Backup-Recovery Q&A with W. Curtis Preston

New Topic

Next New Topic

Backup-Recovery Q&A with W. Curtis Preston

Q: jss wrote: NetBackup DataCenter "I [...] would love to talk about how [my recent Veritas NetBackup DataCenter 4.5 trip] went [...]" How did it go, and what worked and didn't work?

A: It actually went very well. We used calendar-based scheduling, the new integrated NetBackup Vault, the new Java GUI, and many other heralded features of 4.5, and all went very well. We encountered one bug with calendar based scheduling, but it was fixed in a maintenance pack that had already been released (but not installed). Vault was wonderful, and the Java GUI is 800 times better than previous versions. I actually did a complete review of our experiences for the October issue of Storage Magazine.

Q: mallen wrote: Cost guidelines Could you give a guideline for how much a company should expect to spend per backed up system? For example, say I have 1000 desktops and 100 servers. Of 100 desktops and 10 servers or 10 desktops and 1 file server. How much money should I request/budget?

A: That's a really impossible question to answer. The cost ranges anywhere from dollars per GB to hundreds and thousands of dollars per GB, based on your recovery requirements and the complexity of the data. For example, backing up a 1 GB file is a piece of cake. Backing up and restoring a 10 TB SAP, Oracle-based database within 5 hours is an entirely different matter. There are also dozens of major design decisions that affect the cost of your system (frequency and retention of full and incremental backups, offsite tape creation and storage, disk vs. tape as a storage medium, etc.) The only thing I can advise is to hire an indendent professional (one NOT from one of the ISV or OEMs trying to sell you hardware/software) to evaluate your business needs and technical requirements, and let them tell you how much to budget.

Q: marius wrote: A Tangent on Backups Mr. Preston, A lot has been said about doing enterprise level backups on a large scale, both cost-effectively and cost-extravagantly. On that note, many of us have networks at our residences that house information that is personal, yet (arguably) just as important. Think personal photos from the digital camera, MP3's as a backup to your CD collection, personal consulting data, etc. What are your opinions and suggestions for those of us that would like to go about performing backups with media that can be brought off-site (a la safety deposit box), somewhat quick, and is affordable for the average professional geek by day/casual geek by night? I've looked into DLT and similar techologies, but these are still cost prohibitive for the home, whereas CD-R/RW are too slow in writing and become multi-volume very quickly. In my case, all the data to be archived is on one BSD system, and all client (WinXP) computers archive important data to the server.

A: My personal preference for the geek is to buy an autochanger from ebay and use Amanda. You can get some pretty stinking good equipment from ebay, and you can automate it quite well with Amanda. (I've got two autochangers that cost $30k-$40k new, that I got for $1k apiece.) My personal favorite for these is AIT-based libraries. I even buy my media used from ebay. (I've bought probably $5k-$8k of equipment off of ebay, and have never once gotten a DOA.)

Having said that, if you are a small house or even a small business that can't afford (or don't want to manage) any kind of backup system, I'd look into EVault. They back you up over the internet, and charge you a monthly fee per GB that's stored on their system. After excluding worthless data, excluding redundant files automatically, and compressing your data, you end up with only a few GB over there. It's a GREAT solution for small businesses. (Yes, we happen to resell it. However, the whole reason I'm doing so is that I found out what it's like to be a small business and have to back up your data. Most of the affordable options are something I'd never trust.)

Q: John wrote: reporting by `Netbackup? We installed `Netbackup a few years ago and found their reporting module too weak for the money and so we built our own. What do you think of the current options and what should they be?

A: NetBackup's Advanced Reporter has gotten better in 4.5, so you may want to give it a second look. (It comes on the media kit, and I'm sure you can get an eval key for it.) Having said that, I do prefer Bocada's BackupReport. Besides liking their reports better, it is also able to report on Backup Exec, TSM, Arcserve, and Omniback -- all from one central Windows box without having to install ANYTHING on your backup servers. (Yes, I know Sage is primarily a Unix crowd, and they would prefer a Unix product. Tell Bocada that. They listen.) They're also about to come out with a 2.0 really soon with increased media reporting and more customizable reports. Check them out at http://www.bocada.com.

Q: pruneau wrote: Database backups... Hello Mr Preston, We are using Netbackup quite extensively where I work, and we are now catering with backing up Linux machines (which runs pretty well). However, one of the problems we ran into is the lack of support of "free" database, like MySQL and PostGres SQL. I know that one of the option is stop-backup-start, but that will be only satisfying if the database can be stopped, which is not always an option. My question is not wether Veritas will support such databases or not, but what will be the reasons that will (or won't) trigger a positive decision.

A: I'm a fan of the databases, too; however, it's mysql and postgres that need to do the work. Unlike the commercial databases, they have no backup API for Veritas to port to. Without such an API, Veritas will never write to it.

As for the cheap-ide backup solution, I have no access to printed storage magazine version. Does anyone have an URL for that?

http://www.storagemagazine.com

Q: mallen wrote: Backups on a shoestring What options are available for doing decent officewide backups on a shoestring? (I know, I know. Everyone tries to be too cheap when doing backups.) (You might want to look at the responses this question already got from SAGEwire readers.)

A: Again, I think you should look at Evault or Connected. They are partners. Evault is primarily for large server-based environments, and Connected is for those who wish to back up hundreds/thousands of Windows desktops/laptops. You install a piece of software on your box, point it at their internet server, and your backups are automatically encrypted and sent over the Internet. No equipment to buy, no tapes to swap. Check it out at http://www.evault.com or http://www.connected.com .

Q: mcavoy76 wrote: 4.5 Binary DB I have a love / hate attitude towards Veritas' decision to convert the `Netbackup database from flat files to some sort of undisclosed binary form. Although there should be a great speed increase when searching for a restore, I'll miss being able to play with the flat files. Any thoughts on their choice? Has anyone come up with a way to manipulate the new binary db as easily as the old flat text db?

A: I've always had a love/hate attitude about their old database. It was slow as all get out, but it was greppable. Given the choice between speed and grepping, I'll go for speed. The new indexes are SMOKING compared to the old ones. NO, I don't believe anyone's figured out how to even read them without NBU.

Q: Anonymous wrote: Tuning NetBackup for Performance With tape technology getting faster and faster, the performance bottleneck often becomes inability to feed the tape fast enough. I know my LTO performance only seems to be about half of spec. I have seen recommendations both to do some kernel tuning (buffer sizes, etc) and to do multiplexing. But performance tuning for netbackup seems to be a black art. How do you recommend going about tuning a NetBackup implementation for performance.

A: Look in the NetBackup FAQ for BUFFER settings. They really do make a difference. There's a NetBackup technote about it as well.

Q: In a world of full backups and partial backups performed in a single or half shift daily, what devices do you recommend for a 100 GB shop? 1 TB? 10 TB?

A: What do you want me to do, Rob? Tick of the whole tape industry by telling you my favorite tape drive or robot? ;) I know this will sound like a consultant's answer, but it really does depend on the environment. Smaller shops tend to buy the workgroup level libraries, of which there are many. Frankly, they're pretty much equivalent. Shop for price. AIT based libraries will probably give you the most bang for the buck. For big shops, LTO seems to be really popular right now, despite Quantum's efforts to push Super DLT. For big libraries, look at ADIC, ATL, and StorageTek.

Having said all of that, you should really be looking at the virtual tape technologies like the NetApp NearStore, Quantum's DX-30, and Hitachi's VTL (based on Alacritus).

Q: As the gap in cost, capacity, and price continues to increase in tape vs. disk technology improvements, what about going to a complete disk-to-disk backup system? If the disks were transportable off-site at intervals, wouldn't that work? What about backing up over a high speed network to disks located at least 20 miles away? That would cover all the bases, wouldn't it?

A: Now you're talking my language. There are products that are just around the corner that will soon give you everything you asked for above. Watch the DX-30, Alacritus Securitus, NearStore, and service-based products like Evault. I wish I could tell you everything I'm currently under NDA for. ;)

Q: Do you know of anyone developing technologies that would back up files throughout the day (sort of a 'continuous incremental') instead of batching backups into a single time slot? Would it be a good thing?

A: There are tons of such products on the market already. See the realtime/mirroring backup directory at StorageMountain.com (http://www.storagemountain.com/software-mirror.html ).

Q: Some filesystems have clever features that enable one to freeze a certain state so backups can be consistent (these features are different from database features that offer the same functionality). Do you like those? Should we be haranguing vendors to supply them?

A: Love them, and your vendors are already supplying them. For example, Veritas NBU supports this for UFS and VxFS on Solaris and HP-UX IN THEIR BASED PRODUCT. It's called their Core Frozen Images services. It used to be a separate product, but they decided to bundle it into the based product. If you don't have it, get the free key!

Q: Using inexpensive servers made from commodity technology, how many bytes/second (or MB/minute or whatever) should one expect to be able to backup from inexpensive disks?

A: That's just too hard of a question to answer. It would depend on how big the server is, the network connection, the speed of the disks, how the RAID was configured (if any).

Q: How fast can backups really run in an environment that's willing to spend serious money?

A: 2 TB per hour on one system. I've seen it with my own eyes. 300 GB/hr is achievable by even medium range shops that will put in a SAN and use drive sharing technology.

Thanks for the opportunity to do this. Anyone that wants clarification on anything I've said here, or would like more info on some of the products available out there, please email me at curtis@thestoragegroup.com. Also, don't forget all the free tips and info at http://www.storagemountain.com .

I've got a few thoughts on affordable home backups:

• First, hard drive cost/GB has continued to fall, along with capacity of the drives. Pricewatch [pricewatch.com] shows $1.10/GB for 120 GB drives. This has become a decent option for daily backups, IMO.
• Second, DVD-R drives are also dropping in price. Pricewatch shows the Pioneer DVR-104 for under $250, which can store 4.7 GB per disc. It's not fast, but good enough for home use.

Though Robert X. Cringely [pbs.org] suggests that "I think the data we really value is a small subset of the data stored in our PCs. I was amazed to learn, for example, that user data typically comprises less than 10 percent of the data on most PC hard drives." A CD-R might handle the truly important data. (You'll need to re-rip the CDs anyways when the Next Best Thing comes along in music compression anyways... <grin>)

GlassHouse Technologies, Inc. Acquires The Storage Group, Adds Industry Veteran W. Curtis Preston

Acquisition highlights momentum of GlassHouse as leading provider of vendor-independent, integrated storage, backup, disaster recovery and archiving services

Framingham, MA –June 30, 2004-- GlassHouse Technologies, Inc., the global leader in independent storage consulting and services, announced today it has finalized a Letter of Intent to acquire The Storage Group, a San Diego, CA-based consultancy providing storage consulting services to end user clients, as well as insight and analysis to OEMs and vendors of storage and backup products. As part of the acquisition W. Curtis Preston, an industry thought leader and recognized backup expert, will join GlassHouse as Vice President of Service Development, reporting to Chief Technology Officer Jim Damoulakis. The deal is expected to close in July 2004.

Backup and restore continue to pose vexing problems to IT managers, presenting particular challenges for enterprise Compliance and Disaster Recovery efforts. Preston’s reputation as an expert practitioner and backup specialist brings additional depth to GlassHouse’s strong backup strategy, implementation and operations practice.

"Knowledge experts in the field of storage, such as Curtis, see the traction GlassHouse has gained with enterprise clients, and they’re joining GlassHouse as a way to deliver high-value services to their customers. GlassHouse has become the place where the best minds in the industry are coming together," said Mark Shirman, President and CEO of GlassHouse. "Our clients will benefit from the addition of Curtis to our strong team of technical experts. His experience in designing and implementing complex backup and storage solutions further extends our ability to deliver strategy, implementation and operational services to our clients," Shirman continued. "The acquisition boosts our first-mover advantage in the storage services market."

GlassHouse provides clients in the Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 with storage, backup, archiving, and disaster recovery services and consulting. Within these areas of expertise the company offers strategic, design and implementation, and operational services that range from storage assessments to managed outsourced operational services.

Preston, author of UNIX Backup and Recovery and Using SANs and NAS (published by O’Reilly & Associates), has extensive experience designing, implementing and managing enterprise-wide storage systems for companies including Amazon.com, Intuit, Standard & Poor’s, Amgen, and Turner Broadcasting.

In addition to Preston, the staff of The Storage Group also will join GlassHouse, strengthening the company’s presence with a Southern California base of operations from which to serve GlassHouse’s growing list of West Coast clients.

"Our consultants' understanding of backup is one of the areas where GlassHouse and The Storage Group have the most synergy," said W. Curtis Preston, President of The Storage Group. "This is the first time I’ve seen any organization with the momentum GlassHouse has achieved. I’m proud of the services that The Storage Group has provided since opening the doors almost four years ago, and to continue to provide expanded levels of service my company and I wanted to participate in GlassHouse’s growth and excitement," Preston continued. "With our shared vision of the future of the storage services market, our clients will benefit from access to a broader range of implementation and consulting services."

GlassHouse, which has grown rapidly in three years to become the industry leader in independent storage services and consulting, made its latest acquisition in June 2004 with the purchase of two UK-based storage service providers, Source Consulting and Sagitta Performance Systems. Source and Sagitta, which serve worldwide clients, have been integrated into GlassHouse, operating as GlassHouse Technologies UK Ltd. The company has 225 employees worldwide.

About The Storage Group The Storage Group provides consulting services to end users including selecting, designing, and implementing storage systems of all types. The Storage Group also provides analyst services to vendors, including product concept evaluation, product development assistance, and technical whitepapers. The Storage Group also maintains StorageMountain.com, the leading online forum and source of objective information for storage practitioners, and complements GlassHouse’s value as a provider of independent expertise to the storage and IT community. StorageMountain.com will continue to be available at www.storagemountain.com.

About GlassHouse Technologies, Inc. GlassHouse Technologies has an ongoing, aggressive campaign to recruit talented storage and backup practitioners, engagement managers and sales professionals. GlassHouse is the leading provider of services that help organizations solve the business problems of enterprise storage. From strategy through implementation, operations and customer support, GlassHouse partners with clients to achieve predictability and manageability in storage and backup operations, transforming storage into a strategic business advantage. GlassHouse clients include Biogen Idec, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIIB), Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc., Pitney-Bowes, Inc. (NYSE: PBI) and The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. More information about GlassHouse is available at www.glasshouse.com.

For further information please contact:

Ann Dalrymple GlassHouse Technologies, Inc. 508-879-5729 x 507 adalrymple@glasshouse.com

Sarah McNeil Fleishman-Hillard 612-573-3124 mcneils@fleishman.com

Return to Table of Contents

New Topic

Return to Table of Contents

Next New Topic

Return to Table of Contents