If you have Windows Home Server, you know that backing the server itself up is a pain. But, hey, it’s a feature… not a bug : )
SyncToy has turned version 2.0, and this release finally brings the MS PowerToy up to its true potential. The tool allows for incremental syncs with endless configuration options.
It’s great for backing up WHS’s shared storage over-the-network to a client PC, and then using an online backup service to back up both. Just have a big drive, connected to a PC with an online backup service, and use SyncToy to Echo (their name for shadow copy) all the content to that drive (you can even use a folder on an existing drive). Then, make sure your online backup software backs up that root folder/drive, and all its contents. Presto! Your WHS is automatically backed up to a PC that is automatically backed up online.
Note: If you have a lot of WHS storage, like I do, you may want to make sure your PC is fully backed up online first. It will take many days to back up a large WHS store (100 days remaining on my cable connection, with the backup throttled to 128k upstream).
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If the WHS OS gets corrupted, is it possible for one too lose all their data on the pooled drives, or can you just reinstall WHS and all the data will be there waiting for you.
Yes, but that’s not the point. What happens if your home gets broken into, and your WHS box gets stolen?
What happens if your house catches on fire, and your WHS box melts? Surge protectors aren’t perfect… power surges can be strong enough to pass through and kill your WHS box, and all drives hooked into that power supply. The WHS storage matrix can corrupt… and you can lose all your data then as well.
Quite simply, catastrophic failures can kill all hard drives in your WHS box… you need to have an off-site backup of all data, at all times.
The last thing I want to have to worry about as my house burns down… is saving a computer (or rather, the data on it).
[...] version 2.0, and this release finally brings the MS PowerToy up to its true potential. … http://www.christopherprice.net/2007/11/28/synctoy-helps-backing-up-windows-home-server/ Christopher Price .net [...]