TI8 Server Backup suggestions

[Bonato]

Hi All,
I need your suggestion. I use TrueImageServer8 for backup my Windows2003 SRV. I schedule the complete Backup each sunday night with the Incremental Image.
Now I have 1 big image (11Gb) and a lot of Images of about 1.5Gb...
There is some other suggestion to make an intelligent backup (sure for recovery!!!)
Example to re-make the full image 1 time a month and after the incremental,... or some like that...

All must be in automatically with scheduler.

Thanks for all your opinions
Bonato

[Acronis Support]

Hello Bonato,

Thank you for choosing Acronis True Image Server (http://www.acronis.com/enterprise/products/ATISWin/).

The most common strategy is to schedule full back up creation once a week and incremental back up creation for other six days. In this case you will always have 7 image files: 1 full back up and 6 incrementals. The only flaw of this method is that you sometimes will have several incrementals that cannot be used because the corresponding full image is always replaced with the new one. However Acronis True Image will always find all necessary files when you need to restore the image.

Thank you.
--
Ilya Toytman

[JustTryingToHelp]

From reading these forums and my own experience I would suggest a couple of things.

You should schedule a few tasks:
The first should be a weekly backup of the full image done on Sunday nights. Once you have done this go ahead and right click on the task you have just scheduled and choose to "start now". Only do this for the first time just for sanity sake to ensure task has been done successfully. Also this prepares for step two below. After this has completed go ahead and verify the image (one time only)

The second should be a weekly task for incremental backups. When you choose weekly you will have an option to select which days you want the incrementals done: Select Monday thru Saturday (night). Make sure that you have already run the first task above so that you can choose the correct image name to let true image know that this is what you want incremental backups based on.

This will allow you to use the least amount of disk space while maximizing the amount of data insurance because true image will automatically write over the original full backup on Sunday night as well as the incrementals done the previous week. (Saves Diskspace and less confusing).

You may even want to schedule these to include one pair of tasks that go to a mapped network share and another pair that goes to an external hard drive. Caution: If you backup to an external make sure that you use a boot cd first to make sure that True Image will recognize the external hard drive. Many users including myself have problems with external hard drives.

For sanity sake verify the full image that you created (one time only). Verify the one to the mapped network share and to the external hard drive.

The next thing that in my opinion is the most important is to run a simulation test. Document it as well as how long it took. Hopefully you have a "cold server" -- same exact hardware as your production server that is not being used. Run your disaster recovery plan on it to make sure that everything restores and your server boots properly. Do this recovery once with the external hard drive backup and then with the mapped network share backup. If you do not have a "cold server" then you may want to take that leap of faith and when you don't have users on it attempt to run the live simulation after you have done all of the steps above.

I think the most important thing is to have all of your bases covered so you don't end up in a pickle when or if disaster comes as well as having a documented simulation on file with the date, amount of time, etc...

Sorry for the long post, but this comes from painful lessons.....