Network backup may not be the most exciting topic, but it is a crucial application that every administrator must deal with on a daily basis. Most major network operating systems (Microsoft Windows NT, 2000, and NetWare) come with a basic backup and restore utility, but they don't offer important features most administrators need such as unattended operation, tape rotation, and client agents. Retrospect Server Backup 5.1 from Dantz Development Corp. offers these featuresââ,¬"and more.
Retrospect Server Backup 5.1 runs on a Windows NT or 2000 server, works with almost any storage device (autoloaders, DVD, and CD-RW, among others), and has agents for protecting data on Windows and Macintosh-based client PCs. The basic server package costs US$500 (street) and allows you to back up 100 Windows PCs. We found the product a snap to install on our Windows 2000 test server. The installation wizard detected our ADIC autoloader.
Client packages are available for Macintosh and Windows PCs and range in price from US$100 (street) for a five-user pack to US$1,500 (street) for a 100-client license. Dantz also offers a standalone package for Windows and Macintosh computers as well as a workgroup version. All of the packages are available for a 30-day free trial on the Dantz Web site.
After we successfully tested the server and drive, we installed the client software on several PCs running Windows 95 and 98. The server console detected the clients and allowed us to pick the data we wanted to store on the tapes. The client software runs in the background and is able to determine when you connect to the network. This lets mobile users connect to the network when they arrive at the office and perform a quick backup of their data.
We particularly liked the backup and restore scripts and the IncrementalPlus backups. You can choose to write a basic script that does a full backup every night, or you can write a more sophisticated script that requests a particular tape and performs a backup on multiple PCs. IncrementalPlus takes a snapshot of the entire hard drive on the target PC, which eases the task of restoring a PC back to its original state after a crash, including system settings and files.
Though we'd like to see an option for protecting NetWare and Unix servers, Retrospect Server Backup 5.1 is a good solution for Windows-based networks.
Product: Retrospect Server Backup 5.1
Rating: 4 Star
Price: For a single server, US$500
Requires: 24MB RAM; 50MB hard drive space; Microsoft Windows 95, 98, or NT 4.0
Company: Dantz Development - www.dantz.com
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