Backup Schedule Opinions

[Peter_Sheridan]

Hey Guys,

I just thought I would get your opinions on how my backup schedule is currently operating. My environment is a SBS 2008 Server + a Windows 2008 STD server acting as a file server. I am using 500GB external hard drives as the media.

I have four jobs running on the server.

1. SBS System Backup. This backs-up up all of the system components such as System State, Shadow Copy Components, Exchange 2007, SQL Instances, Sharepoint etc. Since this is the first backup job to run at night it is set to overwrite the media.

2. SBS DATA BAckup. This backs-up all the data on the server. AOFO is turned on using Microsoft VSS so no open files are skipped. This is set to append as it is the second backup job.

3. File Server System. Once again this backs-up the file server System components such as system state, Shadow copy components, SQL Instances etc. AOFO is turned Off as there is no need as I understand it automatically does what is required. This is set to append as it is the third backup job.

4. File Server Data. This backs-up all the data on the server. AOFO is turned on using Microsoft VSS so no open files are skipped. This is set to append as it is the last backup job.

What do you guys think? Sounds like a ok System?

I have one query. Since I am using B2D media, When the SBS System Backup runs which is set to overwrite the media, does it only overwrite the media from the "File Server Data" Job?

Is there anything I should consider in backing up the two servers that I may have missed.

Any thoughts/comments is greatly appreciated.

Regards

Peter

[pkh · Accepted solution]

When the SBS System Backup runs which is set to overwrite the media, does it only overwrite the media from the "File Server Data" Job?

No. It will overwrite starting from data from your SBS System backup.

This is how it works.  On the very first run of your backup setup, your SBS System Backup job will start writing to a new file, e.g. B2D00001.  Depending on how big you specify the maximum size of your B2D files and the amount of data that you have.  This job and your subsequent append jobs may fill up B2D00001 and spill over to one or more files.  Let's say, for one night's run, your jobs uses 3 such files.  On the second night, assuming that you are protecting the previous night's data, your SBS System Backup job would start with a new file, B2D00004 and your subsequent jobs will fill up 2 more files and so on for the subsequent nights.  Once B2B00001 becomes overwriteable, the next run of your SBS System Backup job will overwrite this file and the next 2 files as well.

You should consider separating the backup of databases and Exchange from your file backups.  It is not advisable to use AOFO when backing up databases, while AOFO is necessary when backing up files.