PSA: If your backup software has a 1500 page manual, it's too complicated

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I used Backup Exec many moons ago...wanna say like 11 years ago.

Well have a client who has a backup that's not running. They check the logs and gets failure messages. Take a look at it and things looked ok, I just created another job and set it to run and see.

Client calls again today and said it's still not backing up. Said I'd look at it later after I skim through the manual.

So I download this thing and it's 1460 pages...wtf. It ain't an SQL programming book...just instructions on doing backups. Nothing complicated in any of this in the pages I've read.

Then there are the supplimental Command Line guide, Install guide, etc. not included...

Yeah it's nice to be thorough, but jeebus do an abriged or condensed version and shorten this thing up.

Any other software of such a non...complicated matter this long?

 

[iamwiz82]

Backup Exec pretty good software, much better than ARCserve, IMHO.

 

[compnovice]

Probably the software just appended all the backup copy of manuals to the same file

 

[imported_LoKe]

Better a 1500 page manual than a README.txt with "plz donate to help keep our software free".

 

[OutHouse]

we use legato, im pretty sure the manual is cosle to 1500 pages if we printed it out.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Here we use TapeWare and the manual was only a couple of hundred pages.

I hate to admit but sometimes I'm tempted to just say f' it and use Backup that comes with Windows Server. Ain't high tech and feature filled, but it does the job and works.

The place today keeps giving me a "no drive availible" message and since they were about to close just told her to shut down and restart and I'd call her in the morning

 

[rivan]

Dear BackupExec,

Cliffs?

Love,
BrunoPuntzJones

 

[Pastore]

I use a combination of Genie Backup and TapeWare, never looked at the manual for either. Seriously if you know what incremental and differential mean what else is there?

 

[Rubycon]

Symantec owns Veritas now.

Prepare to need a quadcore system just to run your backups in a single day. :laugh:

 

[loup garou]

I haven't decided whether I like BackupExec or utterly despise it. I have to say it's tons better than ArcServe, though.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: BrunoPuntzJones
Here we use TapeWare and the manual was only a couple of hundred pages.

I hate to admit but sometimes I'm tempted to just say f' it and use Backup that comes with Windows Server. Ain't high tech and feature filled, but it does the job and works.

The place today keeps giving me a "no drive availible" message and since they were about to close just told her to shut down and restart and I'd call her in the morning

Confirm that the correct drive is listed in the job settings. It's under the Device and Media, under Device.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MS Dawn
Symantec owns Veritas now.

Prepare to need a quadcore system just to run your backups in a single day. :laugh:

meh, we have multiple 8 processor boxes doing backups. The backup guys still swear veritas rules.