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[jmone]

I want to simply my life and get off Windows Server 2016 (it's a love hate relationship) for backing up my PC's C: Drive to my Backup Server. 

What I'd like is:
- Incremental backups
- Bare Metal Restore options
- File Based Restore option (with versioning based on each backup)
- Can write over a NW to the backup server
- Can write to a "DrivePool" collection of disks
- Run on normal "Windows" for both server and the clients (no other OS needed)
- Ability to "wake" the Windows Server if it is asleep to do the PC Backups

What I don't need is:
- Backing up my media (I do this already between two "DrivePool" pools, one on my main PC and one of the backup server using FreeFileSync to first compare commits before the sync)

I see many rate Veeam as an option.  Do you think it would work well or are there other suggestions?

[bob]

I've used Acronis for years and have been satisfied with it for what I do.
What I don't know about is if it can be used in a client/server setup.

[Manfred]

I have Acronis too. I had the stripped down version of WD 3 years in production. Since 1 year the full version. I had no problems with it. I use also the Acronis Cloud for document, Images and MC Lib backup.
It does: Incremental backups, File Based Restore option (with versioning based on each backup), Can write over a NW
to the backup server,- Run on normal "Windows" for both server and the clients (no other OS needed)

What I don't know:
- Bare Metal Restore options
- Can write to a "DrivePool" collection of disks

Should but I don't use it and never tested it:
- Ability to "wake" the Windows Server if it is asleep to do the PC Backups

[jmone]

Thanks - I'm a few days now into testing Veeam (from suggestions in Hilton's Thread).  Seems to work well so far but.... quick impressions are:
- Runs on "normal" windows
- Based on more traditional full/incremental backups (over WinServer's unique cluster approach) with GFS (Grandfather / Father / Son approach).
- Working just fine over the NW
- Working with DrivePool
- Bare Metal Restore with a unique USB Key for each PC that includes all the drivers (created but not tested)
- File Based Restore from different backup dates

Things yet to test:
- Auto Sleep / Wakeup (may need to keep LightsOut installed which is apparently is Veeam aware)
- How much space the GFS plan will end up consuming


FWIW:  What I liked about WinServer client backup was:
- unique cluster approach is how efficient it was with storage space especially if you were backing up multimple PC's.  It simply keeps only one copy of each unique cluster regardless of the # of PC's (eg if you have 10 Windows PC's then it is only storing one copy of all the required Windows Binaries).  As a result you get a restore point (both bare metal and file) for every single day since the backups started (pending on your settings) that does not take up insane amounts of space.  Nice. 

The downside I found over many years (from Windows Home Server --> 2012 --> 2016) is
- it can be "fragile" in that if something goes wrong with it's Database (or underlining files) then you end up losing a whole batch of restores
- every time the Client PC got a new major Windows Update the client connector had to be re-installed and configured
- if you added/removed any disk on the server you had to re-configure the server backup
- 2012 onwards was made for Domain connected PC's and the "workarounds" when installing the client connector to ignore the domain bits is getting long in the tooth.

[eve]

Thanks - I'm a few days now into testing Veeam (from suggestions in Hilton's Thread).  Seems to work well so far but.... quick impressions are:
- Runs on "normal" windows
- Based on more traditional full/incremental backups (over WinServer's unique cluster approach) with GFS (Grandfather / Father / Son approach).
- Working just fine over the NW
- Working with DrivePool
- Bare Metal Restore with a unique USB Key for each PC that includes all the drivers (created but not tested)
- File Based Restore from different backup dates

Things yet to test:
- Auto Sleep / Wakeup (may need to keep LightsOut installed which is apparently is Veeam aware)
- How much space the GFS plan will end up consuming


FWIW:  What I liked about WinServer client backup was:
- unique cluster approach is how efficient it was with storage space especially if you were backing up multimple PC's.  It simply keeps only one copy of each unique cluster regardless of the # of PC's (eg if you have 10 Windows PC's then it is only storing one copy of all the required Windows Binaries).  As a result you get a restore point (both bare metal and file) for every single day since the backups started (pending on your settings) that does not take up insane amounts of space.  Nice. 

The downside I found over many years (from Windows Home Server --> 2012 --> 2016) is
- it can be "fragile" in that if something goes wrong with it's Database (or underlining files) then you end up losing a whole batch of restores
- every time the Client PC got a new major Windows Update the client connector had to be re-installed and configured
- if you added/removed any disk on the server you had to re-configure the server backup
- 2012 onwards was made for Domain connected PC's and the "workarounds" when installing the client connector to ignore the domain bits is getting long in the tooth.

Veeam is so far the best 'Windows' backup I've found, especially if you have more than a few machines you're trying to manage.

File based restore works great, and I've done a 'proper' full restore a couple times. Frankly, despite it being primarily for boot disk backups (which usually have very little of actual importance beyond 'hey I don't want to waste a day setting stuff up' since storing actual files on your boot disk is uncool) I've gotten more use from it on the File level. 

I don't really know if using it for your DrivePool stuff (which I assume is media) is the 'ideal' approach. I think you'd be better served with a more traditional nightly mirroring to another server with a bit of versioning or a retention policy for deleted items.

[jmone]

I'm only using Veeam to backup PC's OS Drives, not the media on the DrivePool (I use free file sync to preview then commit any changes between my "Main" drivepool to the "Backup Server" drive pool).  The Veeam backup files are stored on a DrivePool located on the backup server.

[eve]

I'm only using Veeam to backup PC's OS Drives, not the media on the DrivePool (I use free file sync to preview then commit any changes between my "Main" drivepool to the "Backup Server" drive pool).  The Veeam backup files are stored on a DrivePool located on the backup server.

That makes so much more sense then! Awesome

Glad you're enjoying it.