Low Cost Backup Solution for Windows Server 2012

[7earitup]

I have a client that has multiple Windows Servers in multiple locations. Currently they are using the built-in Windows backup to copy a few directories over to an external hard drive every night.

I am looking for a low-cost solution that will make backups on a schedule, encrypt them (for HIPAA compliance), and email notifications of either success or failure to a specific email address.

What options do you all recommend? I have found a few free solutions but I am weary of trusting important data to a solution that is not well updated nor supported.

Thanks for any and all help!

 

[MustISO]

Can you define low cost? That could be $100 or $3000.

Low cost and important data is not a good recipe IMO. I would never trust my backups to an consumer grade external drive either.

You could try Veeam Endpoint Backup going to a NAS with some fault tolerance or just continue using the external drives. Not sure if Endpoint Backup does encryption.
http://www.veeam.com/endpoint-backup-free.html

Whatever you do make sure you're doing recovery testing on a regular basis.

 

[7earitup]

Thanks for your reply.

I am thinking something $300 or under. I have to have something that is going to be cost efficient to implement across 5-10 locations.

 

[yinan]

Why not use one of the online services? Crashplan is good, and it works on Server Operating systems too.

 

[7earitup]

Why not use one of the online services? Crashplan is good, and it works on Server Operating systems too.

Crashplan looks like a good cloud option but I am leaning towards an in-house backup solution based on talks with my client. Also, I believe they would prefer to pay up-front for the software as opposed to a monthly or annual fee.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Crashplan looks like a good cloud option but I am leaning towards an in-house backup solution based on talks with my client. Also, I believe they would prefer to pay up-front for the software as opposed to a monthly or annual fee.

The Crashplan Software is free, you're just leasing their storage space. Get the Crashplan Engine installed on all of the servers, and back them up to each other. No annual fee, no additional hardware needed, no problem.

 

[7earitup]

I did not realize that Crashplan had so many features for free. That may be the route I take.

Thanks all!

 

[Binky]

What if somebody steals all of your servers, or the building burns down? As a consultant, I would still pitch the off-site backup as well. If things go wrong, guess who gets the blame...

 

[dave_the_nerd]

What if somebody steals all of your servers, or the building burns down? As a consultant, I would still pitch the off-site backup as well. If things go wrong, guess who gets the blame...

The servers are already in different buildings.

Using SEDs or something to help prevent compromised data due to theft might not be a terrible idea.

 

[7earitup]

What if somebody steals all of your servers, or the building burns down? As a consultant, I would still pitch the off-site backup as well. If things go wrong, guess who gets the blame...

The needs I pitched in the OP are straight from the owner. The nice thing about CrashPlan is that I can at least at that functionality to it if that is what they want. I would more than likely offsite it elsewhere as opposed to using their cloud service though for HIPAA reasons.

The servers are already in different buildings.

Using SEDs or something to help prevent compromised data due to theft might not be a terrible idea.

What do you mean by SEDs? These locations are protected by alarm and the servers are centrally located so theft (at least physically) is not a huge concern.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The needs I pitched in the OP are straight from the owner. The nice thing about CrashPlan is that I can at least at that functionality to it if that is what they want. I would more than likely offsite it elsewhere as opposed to using their cloud service though for HIPAA reasons.

What do you mean by SEDs? These locations are protected by alarm and the servers are centrally located so theft (at least physically) is not a huge concern.

Self-Encrypting Drives. They're all the rage.

You don't absolutely need them, it's mostly a guard against physical theft of HDDs. Just one more layer of security used by people who are absolutely paranoid about their data being stolen.

Or who have to use them for data security / HIPAA reasons. (I am under the impression they were very popular in the health care industry.)

 

[7earitup]

I meant to ask - is there anything else like CrashPlan out there? I really want to weigh my options and I have been testing each one myself so that I can give the client an idea of what he is looking at cost-wise to implement it.

I really want something that I can almost set and forget. These locations have enough other issues with workstations and what not that I do not want to add a whole other element to that work load.

Once again, I need:
Daily Backups (scheduled/automated)
Encryption (for HIPAA compliance)
Email Notifications (for success/failure)
Local Backup (to external HDD or NAS preferred)
$300 or under per install (preferably under)

Thanks again guys - all of your insight has been a real help!

 

[Z15CAM]

DOS Boot to a 1.32MB app named "GHOST.EXE".

Granted you require FAT32 32 GB partitions onDOS Bootable HDD's, SSD's, USB Thumbs or Optic Disk drives to store your "SPLIT" Ghost GHO Images - Suggest a 703 MB "SPLIT" image meaning with your INI file you can burn them to Dos Bootable CD's and in Hi-Compression.

Highly suggest you play with Partitions and not a Disk over-writes.

Ghost.EXE is available "FREE" from about any University BBS site and has been 100% reliable for me since about 1997.

Yah! I'm Old School but it works for Windows, Linux and BSD OS's - But you have to navigate in DOS. &^$& GUI Backup apps like Acronis or Macrum.

I'm about to be banned again over Symantec's DOS Ghost.EXE by Anand Tech. I suggest "GHOST SERVER v8 Corp_Bld 8.0.0.984" if you can find it ;o)

Granted the GUI side of "GHOST SERVER v8 Corp_Bld 8.0.0.984" will BackUp on a Schedule and Migrate your OS to users on your NetWork System.

 

[adamantine.me]

I'll also recommend Crash Plan. I hear professionals say good things about it, and haven't heard anything negative about them so far.

 

[Kaido]

I am looking for a low-cost solution that will make backups on a schedule, encrypt them (for HIPAA compliance), and email notifications of either success or failure to a specific email address.

Macrium Reflect, Server Edition: ($250 per license)

http://www.macrium.com/product/4/a-nameserveramacrium-reflect-v6-server-edition-.aspx

1. Backs up on a schedule (full, incremental, differential)
2. Can encrypt backup file with a password
3. Can send email notifications of back success/failure status

8TB USB backup drives are $240:

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop-External-Storage-STDT8000100/dp/B00R45V3SW/

If you have access to a Gigabit network, Synology has excellent NAS appliances. I use the 1815+ model a lot:

https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS1815+

The last one I built was 30TB for $3,200 (1815+ with nine 6TB RED drives, 8 for the NAS and one for spare, setup with 2-drive failover in the portable SHR-2 format). Setup all of the servers with Macrium on a backup schedule, test-load images on a weekly basis to verify they aren't corrupted. Piece of cake.

 

[TahirMarfani]

I am also thinking $250 -300