OK, I'm sure it's clear to others

[ScottySorrellMc]

but what do I need to buy to backup a Domain Controller running Exchange 2007 all 64 bit and files?

Scotty

[sdo]

Is there just the one server to backup?
How much disk space does it occupy right now?
How big do you expect the disk space to grow to during the next 1 year, the year after that, and the year after that?
Do your backups need to go off site?
Is the server remote from you, or physically nearby?
Is the physical location generally accessible?
Do you have an established RTO (Recovery Time Objective)?  (i.e. how quickly do you want to be able torecover the entire server?
Do you have an established RPO (Recovery Point Objective)? (i.e. are there specified points in the business cycle that you must be able to recover to?)

[ScottySorrellMc]

just one server
I would guess about 300GB, I would guess after a year it would go up to 400GB maybe 450GB
not offsite
it's in the next room with the AC and stuff
yes but it's got a door
I would be nice to recover in a day or two but it's not mission critical
yes it would be useful to have an indication from the business when they do things but it's not that sort of business

[sdo]

IMHO, if it's worth backing up then it's worth taking it off-site, even if only to home.

In your case, to keep costs down, I would attach a single, non-media-changing (i.e. no stacker) tape drive to your current server.  Ideally you want it all to fit onto one piece of media, so choose something like LTO3 (400GB to 800GB), you will achieve nearly 2:1 compression as it's mostly files and MS Exchange.  However if you have lots of video and compressed music I would go for LTO4 (800GB to 1600GB per media).

BackupExec is totally suitable for you.  I have no problem at all recommending Symantec backup products.

If you decide to go ahead with BackupExec, then I also strongly suggest that you purchase software support - you do not need 24x7 cover.  Mon-Fri, 9-5 should suffice - but get this in writing from your boss - if you have one.  As for response time, I would recommend 4 hour - as you say you have a one day RTO.

Do you have hardware support for your server?
If so, see if the same vendor has tape drive offerings.  This is usually the best aproach, as they will have vetted the necessary HBA (Host Bus Adaptors) too, and the software.
Most vendors support BackupExec and most vendors also support many tape drive vendors.
It's all about checking the compatibility docs.

I can check all this for you if you want.

I very strongly recommend that you get a small fire safe.
90% of businesses - that do not have their data offsite or in a fire safe - will fail within 3 months of a catastophic loss of server/services/data - be it fire/flood/act-of-god.  Yes, your business will fail within 90 days without all your emails and files!  You have been warned!

How are your disks configured in the server?
How many spindles, and what type of RAID?
What version of O/S (you need to be very specific, i.e. R2 or not, Data Center or Enterprise Edition)?
And what service pack?

Do you have a budget, price limit?

I'm guessing that a suitable process might be:
1) Get into office in the morning.
2) Check server, services are online.
3) Check backup worked.
4) Check internet connectivity.
5) Check firewall up.
6) Eject backup tape, and place in fire safe.
7) Fetch next tape from your fire safe.
8) Load next tape into drive.
9) Go about your business...

Basically you need a set and forget software product, with minimal manual intervention.

Does this seem ok?

[sdo]

Next steps:
1) Research a small fire safe on the web, with enough capacity to hold 7 pieces of LTO media - the safe will need to be able to hold 7 pieces of LxWxH of 120mm x 130mm x 30mm.  The cartridges are actually about 10% smaller than this, but they come in plastic cases to keep dust out.
2) Is the server/AC room dusty?
3) Does the server already have an HBA (Host Bus Adaptor) card installed?
4) If so, make and model?
5) If not, I need to know exactly how many, and exactly which type of PCI slots are available?
(PCI, PCI-X, PCIe - how wide? 32 bits, 64bits?  Power rating of slots - some PCIe slots are 25W some are 75W?  And whether the slot can take a "full length", or half-length and/or full height and/or half height PCI(-X)(e) card?
6) Once we know the PCI slot details (type, speed, power, physical length, physical height, and logical pin bus width) we can then determine a suitable HBA card - be it SCSI, SAS or FC.
7) Once we know wheter you have lots of already compressed data, we can decide between LTO3 and LTO4 data capcity requirements.
8) Once we know what our HBA model options are, we can determine a free standing LTO3 or LTO4 drive with the required interface - be it SCSI, SAS or FC.
9) Then we check the support matrices for:
- The server model
- The HBA model
- The tape drive model
- BackupExec
10) Once we determine which options are all supported together - then consider price vs brand reputation.
11) You'll also need to purchase 8 pieces of suitable scratch media (not WORM media for LTO4), and also one cleaning tape.  All the media need to be of a brand that is supported/recommended by the tape drive vendor.  Do NOT buy cheap unbranded media - this isn't a CD for your car - it's your business data!
12) Determine response time for your software support for BackupExec:
- 4 hr and you should be able to achieve a 1 day RTO.
- 8 hr and you should be able to achieve a 2 day RTO.
- next day, and you should be able to achieve a 3 day RTO.

HTH,
Dave.

[ScottySorrellMc]

thanks folk for the good thinking points but what agents will I need for BackupExec? I presume I'll need one for Exchange and another for AD but I presume the actual file backup is taken for granted, what about open files? It'll be a Dell, I presume their LTOs are OK, what about there RD1000's for occasional use and file transfer?

[sdo]

I don't normally like proprietary sub-systems.
And, I doubt whether it's supported for use with BackupExec.
When it actually comes to performing a full A/D, MS Exchange and file restore - my guess is that you won't have time or the inclination to risk testing and nailing down your recovery process and procedures.
A recovery rarely works first time.
The question is, can you afford to keep re-running a recovery?  Which leads on to... how quickly can you read the backup storage media?

Some rough calcs:
RD1000 30 MB/s quoted
In practice 80% 
 24 MB/s
 400 GB
 409,600 MB
 17,067 seconds
 4.7 hours
  
LTO3 80 MB/s
In practice 80% 
 64 MB/s
 400 GB
 409,600 MB
 6,400 seconds
 1.8 hours
  
LTO4 120 MB/s
In practice 80% 
 96 MB/s
 400 GB
 409,600 MB
 4,267 seconds
 1.2 hours

If you had engaged my services, I would be recommending LTO media.

HTH,
Dave.

[sdo]

I don't know BackupExec, I'm a NetBackup person.

...but...

I do recommend the open file agent though.  There's always gonna to be one crucial configuration file that an application holds open, and that you'll need, and you won't have...  So, it makes sense to have a product that can read open-ish files.

The open file agent is not a substitute for a database agent.  Do not make the mistake of thinking that "it's an open file agent" therefore "it can read my open databases".  It can't, it won't, simple as that!  The open file agent is for reading files that are open, not proprietary files that are being written to in special ways by other products (e.g. the system A/D areas, and MS Exchange mail-stores).

You will require the A/D and MS Exchange agents.  You will not be able to recover without them.  It just won't work without them.  They exist for a reason.

[sdo]

Sorry, yes Dell LTO4 are fine.  You'll find that they're actually made by someone else.  To my mind LTO is a bet your business storage medium - as long as you keep them clean, and look after them - temperature, humidity, magnetism, physical shock etc...