Do you use an automated online backup service? What vendor do you use, and what has been your experience? If you don't use an online backup service, what methods (if any) do you use to secure your data?
In TechSoup's article
The No-Excuses Guide to Automated Online Backup, we show you how to select and set up a backup service that will help keep your nonprofit's critical information safe and secure. Have you tried the programs mentioned here? Share your feedback and comments.
Joined on 01-16-2003
TechSoup Member
We don't use online backup. We have win xp peer to peer network for our 4 workstations. We use Backer to backup up three of the workstations to one computer and then backup to an Iomega REV drive. There are daily incremental and a weekly full backup to the drive. The backups are rotated weekly off-site with a series of 3 different cartridges so we always have the previous two weeks of backups off-site.
We are looking for software to do an ftp transfer to our web hosting service as another safeguard.
Joined on 07-27-2005
TechSoup Member
A service I'm strongly checking into is iBackup. It's kind of difficult to setup at first, but can backup your files, SQL servers w/o shutting them down, Exchange Servers, Quickbooks, Peachtree, and anything in between. The pricing is very competetive and they offer different levels of backup services, not just different sizes. Also, they will quote you on what your specific space needs are, even if they don't have a plan on their website for that size. If we decide to go with them this month, I'll let you know how it goes.
Joined on 04-25-2003
TechSoup Member
What about Amazon S3 with www.jungledisk.com to upload? The cost is a fraction of these other services - .15 per GB!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=16427261
Only downside so far is upload time, so typically run off-hours.
Joined on 05-31-2006
TechSoup Member
We recently decided to go with Carbonite. It’s cheap ($5.00 a month), effective and provides us with unlimited backup space. Best of all staff don’t have to think about backups and neither do I.
Joined on 12-17-2004
TechSoup Member
I opened an account with Mozy about two months ago. It was rated highly by PC Mag. You also get the first 2 GB free. The interface is slick. It allows for full or incremental back ups. It gives us another layer to disaster recovery for a very reasonable price. You get 30GB for $4.95 a month. So far so good!
Joined on 03-17-2006
TechSoup Member
We are not using online backup, but are checking into it.
Currently, we have a four step approach. We are using Backup Exec to do a Grandfather approach.
1. Daily Backup to a Buffalo 1 TB TerraStation NAS server.
2. Weekly to a REV drive.
3. Monthly to a REV drive.
The emergency recover plan uses Acronis True Image 9.1 Server for Windows, with Universal restore. The images are put on a external drive and stored off-site. I update the image any time there is a change to the server (software, os updates, etc.)
I am looking to change the REV drive system, to a more capable sytem.
I am looking into online backup for webserver and webapplication, that needs backups hourly.
Bryan Hughes
Brigid Collins Family Support Center
Bellingham, WA
Joined on 06-25-2003
TechSoup Member
I love Evault...
It has reduced my stress about back-ups the first time I restored a grant request the Director of Development had been working on for months.
Restores are only as slow as your internet connection
We have used it for many years.
What we have done to help reduce costs are:
1. Use group policies to have "My Documents" sync to the server
2. Move all music to C:\Music (I don't want to back up your illegal copies of Cher)
3. Back-up RE, you can use the SQL plug-in or have RE create a back up and copy that file
4. Back-Up exchange
5. Back-up all the HIPAA data, evault has no issue signing your BA agreement.
Joined on 06-26-2004
TechSoup Member
If you haven't investigated this area yourself and the prices of the reviewed services scare you, don't be scared off.
We wanted to avoid having files stored on a third party's computers and instead bought a software package which let us set it up ourselves. The software e-mails reports that I scan every day, and we can quickly restore files as needed; right now I'm saving versions for the past 65 days from nearly 25 sites, including large servers and workstations. The server that's in the same room with the backup computer is backed up to another location, so not only do we have quality backups and a centralized management system, the backups are all kept at sites separate from the computer being backed up.
We added a second hard drive and some RAM to the computer that's receiving the backups. The software cost less than $500 for a permanent license for 30 backups.
The server backups run at night and can take two or three hours (largely bandwidth dependent) but they have always run flawlessly (we have been using this since February). The workstations are set to back up during the day, and since only changed files are transmitted, often the users aren't even aware the backup is running and it generally only takes a few minutes (less than 5 is typical).
I sleep better at night since we've been doing this.
More expensive software packages also are available, but from our review it looked like they were in the "you are paying so much for this software it has to be good" class.
If you don't want to be your own host, check out Carbonite, which is noted as a very low cost provider, or DataDepositBox, which can be cheaper depending on how much data you want to back up because it lets you backup many computers to a single account and has no minimum fee.
Joined on 02-27-2002
TechSoup Member
Has anyone used Data Deposit Box (www.datadepositbox.com) ??? It sounds good, but I'd like to hear from some users before starting.
Evault looks terrific, we just can't afford their prices.
Joined on 05-25-2005
TechSoup Member
We've been using Data Deposit Box since December of last year, with no problems. Last month's invoice was for $12.54 for a total of 1.69GB backed up from 3 computers. All 3 computers are lumped together into one account for volume pricing. I have not checked into the issues raised in the article, but will soon.
The nice part about Data Deposit Box is, after completing the first backup, it monitors the computer for any changed or new files, and backs them up immediately, not just at a designated time. Close a file? 5 minutes later it's backed up!
Check it out at www.datadepositbox.com
Todd
Joined on 09-28-2006
TechSoup Member
Our organization chose a software package from Remote Backup Systems, Inc. - it natively supports SQL, Exchange and other files, and provides us with Mail-folder level restores for Exchange. It is not the cheapest option out there, but after a thorough review of our options, and due to the fact that we had an offsite server to leverage as our backup 'destination', we felt that it was the right move. Check 'em out at http://remote-backup.com
fw
Joined on 02-27-2002
TechSoup Member
I just saw that Xdrive (www.xdrive.com) is now free!! It offers 5 gig storage. I see it's part of aol, has anyone tried it?
When it was a pay service it got some good reviews from PC World.
Joined on 10-06-2006
TechSoup Member
If you're interested in giving an online backup service a try, Backup To The Web (whom I work for) offers free trial accounts. You get a 30 day account with a limit of 5GB storage without any risk (ie., we don't ask for your credit card just for the trial)
The client software can be easy for new users, or provide all the cool features experienced users want.
We're trying to find a good balance between the expensive online backup providers that offer slick features and the inexpensive providers that offer basic interfaces.
Consider giving it a try. You've got nothing to lose, and the data is securely encrypted before it even leaves your site. We don't have, and don't want your encryption key (meaning don't lose it!)
I can be reached here for questions or comments, or though the support link on the website.
Cheers!
Joined on 02-17-2005
TechSoup Member
My company provides IT Services and Support to Non-Profits. As a disaster recovery/backup option I offer iFolder accounts. It securely syncs all data at a set interval with one of our servers & allows access to files from any internet connection - great for mobile professionals. We backup directly from iFolder & in the event of a harddrive crash - the files are still accessible (from the server). If you're interested see
www.connectednc.com/ifolder.html
Clinton
ConnectedNC
www.connectednc.com