Rather than go to local server storage, I would recommend getting a secondary, less expensive SATA-based iSCSI SAN to offload the data to.
It will give you more flexibility in the long run, while helping you to minimize costs in the short run. *ASB *(My XeeSM Profile) <http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker> *Exploiting Technology for Business Advantage...* * * Signature powered by WiseStamp <http://www.wisestamp.com/email-install> On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 6:40 PM, David Lum <[email protected]> wrote: > What I've implemented in a small (50 user, 500GB total server space > environment) with good success and happy users: ROBOCOPY to an archive share > (in this case, 1TB USB HDD hung off a server). Same users allowed to RWXD on > non-archived files have READ ONLY to the archives. File/folder structure is > identical to "active" files. The only folders archived by the robocopy are > the shares on the file/print servers. > > We're considering doing something similar at %dayjob% with 350 users and a > LOT more data - get old data off expensive SAN disks and onto cheaper and > less "performance critical" local server drives. > > Depends on the environment and why you want to archive. In the small client > it was to not unnecessarily pay for online backup of files that simply > aren't THAT business critical, and those archive files are disk-to-disk > backup to a NAS at their site 2 miles away. > > Yeah, doesn't help the OP AT ALL. > > Dave > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kurt Buff [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 3:14 PM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: Re: Archiving Solution > > On Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 14:16, Mike Tellson > <[email protected]> wrote: > > My company is looking to implement an archiving solution for both file > > servers and exchange mailboxes. After several vendors came out and gave > a > > “dog and pony show” the two products that appear to be what we are > looking > > for are CommVault Simpana and Sunbelt’s Exchange archiver & File > archiver. > > Does anyone on this list have experience with either of these products? > > What are your opinions of each (good, bad, or ugly)? > > I have some peripheral experience with the Sunbelt stuff - I didn't > implement it myself, and it was given to one of my minions by the IT > manager, which pissed me off no end. > > o- Don't mix the implementation of the two products - Just. > Don't. In particular, don't mix the archive files into the same > directories. > > o- Make sure you don't throw random crappy old hardware at it. > > My next points are true of any complex solution like this: > > o- Don't give it to a junior sysadmin to implement. > > o- Make sure you have a comprehensive plan for implementation and > testing > > Specific issues that come to mind immediately: > > o- We had to make exceptions for several different file types > (.mdb, CAD drawings, and some others) because the clients couldn't > stand the wait time for the retrieval from the archiver, and the > client would hang, and then we'd have to unarchive the file manually. > > o- Once the emails and files have been archived and mingled in > the directories created on the archive server, there is no > distinguishing them, in any way. > > We cheaped out and used an older server with poor RAID hardware for > the OS drives, and we're still paying the price. > > There are other problems, but I'll leave you with a bit of philosophy: > > o- Adding more disk is probably cheaper than trying to do file > archiving. The cost of the software and the maintenance/management > overhead almost certainly more expensive than adding more disk. > > o- Email archiving is the same story with one caveat: the only > real justification for it: Legal protection. If you need email > archiving for regulatory compliance, customer service or contractual > issues, you're good to go. Otherwise, don't do it. > > Kurt > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ > ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
