I need a backup solution for our business. So far I've been unable to
find one that fits our requirements:

1. Must run as a service under Windows 2000
2. We tell the program which files/folders to backup and which ones to
exclude
3. We tell the program at what times it must run (the schedule)
4. At each scheduled backup the program must copy the specified
files/folders to a central location (i.e., a folder), for later
burning.
5. The backups should be splitted in specified sizes (i.e., 700MB).
6. The program must easily allow finding any given version of any
file, and tell exactly where it resides, including disk/volume, wheter
online (HD) or offline (CD-Rs)*.
7. The program must be able to output a snapshot of the backup system
at any given date. For example, I want the file system as it was on x
date, then the program gets all the backed-up files and copies them to
a specific location, which must perfectly mirror the way the file
system was on that date. It must also include a sort of Explorer to
browse the file system by dates.
9. VERY IMPORTANT: The program must be able to restore *any* given
file no matter what's the status of the other files (i.e., if several
files are damaged it must still be able to restore good ones).
8. Optional - File compression/encryption.
9. The backup process must be transparent, without any user
interaction whatsoever, not including of course the burning process.

* This can also be achieved if the program copies each file
individually, and you can tell what the version is by having the
version added to the file's name or by the date, then I'd use a
cataloger like Where Is It? to find what I want. Point 5 is very
important for this.

Please post a question clarification if you don't completely
understand what I need, or if you have any doubts.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
Ivan Vega R.

---

Clarification of Question by dinocrates-ga on 05 Jun 2002 18:06 PDT

Another option would be a version control system that thightly
integrates with the client's OS, so the users don't have to open a
program for check-outs, check-ins, and that allows for backups of the
repository. If want to answer with this option, first make a comment
on what you found, and if it fits your needs, then, as another Google
user said, "collect the bounty".
 
I regard to omniscientbeing's comment, AFAIK, every backup program
targets both folders AND any files you want.
 
And if that program doesn't currently exists, we'll have to create it.
Then you'll see there's no magic in such requirements ;-) In fact,
this was the first option, which is now the second, mainly because we
have other priorities right now. 

There is a cheap, simple method that I have come to rely upon that
will not be generally advocated by the mainstream media for reasons
that will become clearer as you read on. You want to back up data on a
high capacity device such as a 40-80 gigabyte hard drive. What can
contain all this data, provide a spare hardware parts source, allow
experimental operating system upgrades, and yet be really cheap? GET
ANOTHER HARD DISK DRIVE THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE ONE YOU WANT TO BACK
UP! Cost? $100, maybe?

Initially you take the twin drive and substitute it for your current
hard drive. Install the operating system and any critical software
packages as if you were rebuilding your PC. Just switch the cables and
load it up. PLEASE DO THE INSTALL WITH THE POWER OFF!

Now you can go back to your original hard drive and (with most modern
motherboards) substitute the second hard drive for your CDROM. Just
move the IDE and power cables. There is no need to select master/slave
jumpers. The PC will boot up with two hard drives.

Now open two Windows Explorer sessions and drag whole folders from C
to D. It is a manual process but it is quick and effective. In the
event your primary hard drive fails, you can "borrow" the electronics
board from the new drive to get your data back. I have done this
successfully twice, out of two attempts where it was necessary to do
so!

In addition, I periodically zip up files of my precious data and
upload them to free email/website facilities such as Geocities or
Hotmail. Don't bother to back up software programs. You can buy them
back. You can't buy your data files for any price, however.

Also, I copy data, saved in plain ASCII, to numerous floppy disks that
I keep in locations other than my normal office location. Send some to
your parents or other relatives, out of state. Floppies are not very
reliable over time, but they are cheap. Make lots of them and keep
them away from heat and magnetic fields (CRT monitors). Also print
some simple hard copy!

Going back to my original suggestion, why not 4 or 5 identical hard
drives? This way I can try an XP upgrade, play with Linux, have more
than one hard drive archive, and more, for what, $500?

They won't tell you this in the mainstream press because it kills a
lot of marketing hype and perceived need for "zip" disks and such
nonsense.

Writeable CDROM's are also an option but they have limitations on how
much you can drag over. An identical hard drive WILL ALWAYS have the
space you need!

I hope this is helpful to you. If you want me to chase some web links,
please say so. To date, I have never seen the practical advice
publicised that I have detailed here.

Regards, Chris

The researcher provided a solution I didn't ask for. I specifically
wrote all the requirements, and none of them was met.

As a side note, allow me to congratulate all the Google Answers team
for this great service. I think it will become extremely useful (and
part of my daily life) once it's depurated of poor researchers.

That is not at all what I want. And I do believe I explained myself
clearly enough to avoid researchers make the kind of error you just
made. I'm sorry but I have to rate you this way.

Most backup programs don't work by targetting specific files--they
backup specific designated fodlers. There is no magic program that
will automatically do every poiont which you listed. You select an
enterprise level backup program, and then you have your IT Dept.
create protocols around that system to manage your company's data
backup solutions.

I haven't found that to be true, there are several backup systems
which target at the file level. I was going to answer this question
earlier, but had a personal time constraint.

The only real problem we have here is the CDROM staging area. That is
the sticking point. I would guess that the basic design goals of most
Backup/Recovery software systems, include a line item for "automated"
meaning, no user required to be standing about. The idea of someone
changing disks would not really occur to them. Not in a "major"
software title.

This is possible and probably rather cheap to do. I would look for a
Perl programmer and have her setup a simple script for you that backs
up everything listed in a database table. Get MySql or MSQL if you
have it, setup a table with filenames and paths, and let her rip the
disks. Really not hard at all, you'll get exactly what you want and
probably for a lesser price tag. It won't "look" pretty, but it will
run smoothly and accurately. Perl is a great language for this sort of
need.

I did do some searching and didn't find anything on a commercial site
for you.

Good luck in your search, 

webadept-ga

It seems that no one is answering the question asked. I would
recommend Retrospect as it meets all of the criteria you have
provided.

http://www.dantz.com/

I have used it quite successfully. It requires very little
babysitting, and works with removeable media such as CDR. Of course if
you have an 80 gig hard drive you will have to swap a lot of CD's

I personally agree with the conclusions the other researchers have
expressed, but they didn't address your question. Instead of answering
your question they gave you advise. Advise is good, but you can think
through why or why not you may have specified the criteria you did.

Thanks riegel, I'll try that program.

Although I do think I've found what I need... And it was right in
front of my nose... I use XCopy, then catalog the copies, then
compress it, then burn it... It's actually a little more complicated
(and far from automated) than that, but it works the exact way I need.