Linux backup and restore server project- several particulars needed.

[Jeremy Fowler]

Well, in-use files should no longer be a problem if the backup software uses
Window' s Volume Shadow Copy or sometimes called Volume Snapshot Service
(VSS) - which most newer ones do. I agree, backup and restore is a complex
task, but I don't feel users should know anything about how it works and
that includes pop-up windows telling them it was or was not successful. If
they get a message everyday, most users will become numb to the repetitive
task of clicking ok to a daily backup message and might not even read it
half the time or at all. Its better to know something went wrong before the
user tells you. Just because they get a message that something bad happened,
doesn't mean they will drop everything to tell you about it. I know many
will wait until they run into you in the hall, at the pop machine, or when
something really bad happens and they can't work.

User:  "Hey Jer, can I get you to come look at my computer? Something about
an invalid disk error..."
[On the walk back to his desk...]
User: "I've been meaning to talk with you. My machine has been giving me
these pop-up messages lately."
Jeremy: "What pop-up messages?"
User: "I'm not sure, something about backups. I've just been hitting ok."
Jeremy:  "How long has this been happening?"
User: "I don't know... A couple weeks? Been meaning to tell you, just been
busy."
[20 mins and one failed hard disk later...]
Jeremy: "Looks like your hard drive failed. I'll try some things to recover
it, but it doesn't look good. I just check the backup logs... Looks like the
last good backup was 3 weeks ago, hope you haven't worked on anything
important since then..."
User: "...." (stunned silence)
Jeremy: "Probably should have told me about those pop-up windows sooner..."

See my point?

I'm all about the adage, "The right tool for the right job". If your going
to be burdened with having to manage and administer Windows Workstations,
use tools that work the best, fastest, and easiest for the job at hand. This
usually means Windows based applications that have a friendly centralized
administration interface that can scan the network or preferably integrates
into your directory service of choice or at least Active Directory. I would
use something that can push install its backup agent across the network to
these workstations so you don't have to worry about msi files or pushing
files with login scripts. Something that is probably policy based so you can
work on groups of workstations and has robust reporting and notification
capabilities so you don't have to rely on your users to tell you their
backups have been failing.

As far as the simple home users or workstations that aren't part of a large
network, buy an external storage drive. Most come with fairly decent backup
software, like memeo, that offers real time continuous data protection.
External storage is probably the better, relatively cheaper and safer backup
medium any way.

Use Linux when its the best tool for the job. Don't sacrifice features, like
any of the above I mentioned, just to be an open source purest. In a
business environment, use tools that make your life and job easier and then
use the time saved to work on your favorite open source project. ;-)

Anyway, just my $0.02....
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