# Is this even feasable with 6.5

[pcguy99]

I have a client with a small peer to peer Win98 network looking for a backup solution. As noted in other posts DR is only included for the backup machine and not the other machines on the network. In order to do that it APPEARS that one requires to pay $599 USD for the DSR module. However I can not find any reference to this module on the number of computers that one can use with it.

 

Also is using Retrospect 6.5 on a peer to peer network such as this one to do complete backups to a removable hard drive even feasable? THe machine on which the software would be installed is a P /// 800 where as the remaining machines range from another P /// to Pentium Pro machines. Is the backup simply going to take to long to perform?

 

Would it be better to do image backups of the individual machines and just use retrospect to do the changed files backup?

[natew]

Hi

 

The DR feature is not required to do a full system restore of a network client machine. It is handy but not at all necessary.

 

With Retrospect Professional 6.5 you will be able to do full system backups and restores of the local backup machine and two network clients. This includes bare metal restores of the network clients. No additional add on products are required.

 

You should have no trouble backing up all of the machines to one removeable hard disk.

 

Thanks

Nate

[pcguy99]

One client has 4 computers and another has 5 computers. Primarily Win9x/ME machines although two are Win2k boxes. I am concerned that the amount of time to do complete backups would be too time consuming especially over a 10/100 mb network.

 

I am planning on having multiple removable hard drives to have some redundancy.

 

The additional licences for the Retrospect clients past the two supplied with 6.5 will allow the bare metal restores.

 

However what does the DR module allow one to do? The description of "Enables a bare metal system recovery of Windows-based computers." does not have very much detail.

[natew]

Hi

 

Initial full backups may take a while but shouldn't be too bad. 70 MB/minute for 10Mb is reasonable. 200MB/Min is low to average for 100Mb.

 

In regard to DR its good to understand the reasons why the DR feature exists:

-Retrospect/ Retrospect client requires a Windows environment to function

-Installing Windows can be a pain in the neck

 

In the event of a full system restore you first need Windows to be functional so you can run Retrospect. You can achieve this manually by installing windows on your own. Up until Retrospect 6.5 this was your only option with client machines. It works prefectly well, but you still have to run the windows installer yourself.

 

The DR CD automates the Windows install process so you don't have to sit there and babysit the installer. It installs a temporary windows OS along with Retrospect - from here you can run your restore as normal.