[XP] File storage ideas

[mcseguy9]

Hello everyone. I have a small remote office that is needing a good file storage setup. They'll be saving a lot of images. I'm trying to decide the best thing for them while trying to keep in within a certain budget. Obviously the less that can be spent the better, but they don't want to go with a cheap thrown together option. They'd like something that is either redundant or that will need to be backed up often. I kind of figure if it's redundant (like a RAID setup) than a regular backup is as necessary. However, if it's just an external drive hanging off of a computer than backing it up often becomes a necessity. Does that make sense?

There's the idea of using a RAID system (like the DROBO or something cheaper), a new workstation with huge internal drives shared over the network, a huge external drive connected via USB and shared over the network, etc. We want an easy solution, too, not one that will require much ongoing administration. An easy setup and minimal administration on anyone's part is preferred.

We've spec'd out a workstation idea for them and that will cost around $2,500. This cost includes a couple of network drops. The system has an internal 500GB drive and an external 500GB drive that would be used to back up the internal drive to. What are you thoughts on a good way to accomplish this?

[Train]

How about a enclosure with 3 trays with hdds.

Backup daily, one offsite and one in transit so to speak.

Shutdown , swap tray in the morning and with the one off site, you would not lose much if disaster struck.

SyncToy
should do the trick you want.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...o/synctoy.mspx

If you want to set up a dedicated file server, I am using a pc with XP, AMD 2500 cpu and a GB of ram. Works nicely..

[mcseguy9]

Train, that's an interesting idea. Are you suggesting not setting these up in a RAID array, but instead just going with a simple external disk enclosure and making sure that everything on disk 1 is copied to disks 2 and 3? Than remove disk 3, perhaps, for off-site storage every night?

[Steve R Jones]

Raid doesn't do ya much good if the pc's fries and takes everything with it.

[Train]

Train, that's an interesting idea. Are you suggesting not setting these up in a RAID array, but instead just going with a simple external disk enclosure and making sure that everything on disk 1 is copied to disks 2 and 3? Than remove disk 3, perhaps, for off-site storage every night?

You bet, but note, I recommended a internal enclosure. Why internal, USB problems do pop up more often than problems with the internal enclosure.
What I use after losing a USB enclosure.
Raid can be a bear at times. As SRJ noted.

[Train]

Just a idea, but if you install on the file server to a 40 GB partition and make the the balance of the drive D:.
So should you be using a 250 GB hdd that leaves about 210 GB that you Map for everyone to use and have sync toy backup D:\ at the end of the day, when computer is shutdown and the tray is removed. all should be backed up.
At this time put the tray to be used tomorrow in.