Our server (running SBS 2003) backs up to a DDS3 DAT drive. It's now getting to the stage that we have more data than will fit on a single tape. As always, wanting to avoid too much expense, one idea I've had is to weekly make a full backup to an external USB drive, and four days a week back up more vital data that has changed each day to tape. Using BackupExec 9.1.

Any ideas?

How much of the data do you *really* need?

If it's possible just copy off old stuff onto a couple of external hard drives as an archive and then you are back down to a single tape every day.

Otherwise , DDS4 or DAT72 drives are pretty cheap these days - just upgrade.

NEW Dell PowerVault 100T DAT-72 DAT72 72gb Tape Drive on eBay, also, Tape DAT Drives, Drives Storage, Computing (end time 07-Jun-08 11:02:22 BST)

We 2 USB back up drives at work and they are set to back up during out of hours. Each day the USB drive is changed. We have back ups of 2 weeks worth of data to fall back on. Then it overwrites the latest. backup.

We just use the Windows backup feature and only backup neccessary files (Not system files).

May not be of much help.

keeping cost's relativly low, you could buy some more dds3 tapes, perform a full backup on Friday then perform an incremental Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs which will only backup files that have changed since the last full weekly backup and will therefore only use 1 tape Mon/tues/wed/thur but will require 2 tapes for the fri backup.

Personally I would keep things simple and go for a DAT72 drive and some new tapes as they are relativly cheap.

I have some brand new DAT72 tapes at home that I will be selling in the next week or two.

I run dat72 at home as I found my dds3 drive was big enough for me anymore. Guess I should sell it at somepoint!

My HP DAT72 has been perfectly reliable