How to build a rig hat'll backup entire HDD from laptop

[BAD311]

Hey guys,

How do I go about creating a desktop box that on a nightly basis will make a exact clone of my laptop HDD?

I also want to be able to access the desktop and possibly create two partitions, one for the HDD clone backup and one for a file server to store client files, etc...

I also want it to be FAST in terms of upload/download speeds because 7mb/s is not cutting it, and that's on a wired 10/100/1000 connection currently hooked up to a Iomega Home Storage 1TB NAS.

I'm hoping by building a rig I can install Windows Home Server or something to do what I'm looking to accomplish.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Spikesoldier]

WHS sounds like what you want.

As far as hardware goes, let me suggest a Zacate setup which comes in at low power and low cost.

A real computer hooked up to a gigabit LAN is MUCH faster in throughput than a SOHO consumer NAS on the same network.

On my storage server running freenas instead of WHS, I can nearly saturate the gigabit link.

 

[BAD311]

Spike - Can WHS perform a image of my laptop HDD via wireless?

I take it on the job, come home and at night need nightly backups just in case it gets dropped... I've already dropped it 3 times in 2 years, surprised she's still running

A exact copy of my HDD is necessary so I can drop in a replacement drive in 5 minutes, copy the contents over, be done with it.

 

[BAD311]

Annnd I think I have my answer

Thanks!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/protect.mspx

 

[Spikesoldier]

Annnd I think I have my answer

Thanks!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/windowshomeserver/protect.mspx

yes and that truly is one of the features WHS is worth getting for.

 

[razel]

A exact copy of my HDD is necessary so I can drop in a replacement drive in 5 minutes, copy the contents over, be done with it.

An upload/download speed of 7mb/s off your wired 1 GB NAS sounds like the NAS isn't communicating at 1GB speed. Here are my real-world max speed experiences:

12mb/s wired LAN 100/Wireless 300
16-36mb/s USB 2.0
120mb/s LAN 1000
HDD limit USB 3.0/eSATA

Since you're backing up overnight, a USB 2.0 portable or external drive with Win7's scheduled image backup should be the simplest for your needs. USB 2.0 on my 2009 era laptop has this odd behavior where when writing multi GIGs of data that is will start off at 33mb/s then level off to 16mb/s. I noticed this wasn't the case a newer 2011 Sandy Bridge laptop. That always transferred at 33+. Anyhow... point being that USB 2 portable and scheduled image backups might be cheaper and easier then setting up another machine just to backup one computer. You can use that saved money to even add a rotating redundancy by buying two external drives and rotate backups between them at your ease.