asked on

Backup Solution for External, Networked Hard Drives

A customer currently has 2 networked, external 300GB hard drives. The customer needs for one of the drives to be available for storage to the network. I have this working correctly. It's a drive that's shared and mapped. However, we now need for that drive to backup to the 2nd external drive. The network is a small LAN but it's fairly powerful with Cat6 cable and Gigabit switches. The customer would really like the 2nd external drive to "mirror" the first one, like RAID, but I think we'd be satisfied with an automatic backup. Do you have any suggestions for a solution? I know we could just use normal backup software on one of the computers on the LAN and have ext1 backup to ext2, but are there any other solutions? Thanks!

DMoraff

What Operating system are you using on the machine hosting the 2 external drives?

If windows, 2k, or XP, I would suggest simply using Windows backup program (NTBACKUP.Exe) Here is an example of a .cmd file that backs up drive c: to drive g: this batch file backs up the entire drive c: to 2 files - a system state file, and a daily file. The below example saves the data to g:\thr.bkf, and the windows system state to g:\thr-sys.bkf

This file then can be through into the windows job schedular (See scheduled jobs on control panel)

-----------Start of------------------
@Rem - Command File for System Backup
@Rem
del g:\thr-Sys.bkf
del g:\thr.bkf
ntbackup backup systemstate /n "SysBup %Date%" /F "G:\thr-Sys.bkf" /D "thr-SystemState" /L:s /m normal
ntbackup backup c:\ /n "NightBup %Date%" /F "G:\thr.bkf" /D "thr" /L:s /m normal
Exit
-------------End of File--------------

If linux, a similar process can be done using the TAR command, and the job schedular, I don't have the details handy here though.

MKSKCS

ASKER

There isn't a machine hosting the external drives. They're just on the network (like a network printer) with IP address and all. The majority of the machines on the network are Macs.

MKSKCS

ASKER

Any other ideas?

DMoraff

Pardon me, I didn't read carefully enough and assumed firewire/usb. As it looks like you know, you could put the 2nd drive on the network and have an intermediate pc/mac backup from one to the other, Are you asking if you could go directly from drive to drive? if so:

What specific brand/model of external drive is this?

Do they support FTP? IF so you could do an FTP Script for the transfer.

MKSKCS

ASKER

I'll check on the FTP. It's a Maxtor Shared Storage Plus. Here's the link...

http://www.maxtorsolutions.com/en/catalog/MSS_Plus/

I would like to go directly from drive to drive. Thanks.

DMoraff

I went looking through the site, and the specs. The device is probably Linux under the covers (I'm assuming since source is available under GP).

Try the following:

1) Telnet to one of the drives, and see if you can log in as a user and/or the admin you set up initially.

2) If you can, from that telnet session, FTP to the 2nd drive, and see if you get in.

Let me know.
Best Regards
Dave

MKSKCS

ASKER

Hello again. I appreciate all of the help. I am going to go try this today and I'd like to get more details on how to see if I can FTP to the drive. And, if I can FTP what that will allow I to do or what should i do next. I would think it will allow you to create a batch that will run, but I still think you'll need a machine for it. I am not familiar how to do this with a mac. Thanks again.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

DMoraff

membership

This solution is only available to members.

To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.

Start Free Trial