Network Guru question

[Bob Thomas]

Not yet, Ken. I really have no idea as to how to look for that stuff. I'm back to work tomorrow night and will be starting a search both on the backup and on finding a new way to backup

[JohnR]

If you were closer I'd take a swing in and look for you. That said, if it is OK with the boss (err chief), I'd be willing to make a remote connection while you are there and spend a few minutes looking at what is being backed up. Odds are there has been file creep which has expanded this. Second. Of vital importance, and I cannot stress this enough, you need to periodically TEST your backups by RETRIEVING a test block of files to the server to verify that what is being backed up can actually be restored. While there are certainly other things I would recommend - like setting up to do close a bare-metal-restore or better, at minimum, every 6 months you need to test your ability to restore that data so that you know your backups are working.

[Bob Thomas]

Originally Posted by JohnR

If you were closer I'd take a swing in and look for you. That said, if it is OK with the boss (err chief), I'd be willing to make a remote connection while you are there and spend a few minutes looking at what is being backed up. Odds are there has been file creep which has expanded this. Second. Of vital importance, and I cannot stress this enough, you need to periodically TEST your backups by RETRIEVING a test block of files to the server to verify that what is being backed up can actually be restored. While there are certainly other things I would recommend - like setting up to do close a bare-metal-restore or better, at minimum, every 6 months you need to test your ability to restore that data so that you know your backups are working.

John,

As part of our yearly service (probably should be more often) our IT company comes in (at premium cost) and checks all the servers and verifies the backups. They said it was alright in 2008. We'll see what goes on now...going to be a bumpy ride!

Thanks again!

Bob

[JohnR]

Bob - how new is your other server? You have two right? Or just one? How is the other server backed up?

For $15000? I'll do it for $10K There has GOT to be more stuff there for it to be that expensive.

On the other hand, your department has GOT to understand that you can't go and run this stuff and NOT have an ANNUAL realistic budget for this stuff AND a 4 year (5 MAX) replacement schedule. I know a little bit about town budgets and how some bleep up year after year is almost comical.