[Discuss] Revisiting VMWare ESX backup options

[jack at coats.org (Jack Coats)]

3-2-1 rule - 3 copies, on 2 different types of media, 1 copy offsite.

That is the minimum.

I have done 2 on disk (local in different disk pools on different
machines), 1 on tape, 1 local, 1 offsite).

For home, I am lazy.  So it 'slightly' violates my own rules.  OK if you
consider 'cloud' a different media:
1 original, 1 or 2 local on disk on different machines that original, 1
remote on 'cloud' (crashplan in my case).

Commercially, I like systems like TSM, that can do a 'disk pool' and manage
local and remote (offsite and local but offline) tapes.  If you have a
private network and can pull off a remote disk pool plus a local disk pool,
and a local tape pool (co-located with the disk pools) and a 'offsite
disaster recovery' tape pool, would let me sleep good at night.

Local disk pools are good for 'awe-shucks' issues where the dba wiped his
only live database or the secretary needs that 'important memo' recovered.
Disaster recovery is recovering to bare metal servers to re-build your data
center at another location due to a fire/chemical/nuke incident in your
'old' datacenter.

Tapes fail.  Rotate tapes, keep track of the tapes and how much they are
used and how long they are kept.  Once they START showing signs of failure,
retire the tapes by making another copy of the data from that tape (if
possible) or another resource.

Old tapes are not just trashed.  Degause them, then shred them, then if
available have them burnt and in all cases, keep the followup paperwork
showing who/when/where it was done.
...

Sorry if I sound preachie.  Made my living doing backups for many years,
and it is still a hot button personally.

On Wed, Oct 29, 2014 at 12:56 PM, Richard Pieri <richard.pieri at gmail.com>
wrote:

> On 10/29/2014 11:04 AM, Scott Ehrlich wrote:
>
>> What are your thoughts on product(s) to use for primary to backup and
>> for options for off-site - cloud vs storage facility that gives us
>> space on a system?
>>
>
> Cloud is a non-starter. Megaupload. Code/Spaces. Not worth the risk.
>
> Magtape is the best bang for the buck for archival purposes. Run backups
> from production to disk on the backup server. Replicate these backups to
> tape. Rotate tapes to the storage facility of your choice on a regular
> basis. I've had a good relationship with Iron Mountain's tape vaulting
> service in the past.
>
> --
> Rich P.
>
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-- 
><> ... Jack

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