RE: Re: Will I ever learn !! - doing backups...

["Lee" <lee@xxxxxxx>]

>> Lee Varga wrote:
>> [snip RAID]
>> Raid isn't any use if you get hit by a virus!

>Anti Virus techniques should be preventative not curative making Backup
and
>Anti Virus fundamentally seperate issues.

Very true, but relying on just raid is dangerous.

>None of your own proposals protect
>against this either since even your proposals could have actually
backed up
>the virus, especially since many virii do not have an instant effect.

Not really, in my situation I have a week or so, to detect the viral
payload, even if I restore an infected backup (pre-payload), a new pattern
update should just about fix the infection.
On a raid system, the payloads effect will be all over the array - instant
disaster wether you have raid or not.

>Up to date Anti Virus software is the "easy" way to protect
against viral
>attack, but to be honest, being careful will work adequately. I would
>recommend that both Anti Virus software and care to be used to prevent
virus
>attacks.

Absolutely correct, up to date patterns and no dodgy or beta software.

>A lot of today's virii rely on the incompetence of the end user in
order to
>propogate but are often less devastating than those of the past and
tend
not
>to cause loss of data in the same manner as those of the past.

Ah, but it only takes one - look at CIH...

>For all these reasons, I ignored the issue of virii when I discussed
RAID,
>since it was of little overall relevance.

Beta software can be just as bad, I installed a new version of some webcam
software a few months ago and it leveled the server, wouldn't even boot
w2k-
much faffing about in safemode getting rid of it...

>> Not enough space :), and fiddling with the server in the cupboard
is a
>> pain...

>The ease of remote administration of a machine and low priced LAN
equipment
>makes it's position no excuse :)

Yes, this is very true, but I can backup to my caddie faster than I can
stream 40GB over the lan back to my main machine.

>> My solution, a spare 40Gb harddrive (68) and a drive caddy (12).
Once a
>> week, stick the backup drive in the server, and do a full backup,
>> then yank
>> it out again.

>So in essence, you are doing "delayed" RAID mirroring but
causing yourself
>some work to perform it :)

Yes, true. But my mirror is locked in a cupboard and (fire permitting)
should be OK in all circumstances.

>> Then occasionally (but admittedly not yet : ) stick the
>> backup drive in the main machine and do a load of CDRs that will
be
stored
>> offsite. Just in case.

>I assume you have some secure offsite location then? Although backups
ought
>to be kept offsite, assuming you are merely protecting against fire
causing
>loss of the media, why not use a locally located fireproof box or safe.
The
>offsite location might be enough to make backups so much of a chore
they
>never get made, or that the backups are made but never stored offsite
or
>even securely. If it is merely say walking out to the garage to a
fireproof
>safe, chances are you will actually have the backup stored in there
rather
>than on the desk waiting to be sent offsite.

I hadn't thought of a fireproof box, nice. My offsite storage is at my
mother-in-laws :) We go over to see her every so often, so it's not too
bad.

Lee.