Backup laptops to Network Share

ROS123

We have some laptop users who have no need to logon to the network, we do let them print directly to network printers and we provide a connection to the web. We would like for their laptops to be backed up onto the network without having to logon. When they come into HQ, that they are prompted to backup to a share, or even a separate server. Only Admins would have access to the share or server for restore purposes.

Any suggestions please ?

red_ice

just use ghost.

Set up a server on one of your private servers, say and tell it to listen for incoming connections.

Then boot the laptop you want to backup from a ghost CD. Tell it to backup to a network location and tell it to go to the server.

You dont need to be in the network domain to do it, you will need to be on the same network tho.

then when you want to restore, simply host the image on the server, boot the laptop from the ghost CD, then select the image hosted and away you go.

simple process

seamus

Ghost backups are useless or at the very least painful if the user just wants to retrieve a single file that they deleted last week.

OP, what's your budget here? This kind of software generally won't come cheap. I always advise people to tell their remote users that their laptops are not guaranteed and it's the users' responsibility to ensure that everything is backed up. Some businesses don't like this though.

ROS123

thanks I will have a look at ghost. I dont have a massive budget, not much of a budget to be honest. The issue I have is that they are not authenticating to the domain, if they were, there would be a few options.

I am also considering an external hard drive as opposed to a usb key . I would only need a small capacity version, the reason for an ext hd is that they would probably leave it at base and not carry it around with them, they would bring a usb key in their bag and probably lose that as well as the laptop.

I am looking for a solution for €50 or less per laptop...

jamesd

I gave each of my standalone network users an external hard drive, I setup NTBackup on each of their machines and gave them instructions on how to use it.

Standard Toaster

DriveImage XML (Free)

Create a sheduled task on each laptop or a bat file the user can run themselves

Like:

if exist u: net use u: /del > nul
net use u: \\YOURSERVERNAME\IMAGES\ /PERSISTENT:NO > nul
dixml.exe /bc /t U:\%Computername%\drive_c /c2 /v
net use u: /del > nul

Uses VSS so backs up and user can continue to use laptop.


Quick and dirty



Edit:

Oh, and you can browse the image later to extract files if needed

Standard Toaster

Or you could script using ntbackup just as easy

ROS123

Thank you, I will have a look at all suggestions...

testicle

seamus wrote: »

Ghost backups are useless or at the very least painful if the user just wants to retrieve a single file that they deleted last week.

Ghost Explorer ?