X-Vers: Weeg cc:Mail/SMTP translation (originally by A. Marshall)
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.novell
Date:         Fri, 17 Apr 1992 10:21:00 CST
Reply-To:     Novell LAN Interest Group <NOVELL@SUVM.BITNET>
From:         Netman@PHYSLOG-PO.PHYSLOG.UIOWA.EDU
Subject:      Re: backups with Palindrome
X-To:         Novell LAN Interest Group <NOVELL%SUVM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>

From: Oscar Cwajbaum <OSCARC@charon.imsa.edu>
Sender:NOVELERR@SUVM.ACS.SYR.EDU
X-To:NOVELL%SUVM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Hi!  I'm about to recommend Palindrome's Net Archivist as a backup system
> to be used at my work - does anyone have any good/bad things to say about it?
>
> (We're currently backing up a 240 Meg H/D; however, we'll be increasing it
> with backing other servers - probably about 1 Gig soon on Netware 3.11;
> running Dos 5.0 - any suggestions?)
>
> Do appreciate any suggestions/ideas.
>


We had tried Palindrome's Network Archivist, and while it was a pretty
slick package, we found it to be too constricting.  Palindrome's
product is turnkey and no-brainer, as long as you pay their price
(high) and follow their rules.  But every drive to be backed up needs
to be "managed" via their database and you don't have the option of
doing incidental or casual backups.

Because I'm constantly hooking a non-networked machine up to the wires
in order to transfer files, backup a suspect hard disk, or goof around
with something or other, I missed, with Palindrome's system, the
ability to simply do a unstructured and unmanaged backup.

For automated backup with Palindrome, one must leave a network node
logged in as a particular "no-rights" user which then logs itself on
as a "supervisor" at the specified time.  For us this meant an extra
machine and an extra node on our network, especially if we wanted to
backup the users who only have their machines on during working hours.

As well, we have several researchers who generate around 100MB of data
a week who simply want to move the data onto tape when they are
finished with it without worrying about archive schemes.

Worst of all, any little task to be done with Palindrome's software
requires you (or a designated person) to physically go to the backup
node and mess with describing the task and initiating it.


So we moved over to Cheyenne.  Arcserve is a server based system
which, in its latest 4.0 version, will do much of the file and tape
management tasks.  Its operation is a little more complicated than
Palindrome's, but your options, as a manager, are significantly
enhanced: you can schedule "auto-pilot" backups, which backup and
manage ala Palindrome; you can schedule repetitive jobs; you can
backup whatever you want at will; and network users can submit their
own backup jobs (ala the print queues).

However, ARCserve makes my server crash.  (See yesterday's tirade.)

Good luck in your search!

-- Cliff

___________________________________________________________________________
Cliff Missen                    |  Other Interests:
Systems Analyst                 |     Third World Development (Africa esp.)
Physiology and Biophysics       |     Appropriate Technology
University of Iowa              |     Computer graphics
(319)335-7880                   |     Desktop Publishing

Internet:  CMissen@PHYSLOG-PO.PHYSLOG.UIOWA.EDU
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU