pst backup/mirror options?

[Rob]

Hey all,

We have a rather unique set up...

Individual pc's with outlook running on them (mostly 2003) NOT
connected to a domain but they are connected to a server, which the
majority of users use as a file share.

The server gets backed up every night, but the individual machines do
not. Due to people saving on the network, the only things which really
require backup are 'e-mails' i.e. outlook.pst.

The most logical option is to store the pst's directly on the server
and then back them up like that. However, in the even of server failure
/ downtime / pc needing to be out of the network the user cannot access
their e-mails.

Is there any more sophisticated idea I could use (note: we do not want
to use exchange due to the admin time and extra complexities!)

 

[DL]

You could use the MS OL Backup addin, its free. This of course would only
run if users exit OL at the end of the day.
Any other backup app would also only function if OL was closed.
PS using a pst over a network is unsupported as it can cause pst corruption.

 

[Rob]

DL, do you have any further information regarding pst corruption over a
network? That would be a big problem!

As for the adin, I just found that and gave it a whirl.

I used it in the opposite way- pst stored on server, backup copies to
local machine, as i think users may hit cancel or something every so
often during the copy process

 

[Rob]

Ah,

I've found the ms article http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019/ about
pst files on networks