Backup: Having the necessary means to recover a functioning server system in the event any or all components of this system experience a fatal error (flooding counts!). So if you have a server connected to an iSCSI SAN you need to have the ability to stand the system back up if the server, HBA, iSCSI disk array, etc go kaput. (technically this would mean having a separate network switch as well, but we're talking software).
Sounds like the auto-snapshot manager doesn't meet this criteria here, unless the destination is on a different physical device and the "snapshots" aren't like VM snapshots which can't be used to recover a DOA VM on their own as you need the "original" VMDK/VHD in addition to the snapshots [1] To me a true backup cannot exist in the same physical device as the operating device. While I do have an external eSATA drive that is a target for backup software backing up of my server VM's, the first "true" backup exists on a NAS device that sits in a different room altogether. Dave [1] I used to think having multiple snapshots was an OK form of "in case I need to fall back to it for some reason" until I ran into a situation that to recover a server - SBS with Exchange and SQL as it turns out - I had to "reassemble" the multiple snapshots back together manually, and each logical disk has its own snapshot, and I had three snapshots and the server had three disks, so I had the joy of reassembling effectively nine snapshots back into the "main" disks. Did I mention they have to be reassembled in the correct sequence? Spent a lot of time with Microsoft and while I did man Now, I use snapshots sparingly and delete them as soon as I can. -----Original Message----- From: Sean Martin [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2011 5:13 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: Dell's Auto-Snapshot Manager (EqualLogic) vs. tradtional backup softwares I didn't mean for that to sound like I was advocating no backups, I just meant that the term "backups" is an insufficient explanation of what disaster recovery and business continuity capabilities more and more businesses are after. - Sean On Dec 31, 2011, at 1:34 AM, Anders Blomgren <[email protected]> wrote: > Agreed. But I think backups have a part to play in this new world. As > someone who's had the unfortunate combination of replicated logic > errors combined with primary san failure, the absence of backups > would've been a resume-generating event. > > -Anders > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 31 dec 2011, at 02:13, Sean Martin <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Ben is spot on. It's time to start letting go of the concept of backups and >> start embracing the concept of data protection. With technologies like >> snapshots, cloning, replication, de-duplication and compression becoming >> more prevalent in data protection solutions, you have a myriad of >> capabilities at your disposal. The important thing to remember (and I >> believe this is a universal truth in IT) is to not let the technologies >> determine your business requirements. Determine your business requirements >> and then identify which technologies allow you to meet those requirements. >> >> - Sean >> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
