Backup PCs using Remote differential compression?

Are there any backup programs (Microsoft or otherwise) that can use
Remote Differential Compression to back up the changed portions of large
files, from distributed PCs to backup servers?

It seems that RDC would be a great base to build an offsite backup
program on -- where the clients don't have to be domain members of the
target backup server. It would be interesting to use RDC as a building
block to create an offsite backup system for some small companies that I
work with -- who usually have one or two or five PCs each, and who don't
have a good, easy, automatic, reliable way to back up their company data
offsite. (Some of them use portable USB disks, but even that is too much
effort for some of them. Something automatic, which backs up the changed
portion of files to an offsite system every night would be great.)

Backing up things like large PST files or SQL databases or ACT contact
management databases over the Internet would be more efficient using RDC.

The commercial programs like Mozy and Carbonite have some disadvantages
that I don't like. RDC and DFS-R both seem to be only server-to-server
solutions, and require that the PCs in question be members of the same
domain or AD system.

Any hints or information would be appreciated. Thanks.


David Walker

I've never seen this.
However you could do the following, if they have a server locally:
1. Make a script that robocopy the data to a local server.
2. Make that server DFS to the central backup resource, or enable VSS at the local server for backup purposes.

Make an icon for the script on the local computers and tell them to run this once a week/day if they are on the office.
Or make it more advanced (scheduled task every 2 hours that checks if the server is available).

David Walker wrote:
> Are there any backup programs (Microsoft or otherwise) that can use
> Remote Differential Compression to back up the changed portions of large
> files, from distributed PCs to backup servers?
>
> It seems that RDC would be a great base to build an offsite backup
> program on -- where the clients don't have to be domain members of the
> target backup server. It would be interesting to use RDC as a building
> block to create an offsite backup system for some small companies that I
> work with -- who usually have one or two or five PCs each, and who don't
> have a good, easy, automatic, reliable way to back up their company data
> offsite. (Some of them use portable USB disks, but even that is too much
> effort for some of them. Something automatic, which backs up the changed
> portion of files to an offsite system every night would be great.)
>
> Backing up things like large PST files or SQL databases or ACT contact
> management databases over the Internet would be more efficient using RDC.
>
> The commercial programs like Mozy and Carbonite have some disadvantages
> that I don't like. RDC and DFS-R both seem to be only server-to-server
> solutions, and require that the PCs in question be members of the same
> domain or AD system.
>
> Any hints or information would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
>
> David Walker


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