Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Dedicated Server : tapebackup on rackmount.. need 1u/2u? recommendations please

[deja]

Hi,
I need to get a rackmount with a tape back up. At dell, they had a rather expensive 2u with a dat drive. So i am looking for alternatives...

Can i put a tape drive in a 1u or do i need a 2u? What do I need to look for in purchasing such a server?
for example, does it need a 3.5 bay to support dat drive??


(I've never bought a rackmount beofre)

Also, what back up hardware or software do people recommend (windows 2000 is the os)?
We are going to back up the data to another server..but want a tape back up for disaster recovery and secondary back up purposes.


Finally, will a data center charge me to colo fees for a 2u vs a 1u as it takes up twice as much rack space??

Thanks for your support!
Regards
Deja

Back it up twice or pay the price !

[RackMy.com]

Can i put a tape drive in a 1u or do i need a 2u?

I think you should be able to, but you may have to put in the place of a CD-ROM drive.

Also, what back up hardware or software do people recommend (windows 2000 is the os)?

I would recommend Retrospect by Dantz. It's great for W2K and rather inexpensive.

Finally, will a data center charge me to colo fees for a 2u vs a 1u as it takes up twice as much rack space??

Probably, but it will depend on the company.

Hope that helps!

[Neo3Net]

Tape Drives aren't entirely nessesary you could always plug in a second hard drive (works just as well). I think that if you really want a tape drive you can put it in a 2u no problem but I am not sure about a 1u.

[Tetraboy]

There is a reason you need tape drive not hard drives... Unless you plan on rotating hot swap harddrives. You need to backup something to another thing and remove it from the computer for safe storage. That way if you get hacked the hacker cannot delete your backup. Unless they manage to make the computer emit emps that erase the tape backup stored elsewhere, but that would not be likely..*


*I do not know what I'm talking about on emp ignore it.

[Neo3Net]

Well Thats what I mean. If you instal a hot swapable hardrive that you can switch out every other day. (You can buy like 3 and switch them in and out every day) Wouldn't that work just as well?

I don't know much about tape drives.

[RackMy.com]

One thing to consider if you use hotswap drives it to becareful as the HDs are not a sturdy as a tape if they get dropped, etc. I think tape is a little safer if you have to transport it.

[9onlinehost]

why not install a 2nd drive and use that as a backup or simply run them in a mirrored configuration
your os is fine for whatever you want and is rather easy to do backups on via tape / 2nd drive
depending on your case and the tapedrive
you should be able to fit it in there in place of the cd rom. or possibly depending on your drive bay size fit it in there

[Neo3Net]

why not install a 2nd drive and use that as a backup or simply run them in a mirrored configuration

If you read tetraboy's post above. The point of using tape is to get a system that can be removed. If you use a hard drive thats stationary the hacker can delete that data too. (emps LOL)......