Strange Backup request

[rudger]

A customer has contacted me today looking for advice regarding running a monthly backup of the data stored on 18 manufacturing machines. I know the customer very well and these manufacturing machines are varying operating systems Win xp embedded, Linux, Win 7 .

The machines have a custom front end software and are heavily locked down by the vendor and can only be accessed in limited ways over the network.

14 via FTP Only
4 via SMB Share only.

the customer wants to be able to run a backup of all machines once a month to meet compliance requirements, currently they are going round each machine and backing up to USB Disk.

the data is produced and stored on the fileservers onsite (which is backed up nightly) and copied onto the machine whenever the design is updated.

TL; DR

How can I backup 14 FTP sites and 4 SMB Shares on a schedule or as easily as possible so an end user can run the backup manually with some sort of confirmation report.

 

[TurricanII]

1. Ask the vendor what they recommend.

2. The machines have limited inbound access but do they have unlimited outbound access? I would try scheduling a Robocopy from each machine out to backup location . Or use a free windows rsync service to send files out to an rsync server.

3. I recall seeing an open source distro called fog if pxe boot is an option. Schedule the machines to reboot overnight and fog could listen for their Mac address and take an image backup before rebooting them into Windows. Maybe a bit wacky!

4. You can script ftp of course to pull files off machines to backup computer

 

[rudger]

1. Ask the vendor what they recommend.

2. The machines have limited inbound access but do they have unlimited outbound access? I would try scheduling a Robocopy from each machine out to backup location . Or use a free windows rsync service to send files out to an rsync server.

3. I recall seeing an open source distro called fog if pxe boot is an option. Schedule the machines to reboot overnight and fog could listen for their Mac address and take an image backup before rebooting them into Windows. Maybe a bit wacky!

4. You can script ftp of course to pull files off machines to backup computer

Thanks TurricanII for the suggestions,

1. The vendor does not have a suggestion for a backup product other than backup to USB

2. I looked to see if I could access Task scheduler or run an AT backup command both seem to be disabled/removed from the windows machines.

3. Most of the machines are running 24/7 so an overnight reboot is not an option and access to the BIOS is locked down and I doubt the manufacturer would supply the password anyway

4. That has been my only thought just the lack of any easy to read report has been my main concern.

Thanks for the suggestions once again.

Rudger

 

[Mick]

How about some form of NAS? (I am assuming your customer is happy with on-site back-up rather than cloud, and that you can arrange things so that transfer over the local LAN is permitted)

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I know you said the rigs are "heavily locked down by the vendor"...but I'd contact the 2x vendors and say "Look..for compliance, I gotta back up these rigs...let me get imaging software on there" and install a managed disk image backup like Datto or Solarwinds BDR or StorageCraft MSP or <pick one of many good choices>....

Stick with what is easy for you if you already have some good "managed" backup options...and is already built into your RMM or alread in place with your system, and something that's designed for MSPs with good management and reporting.

I wouldn't be excited about trying to cobble together some duct tape and bubble gum setup of a mix of hodge podge freebie stuff.

 

[nlinecomputers]

These are manufacturing controllers whose data is stored on a server? What possibly could be on the machines that would need a monthly backup? Is it not a static image? I understand that there is a compliance requirement but it sounds to me as if that requirement is being misinterpreted.

 

[mr m]

These are manufacturing controllers whose data is stored on a server?

Just what I was thinking. If the files are already being backed up nightly what is the point? Do these machine operators modify these files before a production run?

 

[nlinecomputers]

Just what I was thinking. If the files are already being backed up nightly what is the point? Do these machine operators modify these files before a production run?

Even if they did I assume that is what is being backed up nightly?

 

[mr m]

Even if they did I assume that is what is being backed up nightly?

We need more info.