Distributed Backup?

Does anyone have any recommendations on how to enable secure nightly backups
to remote computers that are behind a firewall?

Here's the scenario. Each member of my family owns at least one computer. We
all have broadband access and plenty of available storage on our PC's. It
would be really nice if we could leverage all of this available storage for a
true backup solution in different locations.

Investigate "Windows Home Server".

"Digital Water" <Digital Water@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:07BD0DE1-24F9-435B-B80E-C64234292D05@microsoft.com...
> Does anyone have any recommendations on how to enable secure nightly
> backups
> to remote computers that are behind a firewall?
>
> Here's the scenario. Each member of my family owns at least one computer.
> We
> all have broadband access and plenty of available storage on our PC's. It
> would be really nice if we could leverage all of this available storage
> for a
> true backup solution in different locations.

"AJR" <ajrjdr@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:ezZgSKEaIHA.2000@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Investigate "Windows Home Server".

I think each computer is in a different household and the goal is for
house A to backup at house B, house B to backup at house C, and house
C to backup at house A, or something like that.

"Chris Cowles" wrote:
> I think each computer is in a different household and the goal is for
> house A to backup at house B, house B to backup at house C, and house
> C to backup at house A, or something like that.

This is exactly what I am looking for. While Home Server is a fantastic
solution for a single home with multiple computers it does not appear to
satisfy the scenario above... unless someone knows of any add-ons for Home
Server to enable backups from computers outside of the local network?
Performance and ability to automate would be a concern as well.

"Digital Water" <DigitalWater@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:4D4E79E4-D05D-4081-9796-E9AABBC9325D@microsoft.com...

> This is exactly what I am looking for. While Home Server is a
> fantastic
> solution for a single home with multiple computers it does not
> appear to
> satisfy the scenario above... unless someone knows of any add-ons
> for Home
> Server to enable backups from computers outside of the local
> network?
> Performance and ability to automate would be a concern as well.


Look into getting static ips and opening your firewall only to those
ip addresses. However, that's only part of it and I don't have the
knowledge to advise you further. You basically need VPNs with secure
signon, otherwise the data traffic between the locations is exposed.

Chris Cowles;597670 Wrote:
> "Digital Water" <DigitalWater@xxxxxx> wrote in
> message news:4D4E79E4-D05D-4081-9796-E9AABBC9325D@xxxxxx
> > > >
> > > This is exactly what I am looking for. While Home Server is a
> > > fantastic
> > > solution for a single home with multiple computers it does not
> > > appear to
> > > satisfy the scenario above... unless someone knows of any add-ons
> > > for Home
> > > Server to enable backups from computers outside of the local
> > > network?
> > > Performance and ability to automate would be a concern as well. > >
>
>
> Look into getting static ips and opening your firewall only to those
> ip addresses. However, that's only part of it and I don't have the
> knowledge to advise you further. You basically need VPNs with secure
> signon, otherwise the data traffic between the locations is exposed.


Would Home Server be able to work over a VPN? You could just use
dynamic dns it wouldn't have to be static addresses.

It would be useful for keeping backups of my brothers laptop while he
is at college. Maybe schedule the vpn to connect at night just for the
backup? I'm not sure if the backup times would be predictable enough
with Home Server.

Logmein.com offerers a commercial solution that allows backups to other
computers you own.


--
toyotabedzrock