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Backup Documentation.

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by techie.

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Please forgive me if I have posted this in the wrong place, but I figured that network administration is a good place to start.

I am currently trying to create a set of documents for my company to keep track of data backups/restoring. Unfortunately my knowledge of such things is some what lacking at this point in time.

My boss has asked me to create some documents that will help us to keep track of backups, but I keep coming up blank as to what information would be most relevant for these documents and what information is just irrelevant.

With so much information available to record I don’t think the Backup Operators group will appreciate it too much if they spend more time filling out my documentation then actually backing up/restoring data, so I thought I would ask the experts.

Any suggestions that you could possibly make would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

4 replies

by scrow

I think two things are in order. First, a Document that describes what any particular backup set is configured as. For example: 'Daily' backs up MyDocuments and Data files on Server1 and Server2. 'Friday' backs up the entire Hard Drives and System states on Server1, Server2, The boss's HD and My HD. This document can be included in Disaster Recovery manuals.

The second thing is the backup log. I use a table created in Excel. The columns include places to write in: The name of the tape (Monday Week 1), the date of the tape backup, 'Server1 Status', 'Server2 Status', Boss's PC, My PC, and then a column for 'Notes', here I document failures, changes, cleanings, etc.... I do the backups my self otherwise I would also include a column for the initials of the person that put in the tape or documented the backup the next morning.

Hope this helps,
SC

by radiic

Looking at the software you are using to perform your backup/restores. Most have a logging feature that you can have print out automatically. I would just have it keep track of the failures and the total amount backed up/restored and have it printdaily. Then just throw it in a 3 ring binder. (of course you need to read it too...lol ;0

Rad

by seasoned

from a DBA's perspective, you may need the start time and end time of the backup. The DBA's may be asking for that in order to determine why the DB was late to start up in the morning,,, etc. Also, start and stop time combined with a total bytes? read/written to backup are good statistics to have in case some project wants to add alot of new files to any one backup job. You can guesstimate the additional time that will be needed for the backup schedule.

Very important, ask the DBA's and the Backup groups what kind of questions do they have to answer when the users are yelling.

by zlitocook

I work with 11 servers and all the back up settings were made before I was hired. I can not make changes on them and two of the server back ups were not setup right. I am fixing that but one server makes back ups for three others and its first come first copy on the tape cassette. So I have to search through three weeks of back ups to find a good restore file! Try and document that! We use a HP tape pack with six 24 gig tapes in it and veritas software. I gave up on trying to document any thing.

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