Preface
I hope you learn half as much reading this book as I did writing it. This was quite an interesting project, where we took the original book and expanded its scope so much that we had to change its title. I wrote Unix Backup and Recovery seven years ago, and a lot has changed since then—both in the industry and in my life. The biggest change in the industry has been the proliferation of Windows, Mac OS, Exchange, and SQL Server in the data center. (I never saw the Apple Xserve coming.)
The biggest change for me has been having my eyes opened to backup and recovery applications beyond those considered “traditional.” It’s true that I spend most of my professional life consulting with large companies that spend enough on backup software and hardware to fund a small army. I enjoy doing that. It’s very rewarding to show a company how to save millions of dollars a year and make their backups and restores faster and more reliable in the process. (By the way, if you need help with your backup system, drop an email to curtis@backupcentral.com—that’s what I do for a living.)
I also spend a good deal of the time traveling the world speaking to users about how to do this themselves. And when I do, I always get questions like these:
I got a quote for backup software from XYX, and they want $XXXX for backup software! Where am I supposed to get that kind of money!?
I couldn’t afford backup software from XYZ, so we bought ABC instead, and it stinks. Can you recommend something better?
None of ...