how to do transfer/keep backups offsite (through network)

[ttlop]

Hello!

We have a working Backup Exec 2010 (V13 R2896) installation on Windows Server 2008, that does

daily backups from a bunch of linux servers, windows servers and VMWare.

The backups end up in the connected local storage, and this seems to work fine.

However, we would like to also keep data out of office somehow. Preferably by uploading via the network somehow.

I have searched the forums, the web, and the manual, but see no "this is how you transfer your data offsite" solutions.

Is it possible?

Currently we have a weekly full backup, and do daily incrementals of most data. (the VMDKs only have a weekly full).

The 2 scenarios i am considering are somnething like:

1. somehow having the weekly full transferred/copied/duplicated to a usb-drive that is manually carried offsite, and then

have the daily incrementals automatically transferred (ftp/scp/etc) to some remote storage-server.

2. perhaps having all data automatically transferred somehow. But "all data" sums up to around 2TB (uncompressed),

so that might be difficult.

Furthermore, i cant find anywhere in the application or forum how i would "import" the BKF-files back into Backup Exec.

We also have a tape-robot that was in use some time ago, but no-one knows how that works anymore. And we would prefer

to not have to carry tapes around each day/week:)

We are open to restructering the config of Backup-Exec if needed.

Any info or pointers to webpages/tutorials/pds/pages-in-the.manual are highly appreciated!

  wbr / Alex

[Striker_303]

Create a new folder and copy .bkf file

Create new b2d folder within BE under devices tab and point to above folder

Inventory and catalogs .bkf file to restore

Default option to upload backup automatically with Backup Exec to  Nirvanix cloud storage

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH142977

or preffered way would be to use USB for weekly full and find a way for daily incrementals.

[samueljn]

Network based storage (Cloud storage) is being implemented in the next release of Backup exec (Version 2012) and the Beta release is already available for testing.

You can get more details from the BE 2012 admin guide: http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5211  under the chapter NETWORK BASED STORAGE.

[ttlop]

Ah yes, i tried again and once i realized that i have to remove the existing b2d-folder where i had copied the data from, it worked fine.

Gonna do more testing tomorrow, but it seems to work fine.

The "sequence number" on the BKF-files will just increase, right?

They will always be unique so to speak, so that an "import" of BKF-files from offsite will not

collide with any new BKF-files that may have been created, right?

[Ken_Putnam]

Best way would be to get several External HDs (eSATA rather than USB, if possible)

Connect them one at a time and create a B2D folder on each.  With 2010R2 and later you do not need to worry about connecting as the same drive letter each time

Then create a policy to Duplicate your B2D data to the External drive.  If you can afford to lose a week of data you could write the Full and subsequent backups to a single drive and then disconnect and replace with another for the  next Full

[pkh]

Take note that for .bkf and .img files, you should not just copy them. See this document

Reasons why copying backup to disk data files is NOT recommended.

You should always duplicate them.  Once you duplicate them, the duplicates will have their own catalog and you don't have to import them.

If you want to rotate USB disks, you can set them up according to the procedure in my article.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-rotate-external-harddisks

If you want to use a network to get your data off-site, then you should use optimised dedup.  Basically, you set up two media servers, both with the dedup option, at the local and remote site.  You do a backup to the local dedup folder and then duplicate that backup to the remote dedup folder.  This way only the changed data blocks are transmitted across the WAN link, thus minimising the bandwidth requirement.

[Colin_Weaver]

If you want to take copies to a site across the network then consider using DeDUplication and Optimized Duplication between a media server on both sites.

Some of what is in this white paper would apply

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH172464

Just bear in mind that the whitepaper is for hosted services - so in your case your remote site would be equivalent to the hosted service location.

[Lesta_G]

If the media set for the BKF files OPP is set to never overwrite, then yes.

If set to overwrite, then no the BKF filies will stay withe the same name and he data will change

Hence the suggestion to duplicate between media servers and let BE take care of the BKF Files