Tape Backup Hardware and Software

[Allan C]

Can anyone recommend an external tape backup drive for about a 20 gb
(uncompressed capacity)?
Also, reliable s/w for this drive?

TIA.

 

[Zilbandy]

Can anyone recommend an external tape backup drive for about a 20 gb
(uncompressed capacity)?
Also, reliable s/w for this drive?

After several years of comsumer quality tape backup systems, and
several tape drives, none of which proved reliable when really needed,
I now use a USB2/Firewire external hard drive for my backups.
Uncompressed size of my external hard drive is 250gbytes. This is
about the same cost as buying all those tapes, plus, a whole lot more
dependable. Just don't rattle the hard drive when it's running. I
am using Acronis TrueImage for making images of partitions to external
drive, and for data backups, I still use "Backup My PC" from Stomp
software. This system works for me, but I'm not in a corporate
environment, so your mileage may vary.

 

[Allan C]

Zilbandy,

Is the media removable?
I am * not * referring to disconnecting the external drive from the PC but
actually cycling thru the backup media similar to a tape backup.

Thank you once again.

 

[John R Weiss]

You have a couple options there:

Buy a HD for the removable box that is much larger than required for a
single backup. Either partition it into several logical drives and cycle
among them for your daily backup, or use dated folders on a single
partition.

Buy a removable HD mount for the external box, and several HDs to cycle
through.

Buy several external HD assemblies.

I use the first method, putting subsequent backups into dated folders, and
erasing the oldest folder when required. This may not be suitable if you
require permanent archives, though a second external HD assembly could be
used for that purpose.

Given the price of HDs these days, a handful of them may well be cheaper
than a commercial grade tape drive and tapes to feed it...

 

[Allan C]

Assuming that they want to store back-ups offsite....
They either have to disconnect (via USB for example) yesterday's h.d. on a
daily basis and replace it with today's
* or *
leave the enclosure connected, pop out yesterday's h.d. and swap today's in.
Correct?

 

[Zilbandy]

Assuming that they want to store back-ups offsite....
They either have to disconnect (via USB for example) yesterday's h.d. on a
daily basis and replace it with today's

In my case, I have to remove the usb drive with its enclosure and
store it 'on site' in a fire resistant safe. I only do total
backups to this device once or twice a month. I do my daily backups
using Backup MyPC program to a second hard drive within my system.
Won't help if there's a fire or the computer walks out the window late
some night, but at least I've only lost 2-4 weeks of stuff. Again, I'm
not storing company critical files, only personal stuff. I am planning
a second removeable usb drive so I can alternate, but that will have
to come later this year. The wife told me I'm grounded when it comes
to spending money on this computer.

 

[Allan C]

Understood.
I think I have heard the 'wife story' from some other guys before.