest that you get familiar with snapshot feature of Retrospect first.

 

You probably could achieve what you're looking for with 4 backup sets. TM, TW, TA, TB.

 

Do first backup on all tapes.

Backup every day alternating between TA and TB (you could take them off site in between)

Rotate tapes every month: TM -> TW -> TA -> TB -> (recycle) TM

 

That way any tape failure can be recovered and backup loss could be 1 day instead of up-to 4 with your scheme. Any two tape failure could result in 0 - 7day loss of backup. Three tape failure could result in anywhere from 0 - 30 days loss. The issues could be twice the amount of data baked up for daily (incremental) backups...and time aloted (snapshots will take time no matter how many files being backed up)

 

If full+incrementals are too big for a tape you could just select files (with the file selector) that changed or were created since TM backup only.

 

From my experience (~10 months, I think) Retrospect is great for small amounts of files and up to 60 clients. If your backup clients do have more than, say, 20,000 files (snapshot creation time is too long) on them ( it doesn't matter if you want to back them all up or not ) and/or have more than 60 clients to administer than I suggest that you look at other software.

 

 

Mikee