Who's afraid of Ghosts?

[xortam]

I haven't used Ghost before and its time to buy some image backup SW. I'm finally using XP since I put together an HTPC. What do you recommend these days for robust disaster recovery SW? I suppose I could install a backup server and go the enterprise level route. I just want to get some local system backups to start ... preferably something that handles open files well.

[LvR]

CasperXP

[Jammrock]

There's lots of options these days. If you want something simple, like a device you plug into your HTPC externally, do the backup, and disconnect, you can get an external HDD, or something like an IOMega Rev. There are also external hard drives designed to be backup drives. Like these:

Maxtor OneTouch

Seagate External

IOMega HDD

A last option would be a single disk, SOHO NAS (Small Office/Home Office Network Attached Storage). You'd hook them into your network, and then run backup software as needed to the NAS across the network:

Buffalo Tech LinkStation

LinkSys NAS options

And there's a dozen more you can choose from. Most single disk NAS solutions, and external HDD's, come with backup software.

If you want to make you own solution, i.e. control what's in the box, you can put a IEEE 1394b card into the HTPC, get an enclosure and put in your HDD of choice.

Windows XP Pro has backup software built-in. Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> Backup. It's pretty easy to use, or pretty advanced, and does all the basic stuff, including scheduling.

Jammrock

[xortam]

Jammy ... I've got the HDD HW, I just need the SW. I can't see paying the extra $$$ for those bundled backup external drives. I have a removable rack which can hold a HDD matching the capacity of my internal drive. I also have a 60 GB USB 2.0 attached pocket size HDD. I will be going NAS and/or JBOD in time as well. The MB already supports FireWire so I had already planned pricing that option as well. I don't care for the cost of FireWire cables and CAT6 is looking like a better transport medium (MB has GBE).

Thanks LvR ... I'll check out if Casper is a friendly ghost.

[Jammrock]

Most HDD enclosures come with the firewire cable. At least the ones I've seen.

I was looking at some NAS stuff, and it's all aweful expensive. Especially if you want to do RAID! I would suggest building your own NAS with some old and/or cheap hardware. That's what I plan on doing.

If you find any good SATA RAID controller, let me know.

Jammrock

[xortam]

I see people on AVS recommending Acronis True Image . I'll have to start reading up on these current products.

Originally posted by Jammrock
Most HDD enclosures come with the firewire cable. At least the ones I've seen.

I was looking at some NAS stuff, and it's all aweful expensive. Especially if you want to do RAID! I would suggest building your own NAS with some old and/or cheap hardware. That's what I plan on doing.

If you find any good SATA RAID controller, let me know.

Jammrock

I plan on building my own NAS boxes. I'll probably be using some aluminum hot swappable bays in multi-terabyte capable enclosures (redundant PS would be a nice extra). Some will be JBOD and some will be mirrored. I plan on sticking with the cheaper ATA/133 drives vs. S-ATA for this storage. I have a S-ATA drive for my internal HDD but I don't even plan on using the on-board Promise S-ATA RAID capability.