end user computer backups
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@scottalanmiller said in end user computer backups:
If you want to go to cloud, Backblaze has a nice offering.
@aaron
I really found (for me) the key difference between the two was cost and storage length.
BB is 50% cheaper for business ($5 versus $10) but only keeps deleted files and versions around for 30 days. CrashPlan keeps them indefinitely.
Also note that if you are looking to do an image type bare metal restore these options are not what you are looking for.
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If this was a priority, I would use roaming profiles on the server if in Windows/AD world.
Pretty much works out the box, the user can just move sideways onto another computer quickly if there is an issue.
The problem is not imaging the machines, the problem is the user preferences and settings. You don't want to store 150GB of disk image data for appdata and a few other items.
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@BRRABill said in end user computer backups:
Also note that if you are looking to do an image type bare metal restore these options are not what you are looking for.
And if you are looking to do an image-based restore, you should step back and evaluate the needs at a higher level.
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@scottalanmiller said in end user computer backups:
@BRRABill said in end user computer backups:
Also note that if you are looking to do an image type bare metal restore these options are not what you are looking for.
And if you are looking to do an image-based restore, you should step back and evaluate the needs at a higher level.
I was going to post that, but I didn't want to steal your thunder.
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I agree with everything said. It basically comes down to one manager. His machine got infected, so we nuked it by reimaging it. 40 minutes later he had his new computer, but it took another 2 hours for Windows updates to catch up to current since the image was so old. Then he had to tweak all his apps. So then he asked for the computer backup.
I almost think firing off the user state migration tool every so often might solve his problem, but I have to put the numbers together to show it's going to be expensive to store and expensive to manage for something that would get used very rarely.
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I thought of Veeam because I know I'll be able to bring it right back to where it was fairly quickly. The file level backups as some have noted, won't grab application settings.
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If you can drop the centrally managed part Create Synchronicity would likely work well for this. And it's free.
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@Mike-Davis said in end user computer backups:
I agree with everything said. It basically comes down to one manager. His machine got infected, so we nuked it by reimaging it. 40 minutes later he had his new computer, but it took another 2 hours for Windows updates to catch up to current since the image was so old. Then he had to tweak all his apps. So then he asked for the computer backup.
I almost think firing off the user state migration tool every so often might solve his problem, but I have to put the numbers together to show it's going to be expensive to store and expensive to manage for something that would get used very rarely.
ahh! Maybe have 1 replacement machine ready to deploy at all times? Or loaner machines for temporary deployment? If a user's computer goes down, we have it replaced within 5 minutes. All common software is installed on the replacement machine when it is built and most of our users do not use alot of specialized software
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It's a tradeoff that that manager should be tied to. How much cost and effort are they willing to put into speeding up a one time restore? Let's chronicle things here for perspective...
- Manager probably does something careless and gets infected (how did this happen, was he running as the administrator?)
- Manager needs his machine rebuilt and it takes two hours, cost consulting time and wasting management time.
- Manager triggers a project to mitigate the cost of repairing his own mistakes that is likely going to cost far more than the existing time needed to fix his mistakes turning his initial infection into a larger and larger financial hit to the company.
I see a trend.
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@Mike-Davis said in end user computer backups:
I thought of Veeam because I know I'll be able to bring it right back to where it was fairly quickly. The file level backups as some have noted, won't grab application settings.
Calculate the time to restore as well. You'll need fast storage to get back up and running quickly, and it will hit the network hard. Will it take fifteen minutes to restore? Forty five minutes? If it took two hours the first time, subtract this number from that one to get the delta. The delta is the benefit number.
Now figure out how often rebuilds happen. Once a month? One a year? Once every three years? Multiple the delta times that, that's the cost mitigation value of this project. How many hours are we talking about saving, per year, on average?
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If it is just one person, you could set up a USB drive and use something like Macrium Reflect.
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- Don't save junk locally
- Read up on good imaging software (Acronis, DIY microsoft stuff)
- Don't save stuff locally
- Get a hot spare for the office
- Don't save stuff locally
- Look into cloud solutions if you absolutely must save locally for some BS reason. I like Synology CloudSync but there are many other options.
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@BRRABill said in end user computer backups:
Is saving locally an option?
Seems like it might be,
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/616542814319415296/McCTpH_E.jpg
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@MattSpeller said in end user computer backups:
@BRRABill said in end user computer backups:
Is saving locally an option?
Seems like it might be,
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/616542814319415296/McCTpH_E.jpg
@MattSpeller I do not authorize you to use my mug shot..
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If you have paid Veeam, their EndPoint backup will communicate through the Veeam controller. You cannot fully manage it all centrally, but you get reporting out of the console.
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@gjacobse said in end user computer backups:
@MattSpeller said in end user computer backups:
@BRRABill said in end user computer backups:
Is saving locally an option?
Seems like it might be,
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/616542814319415296/McCTpH_E.jpg
@MattSpeller I do not authorize you to use my mug shot..
There's at least four really filthy jokes right there but I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.
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@scottalanmiller said in end user computer backups:
It's a tradeoff that that manager should be tied to. How much cost and effort are they willing to put into speeding up a one time restore? Let's chronicle things here for perspective...
- Manager probably does something careless and gets infected (how did this happen, was he running as the administrator?)
- Manager needs his machine rebuilt and it takes two hours, cost consulting time and wasting management time.
- Manager triggers a project to mitigate the cost of repairing his own mistakes that is likely going to cost far more than the existing time needed to fix his mistakes turning his initial infection into a larger and larger financial hit to the company.
I see a trend.
This is the true cause here. it is a complete waste of time. Yes, you could update your golden image to mitigate Windows updates, but honestly, that should have been transparent to the user. It should have done that overnight if you had not forced it.
Everything else here is exactly as @scottalanmiller is saying. The manager screwed up and wants to cover it up by deflecting with the noise of desktop level backups.
