Data Backup Strategy - Mac/PC

[Howardk]

Backup Strategies

I would appreciate comments and ideas from those who have pondered this topic.

In the past I have been booting to OS9 to backup my ProTools session & audio files to AIT tape, using Retrospec, on a project by project basis. I am moving to a G4-1.4-Dual (non OS9 so my current backup program and SCSI card will not work) and therefore I need to revise my backup scheme. I also have a Windows network, and a few PCs, so I move the AIT drive back and forth to that network to backup from time to time, although it is not routine or frequent enough so this needs improvement.

Dantz’s recommendation was. . . Purchase Retrospec Single Server for Windows, have the AIT drive on my Windows Server permanently and backup my Mac Audio (using the Mac OSX Client) over the network thru this Sever. This would also allow me to backup my PC and Server to the same tape drive. I have started testing and the performance is disappointing, I am only getting about 50 Mb/min backing up the Mac thru the PC to AIT. I am hoping there is a way to improve this performance

I do backup to other FW hard drives, and have the clients take off-site, but I am hoping to use my existing tape drive for regular backups because I have 150 x 25GB tapes and would like to avoid more investment. I also have an old 9600 running OS9, with ATTO SCSI, which I will keep operational in the case I need to restore from any of my old Retrospec OS9 backups.

Any ideas for the best backup software or approach, for smooth backups with good performance, to backup Mac & Windows environments and data files, would be appreciated.

Thanks. . .

[gomi]

I am running Retrospect, with a Sony AIT scsi tape, on a Mac G4 400.
It works fine. In OSX.

The network backup works too, but I have only tested it once, I don't actually use it
as the data I am backing up is always on the G4 400.

I would assume the Windows server would work fine, over the network.
I do believe other departments in the organization I am working at use the
Windows version for just that purpose. Although, they aren't using Mac Clients.

[frenchman]

I have found that tape, is an excellent medium but has quite a few drawbacks
Price/GB
Speed
Proprietary formats

After the Mezzo hell with an Exabyte Mammoth, I have settled for both Firewire and DVD-R (as final backups)
I have recently decided that all sessions I start should be 100% PC compatible (wav files, mac/pc enforced), and the others I copy to that format that I consider more future proof and also less prone to mac-pc file problems. (at least i hopes so...)

PT6.7cs8/os10.3.8/HD3accel

[Howardk]

I have had some problems with the reliablity of DVD-Rs. Another consideration is DVDs do not hold enough so attended backups are required to change disks. . . I already have the backup tapes (over 250 Terabytes worth) so it is economical to stick with tape. I wonder what the best software is and which computer would be best to backup from ? ? ?

[mblack]

I backup on a 500G big disk (lacie) using silver keeper with 10.3.8.
G5 2.5 2.5 RAM HD3 Accel

M

[Doug Rider]

Since your using 25gig AIT tapes, I assume your using an AIT-1 tape mechanism. If that's the case, your 50Mb/min network backup speeds for a Windows server with a Mac OS 9 client sounds about right. An OS X client would be faster, but the limitation is the AIT-1 and/or your brand of SCSI card and/or your network speed (100baseT or 10baseT ethernet).

I have a client using the current Windows Server version of Retrospect with an Initio SCSI card and AIT-3 (100GB tapes) on a 100baseT network, and they're getting about 400 MB/min backup speed over the network with OS X clients and about half that for OS 9 clients. We had tried other SCSI cards (ATTO and Adaptec) on the PC with poorer results.

Also, an AIT-2 or AIT-3 will read AIT-1 tapes, but a PC cannot read the Mac formatted Catalog files. My client also keeps a Mac on the network for restoring older tapes that were originally run on a Mac.

Retrospect can be a pain to setup for maximum results, please be a little more specific about your hardware/network setup.

[Howardk]

Hello Doug

Here is some more info:

My older version of Retrospec displays just over 100MB/min when using the AIT drive on my old Mac under OS9 (G4-933).
Network is 100BaseT, I will trace paths today to make sure everything is in one switch.
SCSI Card in PC is an Adaptec AHA2940UW.
PC Server is Duron 700, Retrospec 7 displays 150mb/min when backing up the server's drives
PC Sever displays 50mb/min when backing up new Mac via Retrospec client (G4-Dual-1.42)
Retrospec's software compression is off.

Hopefully this covers it. Thanks for your thoughts so far.

[spinsong]

quote

"I already have the backup tapes (over 250 Terabytes worth)"

That's definately a typo....make that just over 3.5 terabytes worth (150 25 gig tapes)

I have also been looking into this topic, and as your work progresses in the digital domain, there becomes more of a need to archive additional digital assets.

As for tape, tape solutions are pretty expensive. Actually most solutions are. you're dablling into the "corporate realm" of solutions

for those who already have a tape solution etc... you might as well keep using what you got until you feel that it's not keeping up with your amount of work...what ever the reason is, that you decide to leave or stay with that solution is your decision.

Nonetheless, I was trying to picture a solution for my own studio

It's funny but I can't imagine my studio looking like one of those large corporate network server rooms, however, I think something towards that end is the best solution for someone considering expanding their storage capacity without totally breaking the bank.

I'm considering a SAN and/or a NAS. (don't you love the names they give them)

lol... I'd like to have the combo to go please....

with hot swappable drives of course...

but I guess I'll have to do with a less expensive server because it's cheaper

[Eric Seaberg]

What we have is rather large for the typical single user, but works for us as we have 4-PTHD systems and 2-Avid systems being backed up.

We're using a Rorke LTO 'robot' which houses 22- 200MB tapes, including a cleaning cartridge, on a system with two tape drives. We're using RetroSpect on a Windows server, which I can control from my Mac using Timbuktu, connected to the PT Macs via Gigabit and to the Avid PCs via fiber. We're backing up to LTO tapes and getting an average of 900MB/minute INCLUDING verification!

Some of the newer LTO drives are capable of storing up to 400MB uncompressed per tape at speeds up to 80MB/sec. Here's more info on them.

[jeremyroberts]

Eric, LTO sounds awesome... what do the tapes cost per gig?

I'm still dragging along an ancient DDS4 (it works) and although not the speediest horse, it has always restored as needed (which is the ONLY thing that really matters in a backup). Retro workgroup on a G4/867 acting as a server. Gigabit ethernet switch for 4 macs, 2 windows machines. Backup strategy: backups dedicated to each project. "network" backup for non-project related files. I force all project components into folders/drives dedicated to a project... then I make retrospect scripts for each project. I have never lost a byte that has been backed up on 2 different tapes (A set and B set). 100% restore success. Relatively cheap solution.

Someday I'll get an autoloader.