Off-topic Server Tape Backups

Yahoo Archive
1
Hello Sarah

We use ArcServeIT with ArcServeIT Open File Agent backup software, expensive
in the U.K. but superb.

Regards Chris Reed
PWSL


-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday 17 January, 2001 16:21
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com
2
Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah
3
Have used Backup Exec ( Used to be by Seagate )for several years now.
Never a problem.

Bob Bruton

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 10:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
4
I use BackupExec and would highly endorse it. There are other good backup
utilities too but we have had good results from BackupExec. Setting up
backup cycles and tapes sets is pretty easy as is restoring files. The
interface is good and closely resembles the backup that comes with Windows
(also from Veritas). If you have MS-Exchange for email the lastest release
(8.5) has some improvements on backing up Exchange's database and restoring
individual users' email. Also, I now have users using their Windows-98
backup to special directories on the server to get caught on the tape. Has
saved a few a lot of grief.

Good luck,
-Todd Caughey
Harvey Vogel Mfg. Co.

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 10:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah


eGroups Sponsor

<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=169066.1281467.2883016.2/D=egroupmail/S=1700007183:N/
A=560437/*http://cgi.pathfinder.com/cgi-bin/magsubs/cc/subs/fortuneext1rf?EF
FORTKEY=FOBTHW2> Click Here!

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
5
Sarah:

We have used Veritas Backup Exec from day one and had very few problems-the
main one being if a backup is scheduled and someone takes out a tape and
doesn't put in a new one, (duh, who would do that?) the moment another tape
is put in, the scheduled backup launches-BUT it is easy to abort.

This does give you a high degree of control over your backups, scheduling
being only one of them...you can also choose not to back up certain files
every day, if you have the network edition it will cross to another NT
machine and grab a file to back up, it verifies, tells you what it backed
up, keeps a log of any files it couldn't back up. Pretty good stuff. And
when I've practiced a restore, that worked pretty well too.

Just my opinion.

Lydia
lcoffman@...


suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands.
6
I have been using "Seagate Backup Exec" now known as "Vertias Backup Exec"
for years. Its a GUI application and very easy to manage and use. Another
popular backup software is "Computer Associates Arcserve". Either of these
will give you much more options for backup than the DOS and AT commands.

Michael Podlin
------------------------------------
>The person who works for me suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas
Backup Exec' for Windows NT/2000 and he said this >would give us more
control over our backups. We don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT
commands. I am new to the
>server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

>Thanks,

>Sarah
7
Sarah,

Buying Backup Exec won't help if you are having a hardware
problem. If the PC running the tape backup has Windows NT,
check its system and application event logs for error
messages that may be related to the backup.

Next check that the backup is in fact scheduled. Run "AT"
from the NT command line and make sure that there is an
event scheduled. Then check that the script that is
scheduled to run does exist and does contain valid backup
commands.

Does your backup generate a log file? If not, append these
switches to the NTBACKUP command line in your script:

/l c:\winnt\backup.log

This will create a log file after every backup.

Next you need to evaluate the condition of the drive and
cartridges. Have you run a cleaning kit through your drive
recently? Generally speaking you should clean your drive
at least once per month if you run daily backups.

How old are your tapes? Helical-scan media (4mm and 8mm)
usually lasts about a year if you want reliable backups.
Quarter-inch cartridge last about 18 months. DLT, AIT and
LTO have much greater longevity, but again I wouldn't continue
using tapes after about a year.

By the way, the above assumes that you rotate at least 10
tapes in your cycle. If you are using less tapes then the
media lifetime will be reduced.

Anyway, this should get you started.

have fun,
John


> -----Original Message-----
> From: sarah.vareschi@...
> Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 8:21 AM
> To: vantage@egroups.com
> Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups
8
Here is an article on how to stop the process without rebooting the server.
http://www.ntfaq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=13436
<http://www.ntfaq.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=13436>

I've seen this in the past and the way that I resolved the backup problems
was to reapply the latest service pack and my backup problems went away.

As far as backup software goes, I prefer Backup Exec to Arc Serve IT. It is
just a matter of preference. They both do the same things, just in
different ways.

Hope this helps,

Ted Kitch
tedkitch@...

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 10:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups


Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah




eGroups Sponsor


<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=169066.1281467.2883016.2/D=egroupmail/S=1700007183:N/
A=560437/*http://cgi.pathfinder.com/cgi-bin/magsubs/cc/subs/fortuneext1rf?EF
FORTKEY=FOBTHW2> Click Here!

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
9
I have used Backup Exec for NT and for Novell. I am now using CA ARCServe
for NT, and I don't like it as much. Compared to DOS NT backup, I would
highly recommend either of these two programs, but my preference is Backup
Exec. You will be glad you made the investment, especially if you ever have
need for recovery.

B

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 9:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com
10
We here use ARCServe. The newest version also allows the server to "reach"
out to networked machines to back them up as well. We have had no problems
with it and it has saved us in a few instances. Most computer magazine have
online pages that may offer reviews of them. I like pcworld.com it usually
has good comparative articles.
http://search.pcworld.com/query.html?qt=Tape+Backup&col=pcw&inthe=63072000&r
p=0&dt=in&ws=0&qm=0&st=1&nh=10&oq=&rq=0&dt=in&si=0 Thats the result of a
search I did on the site for tape backups.

I would search similar websites for their product review to find the best
fit for you.


Jim MacMillan
System Administrator
Sales/Marketing
Scientific Dimensions
800-523-6180
jimmac@...
11
Sarah:
That person is right on. I've used Backup Exec for over three years with
absolutely no problem. Easy to configure as it uses the windows explorer
gui look. You can run your AT commands or run them from within the backup
job. There's a bunch of things you can do with it. Be sure to get the
enterprise edition if you're gonna backup multiple servers from one box.

Terry L. Williams I.S. Manager Chipsco, Inc. 9936 Liberty St. Ext.
Meadville, PA 16335 814-333-6331 x236 fax: 814-337-2548 tlw@...
www.chipsco.com

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 11:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups


Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com
12
Have not heard of this program, We use ARCSERV single server backup software
by Cheyenne.

Shirley Graver
(End User)
Sys Admin
Rubber associates Inc.
Cleveland/Akron

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 11:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few
days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does
anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

eGroups Sponsor


To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
13
We use Ultrabac. We are very pleased with it. I would highly recommend it.
They offer a free 45-day evaluation. You should try it.

www.ultrabac.com



C. Adrian Quintela
Information Technology Manager
Cloeren Incorporated


-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 10:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups


Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com
14
Veritas Disaster Recovery works great I've used it a number of times on a
production server that had memory problems that the service tech could not
isolate. So the system would crash randomly and I could restore it in 20
minutes. Veritas lets you make a bootable CD to bring up the dead machine,
so the recovery only takes the length of time necessary to read the data
from the backup tape.

It has made something that could be a nightmare (complete NT system rebuild)
into a "lets have a coffee while we wait for the tape to finish loading".

If you keep all your data including log files and catalogs on a separate
drive from your OS and apps then the option of system recovery is even
easier.

Regards,


Jerry Solobay
15
Sarah:
The enterprise edition will also let you backup all your workstations.
I've been using Backup Exec for several years now. Never a problem.
Many times folks in the shop have come up with a restore request for a
single cnc file (deleted by mistake - don't know when). Sure scores
points when you can come up with it in just a few min.

Bob Bruton


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
16
I have been using Veritas for over three years and never have any trouble
with it. Great piece of software.

Dave Cole
Reeder & Kline

-----Original Message-----
From: sarah.vareschi@... [mailto:sarah.vareschi@...]
Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 11:21 AM
To: vantage@egroups.com
Subject: [Vantage] Off-topic Server Tape Backups



Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah


eGroups Sponsor

<http://rd.yahoo.com/M=169066.1281467.2883016.2/D=egroupmail/S=1700007183:N/
A=560437/*http://cgi.pathfinder.com/cgi-bin/magsubs/cc/subs/fortuneext1rf?EF
FORTKEY=FOBTHW2> Click Here!

To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
vantage-unsubscribe@egroups.com






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
17
We have always used NT backup with no problems, so I wouldn't be looking to
buy software yet.

One thing that may have happened is that the backup failed at some point,
but the backup program did not close. Thus any subsequent backup will not
start because the program is already running. Check task manager
(Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and if ntbackup.exe is still listed under the process tab,
end it. Also make sure that the correct password is still entered for
whatever account you are using for the schedule service. The event log may
help show you more.

Brian Boyes,
Systems Administrator,
Precision Resource Canada Ltd.
<http://www.precisionresource.com>
<mailto:brianb@...>
18
I have been interested to see people's opinions on this. I have heard mixed
reviews from fellow IT types, but haven't seen a more highly talked-about
backup product.

On that basis I bought it 2 days ago, for #313.00 (dollar conversion anyone?
@ $450 ?)

Haven't got around to installing it yet (weekend job).


Anton Wilson,
Systems Analyst,
Deanestor Healthcare


----------
Message: 24
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 11:21:21 -0500
From: sarah.vareschi@...
Subject: Off-topic Server Tape Backups


Sorry to be off-topic here, but I was hoping someone on this list can help
me out. We use the vantage back-up utilities to backup our vantage
database. Then, we run a tape backup of the server. For the past few days,
our tape back-up hasn't been running and we can't figure out why, It also
won't let us in without a server re-boot. The person who works for me
suggested we purchase software called 'Veritas Backup Exec' for Windows
NT/2000 and he said this would give us more control over our backups. We
don't have any software now, we use DOS and AT commands. I am new to the
server/technical side of things, has anybody heard of this and does anybody
use it and does this make sense?

Thanks,

Sarah
-----