OT: backups

[Sarah Reichelt]

> Does anyone have any recommendations for backup systems?
>
> What I'm currently using: a mixed OSX and Windows 2k system running
> Retrospect Server 6.5 on a Win2k server box, backing up four computers
> to a 160gig NetDisk. This occasionally works, is a pain to set up,
> more of a pain to reconfigure, and a *real* pain if an error occurs
> during the backup process. I've had Retrospect hang and use up 99% of
> the available cpu resources, I've had it not find client machines and
> had to reinstall the client software many times, I've had it give me
> errors on files I've told it not to back up...

I tried Retrospect and hated it, now I use Chronosync, which is not
without flaws but works OK. I manage a network of Macs and anything
that anybody wants backed up has to be in their Documents folder.
Every night, this is backed up using Chronosync's scheduled backup to
an external Firewire drive attached to our mail server computer. If
required, I also backup their Mail folder as well. Every week, this
drive is mirrored to another external drive that gets kept off the
premises.

The good thing is that Chronosync can be set to email reports, either
every time it does a backup (my preference) or only when it encounters
an error.

HTH,
Sarah