My backup config needs scaling help

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Backup and Recovery
DataCenter
Dell
IT architecture
Veritas
I am currently working at a small company that has been experiencing a lot of growth. Over 90% of our data lies in the scanned images stored on our server. The structured layout of these images are held in a MS SQL 2000 db and served out using vendor software. For our local site I have a Dell Powervault LTO tape loader with Veritas BackupExec and that is conducting full and incremental backups fairly well. However we also have two remote sites at different locations that also have similar servers holding such data. There is no backup strategy there because these are consultant sites and the data is growing everyday - up to 63GB and counting on one machine running with 1 OS drive and 2 RAID-1 drives. The other machine is up to 35GB. My question is what would be the best way to expand storage and effectively backup such remote data given the absence of point to point links and centralized backup strategies? Would something like external Iomega drives or Rev drives be a good alternative to slow tape devices? Would expansion and backup from NAS devices be good as well?
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You did not mention the average daily increase – industry average would be about 1 percent per day for very rapid growth = 250 to 350 percent each year (do you work weekends). Or medium growth of 1 percent a week, I hope this is your model or you are living on borrowed time. NAS or SAN is the best solution when combined with LTO or DLT tape libraries. Full time backup online, Daily incremental backup to tape, and weekly full backup to tape with at least two copies (one onsite and one in a bicycle set to the main office). Hopefully you also have disaster recovery plans which include backups of main and branch office data stored at a third secure site. After 9/11 the standard best practice for insurance has been to have the data that is your business secure and saved offsite. May all your problems be musch smaller.
At the point you have to double your drives at the branch offices you will have to have high speed connections. Then look at intertie between the NAS setups.

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  • ChristopherPoelker
    You may be able to combine your FC connections and NAS connections to a pool of storage fronted by a NetApp gateway. You can then use IP based "snapmirror" to move data between sites, and snapshots stored on raid protected disks for backup. The snapshots can also be replicated for consolidated backup to tape at one datacenter. Since snapmirror only replicates changed data once the initial copy is done, you can get by with slower links between the sites.
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  • ChristopherPoelker
    You may be able to combine your FC connections and NAS connections to a pool of storage fronted by a NetApp gateway. You can then use IP based "snapmirror" to move data between sites, and snapshots stored on raid protected disks for backup. The snapshots can also be replicated for consolidated backup to tape at one datacenter. Since snapmirror only replicates changed data once the initial copy is done, you can get by with slower links between the sites. You could also use host based replication such as Veritas VVR to move the data over IP.
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