Backup/Sync tool suggestions?
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
Have a look at Beyond Compare (www.scootersoftware.com). I am already using it for years and it has never disappointed me. Chris
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DarrylHadfield wrote:
Pair Cobian with a couple of USB External drives, set up duplicate entries (do the same backup to EACH drive each day, and ignore failures), and just swap out the drives daily - you'll always have an offsite copy.
That's exactly the same thing that I do (great minds obviously really do think alike). The other thing I do is maintain three live copies of my main working directories in different locations with unscheduled back-ups, which I run when I'm finished working on one of the machines. It's so simple to do, and lets me move from location to location just picking up where I left off.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
What, backups for real-time? My friend, do I have nuggets of gold for you... Dropbox is the simplest, although it's limited by overall size. Abuse a few friends, get enough referrals, and you jump from the 2gb they give you initially, up to 10gb of free space. I like Dropbox, since it's the simplest mechanism for "poor man's replication" - I use it extensively, both personally and professionally. Another option that not many seem to use.. is SkyDrive. If you look on Lifehacker, there's a tutorial in there somewhere where you can hook yourself up to Skydrive, and map it to a local system drive letter - the only snag is that you have a cap of 50mb per file (but the 25gb of storage makes up for that somewhat). Run it right.. and you're laughing. Alternately, stand up a VMware environment, and either light up a true SAN, or use a VM SAN appliance to masquerade cheap SATA2 disks as SAN.. replicate that via various and sundry means (set up a P2P VPN between the two and blindly synchronize everything in specific LUNs on your SAN) to the system you park at a friend's place, and you have a poor man's adaptation of a very high-level enterprise solution. You're welcome. :)
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What, backups for real-time? My friend, do I have nuggets of gold for you... Dropbox is the simplest, although it's limited by overall size. Abuse a few friends, get enough referrals, and you jump from the 2gb they give you initially, up to 10gb of free space. I like Dropbox, since it's the simplest mechanism for "poor man's replication" - I use it extensively, both personally and professionally. Another option that not many seem to use.. is SkyDrive. If you look on Lifehacker, there's a tutorial in there somewhere where you can hook yourself up to Skydrive, and map it to a local system drive letter - the only snag is that you have a cap of 50mb per file (but the 25gb of storage makes up for that somewhat). Run it right.. and you're laughing. Alternately, stand up a VMware environment, and either light up a true SAN, or use a VM SAN appliance to masquerade cheap SATA2 disks as SAN.. replicate that via various and sundry means (set up a P2P VPN between the two and blindly synchronize everything in specific LUNs on your SAN) to the system you park at a friend's place, and you have a poor man's adaptation of a very high-level enterprise solution. You're welcome. :)
I've got dropbox, but it's not really appropriate for files that are being worked on. - I never use autosave functions, but I hit Ctrl+C very frequently, and that would trigger an update to all destinations -- wasting bandwidth that people need to get their daily pron fix. - I don't need to replicate temp files that are closed when I close the working app. Dropbox would constantly replicate them.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
I feel comfortable with "GoodSync": it can do both synchronizations and backups. It saves any data that is replaced so you can walk back to previous release, in case you need.
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
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My bad. I'm (only) on the Windows platform... Hmm, what do I do if I don't find anything :~
//Johannes
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Using Super Flexible File Synchronizer- www.superflexible.com, cheep and works like a dream.
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
I am currently using FBackup and not bothering with scheduled backups etc, just on demand. The free version does not do incremental or differential but the beauty of this product is that the backup file is a simple zip file and you really don't need special software to recover your files :-D . I use it mainly for data files. I got a big surprise the other day trying to recover a hard drive on a laptop that I had completely messed up (my bad :doh: ). I tried the recovery dvd that it encouraged me to make, but it would not accept disk 2 out of 4 and hence the whole process was scr**ed :(( . Just before depositing the laptop (with broken screen) in the bin, I recalled taking a system image using Win 7 backup. I tried a restore and it worked perfectly and quickly. Cheers Tim
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
I use two programs to handle backup/sync.
- For the system partition - Macrium Reflect Free. http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp[^] I try to set my system partition between 30-50 gb, and use Macrium to image it. Works fast, and gives me a system restore in case things go wrong. The free version provides a recovery disk, but be aware that it if you are using a raid controller, you may need the pay version. (or diff image solution)
- For data, documents and code - Beyond Compare 3. http://www.scootersoftware.com/[^] Totally awesome for sync. This program will sync folders, but also has the added utility benefit of comparing the contents of individual files. It is fast - fast - fast. It supports command line scripts for automated syncs also. Using windows scheduling: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Beyond Compare 3\BCompare.exe" @"C:\Program Files (x86)\beyond compare 3\sync.txt" ---------- sync.txt log normal "Synclog.txt" filter "-desktop.ini;-thumbs.db,-Recycler\" option confirm:yes-to-all load "d:\Documents" "\\mynas\backup1\Documents" expand all sync create-empty mirror:left->right
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
I use Uranium backup. Its quite complicated and not very user friendly, but also fairly powerful considering it is free.
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Hi Edwin - Something you must consider is: - why am I backing up? A) In case my laptop explodes/is stolen B) In case I accidentally lose some valuable files C) To go back in time to prior versions Things like Xcopy backup sound good until your hard drive explodes or you want to go back in time. With WHS you can reinstall your setup from scratch in an hour or two. No need to reinstall Windows, applications, settings or data. It completely re-images your drive. If you use your laptop or desktop for work or anything else time-critical the investment in WHS more than pays for itself when you need to do a restore. Do you have the lengthy hours it takes to manually re-install Windows, the service packs, updates, applications, their updates, etc? I don't. WHS is way under-marketed for what it does. It is a great product for any household with more than one PC. I back up all my home PCs (up to 10 are supported, I believe).
Yes. WHS is cool though I haven't a lot of experience with it. I run a consulting business so I use the same practices I recommend to my clients. I store nothing of any importance on any PC or laptop. Everything is on the server. This way if a laptop is lost/stolen there is little if any data of value to the "new owner" :-) or loss to me other than the hardware itself. All of the redundancy is in the server and it's backups. I'm not at all suggesting that my way is best for all but it makes it simpler for my clients to maintain control of their data which is VERY important for Doctors, Lawyers and accountants. (HIPAA & Sarbanes/Oxley) But I agree that for a family with many PC/Laptops that WHS is a good option. The unfortunate thing is I don't market to non-businesses. I do have an old server in the closet that I plan to put WHS on and try selling at the next yard sale. Edwin
There are 10 kinds of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't.
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
Try Cobian Backup (Google for Cobian). Latest version is v10 (I believe). It's free and works very well. It has a number of backup options like: Full, Differential, Incremental. Personally I like to set it for "Differential". The first time it runs it does a Full backup and thereafter it's Differential. You can also set it to use the same folder on each backup (By default it uses separate dated folders). It works fine over shared network folders and allows scheduled backups. Or, if you want simple and you are still using XP you can download one I wrote from Sourceforge (Filebackup). It's simple and works great. It does either scheduled or manual backups and it works in a Differential manner. It does not compress files so all you need is a file browser to inspect/check if backups are working as expected. It has no Restore mechanism so you need to know how to traverse a file system. It does have a status log of it's own and it logs failures to XP's Event Logs. It is based on MS .NET 2.0 and is written in C# (source code available if anybody wants to improve it). The reason it doesn't work under Vista or Windows 7 is because of the way I wrote the Autobackup service: Just never got around to rewriting it to work under Vista/Windows 7. However, if someone has the time... Have a great day!!!
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Rob, peterchen thanks for your suggestions :) . I've taken a peek at both Acronis software, and RoboCopy. Acronis Home version seems a bit bloated and that I won't know exactly what its doing & how... RoboCopy is on the far other end being a CLI program. I wouldn't mind a program being based on it though... (I didn't find any popular GUI for it) Any other software we can bring to the table? Thanks!
//Johannes
I use both Acronis True Image and Robocopy a lot and recommend them both. I have performed complete (full disk) restores from a TI backup with no problem. For a GUI interface to Robocopy, see Robocopy GUI at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2006.11.utilityspotlight.aspx. I also like and use SyncBack from http://www.2brightsparks.com/. Every tool has its uses!
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
Thanks for all of the suggestions! I have a lot of software to go through now :) It seems I used Cobain backup for my previous backup. It always wanted to create a folder to place the backup in. So after reading the manual/FAQ I figured out that folder mirroring was what I wanted to do. I tried to configure it to do that, but I think it did some "smart" backup in which a renamed folder did not result in a total re-copy of that folder. As I don't to figure out old folder structures I ended up just deleting the old backup, and re-copying it with Microsoft RichCopy. Next time I will be using some well chosen folder mirroring tool. Thanks again for the feedback!
//Johannes
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The time has come when I no longer can just copy & paste my data to create a new backup. It takes too long (and Windows Explorer can't even do it :^) ). Ive tried things like TeraCopy, Microsoft SyncToy and some others but haven't felt ready to rely on them. I'm looking for something that can copy the contents of one drive to another, overwriting what has changed. I don't want anything that has to run in the background noting any changes. It should use timestamps, or have its own database (on the backup) from the first copy. (With logging/visible info) Its around 1TB of data from SATA to eSATA. I don't mind if its foss/free/commercial (as long as its not bloated X| or too pricey). Therefore I'm asking what have you used? Does it work good? (I've looked around a lot, but would prefer to know what I'm getting) Thanks for any suggestions :thumbsup:
//Johannes
I haven't read every reply (don;t have the time as there are way too many) but if the price will work for you then you might check out Microsoft's own DPM product. We've been using in house for over a year and it grabs everything from SQL Server DB's to Exchange to regular File Shares. It even properly handles SharePoint Fram backups and those can be a big PAIN. In fact I often get suprised repsonses form user forums where I mention our SQL DB backups and how we do them with DPM. It does not have a lot of flexability as some products (i.e. when you setup a SQL DB Backup you can specify in what incrmenets it should do log backups but you can't schedule them as far as when they start but you can scheduled the Express or full backups.