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The Joel on Software Discussion Group (CLOSED)

Hello All,

I'm looking for recommendations for software to do incremental backups for files on a Windows 2003 server. I'm not looking for drive imaging.

There is a backup system already in place, but it's just silly and I want to replace it with something that makes sense.

The backups will be for web sites and database backups.

I checked this:

 http://www.donationcoder.com/Reviews/Archive/BackUpGuide/index.html

And Genie Backup Manager Pro looks good. But I've also heard very good things about Second Copy.

The requirements are:

* File based backups (i.e. Not drive imaging)
* Incremental backups
* Reliable (of course)
* Runs on a server (can be a Windows scheduled task but preferably a Windows service)
* File versioning backups (store changed versions for rollbacks)

Nice features that aren't necessarily required:

* Backup to network (over LAN or FTP)

Can anyone recommend a tool that they've found works well?

Arrgh, if you did not have so precise requirements I would have suggested Amazon S3...

One question though, since I'm feeling concerned: do laptops hard drives also crash?

Amazon S3 would be good for afterwards, but I want to back things up locally first then worry about getting it off the server. Better to have backups immediately available rather than fart around downloading them first -- that kind of thing.

Oh - and laptop hard drives never crash. Their batteries explode first! =)

Second Copy is good. SyncBack is also good.

They both meet *my* primary requirements.

- Both versioning ("keep last x versions") and ability to store long-term backups (e.g. weekly/monthly snapshots) through profiles.

- FTP because if a virus hits, or the building burns down an onsite backup is the same as no backup.

- Encryption because the files will be stored on a 3rd party FTP server.

I use SyncBack because it had a few features that Second Copy didn't have at the time I evaluated it, but looking at them now, they seem roughly equivalent.

Take a look at Backup4all http://www.backup4all.com too:

* File based backups - YES
* Incremental backups - YES
* Reliable (of course) - YES
* Runs on a server (can be a Windows scheduled task but preferably a Windows service) - YES as a scheduled task
* File versioning backups (store changed versions for rollbacks) - YES
* Backup to network (over LAN or FTP) - YES

One thing you have to take into account is the use of proprietary/non-proprietary formats, Backup4all uses standard zip (as I think Second Copy/Syncback use too) but Genie has its own format.

Thank-you for those recommendations. I'll make sure to check them all out. (If there are any more, I'm still open.)

+1 SyncBack

Since you have a windows 2003 server - I would start with Shadow copy for the file versioning. 

You could use the built-in backup service in Windows 2003 server to run incremental backups.  Not a husge fan, but it works on the cheap.

Then you can go for Continuous Data Protection Manager or Backup Exec for the off-server backup for disk to disk to tape backup.

I've had Cobian Backup - http://www.educ.umu.se/~cobian/cobianbackup.htm - running on multiple Win2K3 servers for a couple of years. Seems to do a very good job. It's gone through some changes in who's owning development lately, but I think it's emerging intact. And the price is right.