Backing up several Windows machines to a Linux server

[Thom Paine]

On Fri, 2005-21-01 at 18:06 -0800, Keith Lofstrom wrote:
> Rodolfo J. Paiz wrote:
> > 
> > I am faced with what *must* be a very common task: to make backups of
> > user files on several Windows machines to the hard disk of a Linux
> > server. So far I've only been responsible for backing up the servers,
> > and rsync/rsnapshot plus mondo do a beautiful job of that.
snippage

> That said, the problem is tough.  The only safe way to run
> backups is server-pull;  the backup server should only make
> outbound TCP/IP connections.  That said, most windoze machines
> are poor at offering inbound TCP/IP services.  Typically, 
> only the virus writers seem to know how to do this competently.

Agreed. I am faced with this same problem, but what I do in my world is
make sure all the users data files are saved on the server. Then if
their machine catches fire, they can log onto another machine and carry
on until I replace it.

Since I'm running Linux as a PDC, I have each users stuff moved to their
H drive which is their private folder on the network.

I then manually move their lookout data file and remap it to the client.
This makes it easy for the users to roam on computers.

I also move their my documents folder to this same drive, so that can be
transparent to them as well.

Basically their H drive has the following folders in it.

My Documents
Outlook Data File
profile

They are free to place any other files in there that they want to keep
private, yet backed up to the server. This works extremely well on 3
sites I manage that I have this set up on. Two sites only have 25
windows pc's and the third one has about 10.

This was the only way I could see to make this work. I usually make a
ghost image of the PC when I roll it out to the user, so that if the
hard drive goes dead I can replace it in short order and they can then
log on and the apps are all there. Alot of their 'stuff' magically gets
transfered in their profile.

I'll visit the site mentioned and maybe chime in on the discussion.

I guess the only other solution that I can think of off the top is to
have the client automatically run msbackup to a file on their H drive,
but then you run into the issue that if you have 10 pc's on the lan with
about a 10g install on their hard drives, and you are doing this for
every one, you just added 100G to your backup job, and an extra 12 hours
to your tape drive.

Anywyas, my two cents.

-=/>Thom