Backup Network ?s

[MysticLlama]

I just got my first couple of licenses for BackupExec, and I'm getting ready to start planning how it's all going to function.

I will have one master Windows powered NAS server to stage backups to, and from there it's going to an 8 tape Quantum Superloader.

The traffic once it's done will be as follows:

Exchange, probably 3 fulls per week, and archived logs, maybe incrementals, but I'll have to see how it works. 15GB worth of data.
MAS200, full backup daily. 2GB worth of Data
Directory / Catalog on 2-3 servers (small, only 50ish machines and users)
SQL, full on off days from Exchange, probably incrementals in between.
Storage (master NAS server) about 50GB to back up, full weekly plus incrementals

A few other things here and there at a couple of GB each.

It's not a real big system, so it will probably work fine no matter how it's done, but I like to try and overbuild things a bit.

So here's the question:

I'm going to be getting a Cicso 3700 10/100/1000 24port for the core, and each server will be connected to it. The other switches are then either going to be connected to it via the stacking cable, fiber, or copper depending on location.

Most of the backups will run on off hours, but we also have lots of other replication and things that run off hours that keep the network utilized almost as much as during the day.

Would it be better to just run the backups over the public ports since they are 1000, or should I use the 10/100 NICs that are in all of them (they are Proliants, with 2 10/100s and a 1000 each), and create a backup network that's isolated for that purpose?

Are there any advantages to keeping it separate even though I sacrifice a little speed?

I figure if I go ahead and put in a patch panel and switch for the backup network, I can always drop in a faster switch later to upgrade fairly easily. Also, since it's only going to be 12-15 ports in use I can just use any simple L2 10/100/1000 switch for it later on if I want to upgrade.

I have a some spare 24 port 10/100s, patch panels, and plenty of cable right now, so it's not a cost impact to do it this way.

 

[ITJunkie]

Question for you....maybe I don't fully understand what you are trying to do but why are you making your backups so complicated? You have an 8 tape autoloader at your disposal so why not do an incremental or differential Monday thru Friday and a weekly full on Saturdays. I am assuming they are DLT's so you have, what, about half a Terabyte of data you can back up.

It sounds like you have a great setup so why overcomplicate it. Managing the tapes will be a lot easier this way as well.

 

[spidey07]

Try to keep backups if you can off the production network. They'll kill performance.

One approach is to backup over an IP network that is separate from the production net - I think you've got this covered.
Another (better) approach is through a storage area network, each server could connect to the SAN and the tape drive connects to the SAN. High performance and no production network impact.

 

[MysticLlama]

I think the reasoning for splitting it up funny like it is is so that I can easily take a couple of tapes offsite and have a full backup of almost everything.

I could get another complete set of 8 tapes, but that's more of a pain to swap in and out and keep track of then two would be.

I've been trying to figure out how to get everything to fit every day within a single 40/80 tape, but I don't think that will happen, thus the staggering. I suppose maybe I could do fulls on Mon/Wed/Fri and just have it span two tapes instead of staggering it.

I'm really looking at the system as if I only have 40/80GB of space to work with and it just automatically changes the tapes for me vs. a half terabyte system. Maybe that's the problem? I'm not really well versed on big backup systems, I've only ever used single tapes big enough to do full backups with NTBackup before, so this is new and I'm doing a lot of reading to make sure I do it right.

I had to go through a nasty Exchange recovery recently, so I want to keep everything as smooth as possible.

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Yeah, I'd love to get a SAN, but there is just no way even an entry level would fit into the budget for this year, I'm still buying servers to replace 5-6 year old stuff. Next year hopefully though.

That's the other consideration I forgot to mention, it would be nice to not have to totally rethink it if I was to go to a SAN array. I don't really know much about SANs other than it'd be one nice big place to back everything up.

 

[SaigonK]

Create a backup network. When you get intot he size backup LAN i have you will regret running things over the primary lan. 🙂
it is always best practice, although not always fiscally sound, for your prod and backup lans to be seperate.