storage and backup solution for network?

J

joyceanblue

Contributor
hi, i have a network of 4 pcs in my office, i need to find a solution for the storage and backup files. what would be the best way to do that? i dont want another pc..just a storage device.
 
From what you say it appears to be a workgroup environment i.e. standalone PCs on the same network.

What are you planning to backup and store ?

Will your backup include the OS backup as well as raw data(user data files) or you are looking to backup just the user data(user raw files like .doc, .jpg, .xls etc)

Is it going to be a periodic backup that you are planning to perform ?

Is your backup going to be automated scheduled backup with help of an application(e.g. NTBACKUP) ?

These are some of the questions that will help pros on this forum to give you spot on information

Assuming that you have Windows XP Pro on all the PCs check the following link

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx
 
its not going to be an os backup, just saved files from various softwares. i havent thought of automated backups, to this point i am only thinking of manual backups. that idea is a centralized storage space, where everyone can save their files and everyone can access them.
 
^^^How is a USB drive centralized?

@OP, get a cheap NAS box with one or more bays. I don't have an idea about presently available models and prices but I'm sure someone here will.
 
^^ NAS is too costly. USB drives can be used as a shared network drive to store the data at a central location. But again they have to be connented to a PC and then shared and cannot be a standalone as a NAS.

Now it depends on how much data he wants to store to implement NAS device.

To make a cheap NAS device even routers these days have an option to connect USB drives and you can access them anywhere from network.

Cost will help him decide if he can go for a dedicated NAS.
 
tush said:
^^ NAS is too costly. USB drives can be used as a shared network drive to store the data at a central location. But again they have to be connented to a PC and then shared and cannot be a standalone as a NAS.
Click to expand...

lol, how about just sharing a folder on each or one single PC instead of a USB drive? Beats sharing a USB drive on a single PC or circulating that USB drive among all the machines. Cheapest solution!

No offence but a portable hard drive's fine if it's suggested as a backup device, not as a centralized file storage. A NAS, dedicated or otherwise, is the cheapest way to offer that service.

But..., we're getting ahead of ourselves. The OP needs to state his budget and the importance of his data. Also, if he wants the storage device just to back up the data on the connected machines or also use them as primary storage for his data.
 
Naga said:
lol, how about just sharing a folder on each or one single PC instead of a USB drive? Beats sharing a USB drive on a single PC or circulating that USB drive among all the machines. Cheapest solution!

No offence but a portable hard drive's fine if it's suggested as a backup device, not as a centralized file storage. A NAS, dedicated or otherwise, is the cheapest way to offer that service.

But..., we're getting ahead of ourselves. The OP needs to state his budget and the importance of his data. Also, if he wants the storage device just to back up the data on the connected machines or also use them as primary storage for his data.
Click to expand...

haha... yeah i know but then there is no mobility to the data if he wants to share it from internal drives of the PC and carry it across short distance site for whatever reason having no connectivity to each other.

Who would want to carry a PC of database across short distance of their sites(again scenario based).

Sounds lame but yeah it works and System admins I have come across use it as a temp solution. Helps them carry data across sites where there is no concept of site to site connectivity using their USB drives.

Thats why the very first thing I asked him was what data, how frequently etc etc.....

But its always better to have a NAS if one can afford it. No second thought to it.

Crap these SMBs don't let the system admins have what they want.
 
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