Is Legato Networker good for unix backups to NT machine?

Is Legato Networker good for unix backups to NT machine?

Post by Bruce Hiat » Wed, 23 Dec 1998 04:00:00



Any comments on using Legato Networker to backup Unix machines
(and NT/95 machines) to DLT on an NT machine?

PS How is Legato's tech support?

Thanks,

Bruce Hiatt

 
 
 

Is Legato Networker good for unix backups to NT machine?

Post by pe.. » Thu, 24 Dec 1998 04:00:00



Quote:> Any comments on using Legato Networker to backup Unix machines
> (and NT/95 machines) to DLT on an NT machine?

I would suggest the other way around, use unix as legato (server)platform.
Other then that, it just plain works good.

Quote:> PS How is Legato's tech support?

Depends on the local representative or distriibutor.

Quote:> Thanks,

Happy X-mas

> Bruce Hiatt


--
--
Peter H?kanson            Phone +46 0708 39 23 04
Network Management AB     Fax   +46 031 779 7844
Email : use peter (at) gbg (dot) netman (dot) se  No copy to sanford wallace!

 
 
 

Is Legato Networker good for unix backups to NT machine?

Post by Longsh » Thu, 24 Dec 1998 04:00:00




>> Any comments on using Legato Networker to backup Unix machines
>> (and NT/95 machines) to DLT on an NT machine?

>I would suggest the other way around, use unix as legato (server)platform.
>Other then that, it just plain works good.

I can only speak for ADSM, but NT gives us more problems than any
other server platform (including OS/2).  Device configuration, service
("daemon") management, disk usage, problem determination (AIX errpt.
vs. NT Event Log, for a start), migration, performance tuning...all
are/can be major headaches *requiring* calls to either IBM or MS to
determine the problem.  Hell, the mere possibility of having to reboot
a production system just to perform the install should make most shops
shudder from the prospect of placing their server apps on NT.

I'd put your server on one of your Unix systems if at all possible,
unless the flavors of Unix you have are too backlevel to support the
later versions of your b-u/DR software.  In that case, you may want
to compare the costs of upgrading to a recent Unix OS level vs. the
costs of downtime on your NT server, and only *then* if NT still looks
like the better option.

Longshot
--Longshot
"Welcome to Hell, darling.  Amazing, isn't it?
It looks exactly like Los Angeles." - Darcy Parker

 
 
 

Is Legato Networker good for unix backups to NT machine?

Post by Michael George II » Fri, 25 Dec 1998 04:00:00


Bruce,

As a matter of fact Legato aka Solstice Backup is great for backing up
everything.  I have used it for years and now use it to back up NT as
well.  Here is how I use it and my opinions.

Backup Servers
3 - Suns (2 - E3000, 1 - 450)
1 - HP

Backup Clients
* SCO UNIX
* HP-UX
* Solaris
* NT

Opinions

Cons
1. Legato Tech Support is really bad.
2. Purchasing can be confusing.  Before you buy anything, make sure that
you have purchased every software piece you need and get it in *.
For example, we bought Legato for our server with 10 client licenses,
however we didn't purchase the additional jukebox drivers so we couldn't
use our DDS3 jukebox.  Also, if you are planning on doing hot database
backups, make sure you buy the database pieces.
3. If you have Suns, you can buy Solstice Backup for Sun which is the
same thing.  This way you can get Sun tech support on the product if you
ever need it.  You will usually only need it during setup.
4. In my opinion the Legato backup server runs best on the Sun.  The HP
version gets a little quirky every now and then.
5. Legato schedules are sort of wierd to setup.  You put clients in
backup groups, then groups have schedules and tape pools, and tape pools
have devices.

Pros
1. The Legato Product is good, solid, and stable.  So far it has never
failed me.
2. One day an NT Server 4.0 box self destructed and we were able to do a
complete restore from backup, however, this box was a PDC (Primary
Domain Controller) and there are know problems doing complete restores
of NT PDC's.  We ended up calling Micro$oft, paying the $250 and getting
the workaround for the bug/issues when restoring a PDC.
3. Legato is network friendly, it compresses the data on the client
before sending it across the network.
4. As long as you back two clients up to the same server, you can
restore files from any client to any other client of the same type.
This is really nice for copying a snapshot of your production server to
a development server.  I use it for database on a weekly basis.
5. Legato upgrades well.  I've used it for years and it just keeps on
trucking.
6. The Legato GUI is nice and is X based ( I think there is a character
one too).
7. If you need to do disaster recovery (keep one backup onsite, and send
another offsite), Legato can be setup to have clone tape pools.

Anyway, if you have anymore questions let me know.  I like the product
and once you get it up and flying it rocks.  Also, if you are planning
to use DLT or other streaming tape technology, don't forget that you
have to keep the input stream full.  DLT is only fast as long as it is
streaming.  DLT becomes inefficient if it has to continually stop and
rewind then start streaming, then stop and wait for data and have to
stop rewind (repeat :).  Legato has options which allow you to tweak
parallelism and you might want to consider multihoming (2 or more
ethernet cards).  I have a private 100MB subnet which I use for backups,
that way if I need to move data during the the day I won't affect the
users network.

Merry Christmas!

-Mike


> Any comments on using Legato Networker to backup Unix machines
> (and NT/95 machines) to DLT on an NT machine?

> PS How is Legato's tech support?

> Thanks,

> Bruce Hiatt