What are the specs of your backup/imaging machines (including software)?

[Encrypted Existence]

Hello all. I am looking to start imaging every customer's HDD and was wondering what your setups are like on your backup/imaging machines as far as storage and imaging/backup software (which programs do you use for imaging)?. I would like to stick to using Linux on all of my bench machines and I like ddrescue but I am not very good at using it (I plan to practice). I also would like to be able to restore an image to different hardware. I do have Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 which is capable of restoring to different hardware but I would like to stay away from Windows on my bench machines, even in a VM, if possible. Are there any Linux programs that are capable of restoring an image to different hardware or am I only left with running Acronis in a VM on my bench machines?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

We just have an old HP Business Desktop mini tower, DC5100 MT series.

Old...Pentium 4 H/T (hyperthread).

Side panel of the tower removed...so various onboard SATA and PATA ports are there. Also have a ThermalTake external double SATA caddy that connects via USB 3.

The OS is WinXP on this rig.
But we're usually booting from CD's to clone, or using the WD or Seagate version of Acronis to do our imaging.
Also has some partition/drive repair tools installed on it. As well as many different malware scanners.

It's drive cloning...the speed of the processor isn't a factor here...it's the speed of the drives/drive bus.

 

[PCX]

Hello all. I am looking to start imaging every customer's HDD and was wondering what your setups are like on your backup/imaging machines as far as storage and imaging/backup software (which programs do you use for imaging)?. I would like to stick to using Linux on all of my bench machines and I like ddrescue but I am not very good at using it (I plan to practice). I also would like to be able to restore an image to different hardware. I do have Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 which is capable of restoring to different hardware but I would like to stay away from Windows on my bench machines, even in a VM, if possible. Are there any Linux programs that are capable of restoring an image to different hardware or am I only left with running Acronis in a VM on my bench machines?

I think you already have the specs of my machine via PM, but I just wanted to throw a few things out there. First off, use Gddrescue, not ddrescue. Its more up to date and has more features. Also, you can use gddrescue for imaging, but there may be better programs out there, I personally use it for cloning more than anything else. As for restoring OS to another machine (as suggested on TN) I started using a program by Paragon that has a feature called Adaptive Restore. So far, it works great and is well worth the money.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

I think you already have the specs of my machine via PM, but I just wanted to throw a few things out there. First off, use Gddrescue, not ddrescue. Its more up to date and has more features. Also, you can use gddrescue for imaging, but there may be better programs out there, I personally use it for cloning more than anything else. As for restoring OS to another machine (as suggested on TN) I started using a program by Paragon that has a feature called Adaptive Restore. So far, it works great and is well worth the money.

Sorry for my mistake. I am using Gddrescue. When you say you use Gddrescue to clone I assume that you are cloning a drive that is in a precarious state to a new HDD. What do you use to get the drive to boot being that you are cloning to a new HDD? Maybe I am missing something but it seems to me that you will need to replace the HAL when cloning to a new drive. Correct? Thanks for the reply.

 

[PCX]

Sorry for my mistake. I am using Gddrescue. When you say you use Gddrescue to clone I assume that you are cloning a drive that is in a precarious state to a new HDD. What do you use to get the drive to boot being that you are cloning to a new HDD? Maybe I am missing something but it seems to me that you will need to replace the HAL when cloning to a new drive. Correct? Thanks for the reply.

If you are cloning one drive to another, there is nothing to replace but the drive itself. Obviously if the source drive is damaged or on the verge of failing, then you may have some work on your hands to recover the data on the new drive or to make it bootable and useable. As for restoring to another machine, Paragon Adaptive Restore pretty much takes care of everything except for Windows Activation.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

We just have an old HP Business Desktop mini tower, DC5100 MT series.

Old...Pentium 4 H/T (hyperthread).

Side panel of the tower removed...so various onboard SATA and PATA ports are there. Also have a ThermalTake external double SATA caddy that connects via USB 3.

The OS is WinXP on this rig.
But we're usually booting from CD's to clone, or using the WD or Seagate version of Acronis to do our imaging.
Also has some partition/drive repair tools installed on it. As well as many different malware scanners.

It's drive cloning...the speed of the processor isn't a factor here...it's the speed of the drives/drive bus.

Thanks for the reply. I like the idea of using the WD/Seagate utils. I will def DL those as a great portion of the drives that I come across will likely be manufactured by one of those two companies.

 

[DCGPX]

I'll second Paragon Adaptive Restore, works very well on everyone I've had to do, I used to use Acronis but had too many fail when going to different hardware. Acronis sound for backup and restore to same machine can't fault it.

I did find a little tidbit out when using paragon partition manager, it'll clone server drives. Every time I wanted to backup my own server everything detected its a server and refused. I was doing something to another pc next to my server and accidentally cloned it when I lost concentration and put disc into it instead so if I ever get into servers I'll bear that in mind until I get more familiar with Linux which I'm sure couldn't care less what OS it's cloning.

Back to your question though, my cloner is a HP DC7000 series with Sata addon card and USB 2. When I get round to it I'll add USB3. It doesn't have a OS I just boot to a DVD with different imaging ISOs and choose whichever I need and then backup to its internal hard drive.

I've just bought a cheap Apple mini which when it comes I'm going to see if I can set it up as a clone station as its very small and I can just hang it on wall!

 

[Encrypted Existence]

If you are cloning one drive to another, there is nothing to replace but the drive itself. Obviously if the source drive is damaged or on the verge of failing, then you may have some work on your hands to recover the data on the new drive or to make it bootable and useable. As for restoring to another machine, Paragon Adaptive Restore pretty much takes care of everything except for Windows Activation.

So Paragon is not needed at all when you are just cloning one drive to another then?

 

[PCX]

So Paragon is not needed at all when you are just cloning one drive to another then?

Not as long as it is going back into the same machine that it originated.

 

[arrow_runner]

Just last week I upgraded the 'computer in the back'. Image server, backups, software/file server, mp3 player, etc.

I was using an old AMD x2 3800+ 2GB DDR2 Ram with 1tb hard drive. I did some bartering for work with the neighbor after the recent storms blew the motherboard in her new gateway tower. I picked up a motherboard and 60gb ssd for the boot drive. It's an i3-2120 8gb ddr3 ram. I use Acronis True Image Workstation which I don't think is available anymore for my software, but I also installed ubuntu to a partition on the SSD so I've got my linux tools ready too.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

Not as long as it is going back into the same machine that it originated.

Thanks for the clarity.

 

[ArtemusComputerTechnology]

HP SFF 6000 and 6200, 4gb of ram, and 160gb hard drive. There are more than 10 machines for each client. I currently have 4 business clients. I use Norton Ghost the majority of the time but I may use Clonezilla.

 

[Encrypted Existence]

HP SFF 6000 and 6200, 4gb of ram, and 160gb hard drive. There are more than 10 machines for each client. I currently have 4 business clients. I use Norton Ghost the majority of the time but I may use Clonezilla.

I plan on giving parted magic a shot. It has clonezilla included as one of the utilities. I've done a little research and it sounds like I need to give clonezilla a go. Thanks.

 

[Emellid]

I used to use any win-xp dual core machine with at least 4 gigs of ram for multi-scanning client hard drives for viruses. I also used the same machines for cloning drives usine norton ghost and acronis true image 2013.

 

[Emellid]

Most of the tools used are cd bootable unless I'm scanning a clients drive for viruses. You must have a good bit of anti viruses installed without having active protection so that it doesn't slow down to a complete crawl.

 

[Go-To Gordon]

I found this thread in a search wondering what specs folks use for their bench machines. right now I have my main i7 rig a couple old xp laptops. Ad my lenovo lappy for the couch and the field

I'm about to build an ivy bridge celeron (never thought I'd say that!) or Pentium rig. with parts I already have I can put it together for not much more than $200-$250. I'll have one or two internals so a number of empty sata ports. I'll make at least two esata ports of my docks and pick up a 3.0 dock. I'll also use this for offline scans etc. For cloning it won't make a huge difference but for scans should I go ahead and put 8gigs ram in there? I'll be running win 7 64.

 

[SilverLeaf]

I found this thread in a search wondering what specs folks use for their bench machines. right now I have my main i7 rig a couple old xp laptops. Ad my lenovo lappy for the couch and the field

I'm about to build an ivy bridge celeron (never thought I'd say that!) or Pentium rig. with parts I already have I can put it together for not much more than $200-$250. I'll have one or two internals so a number of empty sata ports. I'll make at least two esata ports of my docks and pick up a 3.0 dock. I'll also use this for offline scans etc. For cloning it won't make a huge difference but for scans should I go ahead and put 8gigs ram in there? I'll be running win 7 64.

My bench machine is a lowly 2.4ghz P4 HT w/ 1.5gb running a lightweight Linux installation in a tower case with the sides off and the guts hanging out. Honestly, I have yet to have the need for anything more. Of course, many of my tools are booted directly on the customer's computer via PXE. Could I be a little more productive with a faster machine?....maybe, but not to the point where I've felt the need to upgrade yet.

 

[ThanatosOfOne]

Bench machines are an i7 with 32GB, 160GB SSD boot drive, 2TB secondary running win8, and an i5 with 4GB ram 120GB SSD boot drive, and a 1TB secondary running 32 bit XP. We have an quad core xeon file server with 8GB ram and a pair of 2TB data drives shared out to dump customer images on.

We also have an ancient p4 2.8 with 512 meg and a 320 gig drive to either image PATA drives, or long running data recovery jobs etc on.

We use the worlds oldest copy of Ghost32, Acronis True Image, Macrium Reflect or disk2vhd depending on what works, and what needs to get done.

 

[16k_zx81]

We run a bunch of dual core laptops with e.sata and docks.

We tried some old single cores but noticed scanning speed differences on the older slower machines. The dual cores are relatively quick to finish. We picked them up for about $140 without HDDs.

My main bench rig is a core i5 with 8gb and a 7200rpm HDD. I have never had any issues of speed with anything I have thrown at it.

Jim

 

[jbartlett323]

Ours is a custom built i3, dont remember which, ASROCK B75 board, 4GB DDR3, used 500GB hdd running win7 for scanning, although it spends more time in PXE for Pmagic or Clonezilla.
Also has a Kingwin PATA hotswap enclosure (but dont hotswap it) attached to a cheap SIS PATA card, and 2 of these babies:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024CV3SU/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
makes connecting drives a breeze! Stick em in and hit the power, no guts hanging out the side required! HotSwap does work for SATA Drives!

As for cloning software, Clonezilla is all I use. Since it employs ddrescue if needed, clones just about anything, and the price is exactly where I like it! Only downside is it takes a bit of learning to use it. But the options are fairly endless. And you can script it from PXE to basically do setup for you. I do wish it had an image explorer though, as sometimes I just want a file, not the entire clone...