Cloud Backup (BaaS) is a cloud-based data backup service based on one of the market-leading solutions - Veeam Backup & Replication with Cloud Connect technology. The service allows you to back up any physical or virtual servers and store backups in the LanCloud cloud. Backups will be hosted outside your office in a secure TIER-III Facility & Operation certified data center. Built-in client-side encryption of backups allows you to be 100% confident in the confidentiality of information transferred to the cloud.
Cloud Backup allows you to restore both individual files and completely physical or virtual servers, including the state of the operating system. In addition, the service supports backup and granular recovery of applications such as Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server and Oracle. In particular, you can restore individual AD users, mailboxes and individual Exchange messages, individual SharePoint items, database transaction logs to a specific point in time. Restoration can be done both to the original location and to an alternative location.
Key Benefits of LanCloud Cloud Backup:
- Backing up physical servers running Windows or Linux with the possibility of full recovery to other hardware or to a virtual environment
- Backing up any virtual Hyper-V or VMware servers with the ability to fully restore the state of a virtual machine or individual files
- Granular application recovery: Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server and Oracle with the ability to recover individual objects and databases
- The ability to encrypt data on the client side before transfer to the cloud
- Storage of backups outside the office in a reliable TIER-III Facility & Operation data center.
- The ability to restore backups to the LanCloud cloud in the event of a complete failure of the local infrastructure
- One of the most favorable prices on the market for the amount of data - 1 RUB / month. for 1 GB
- The first month of using the service is free.
Rates
| Features and Capabilities | Cloud Backup Workstation | Cloud Backup VM Standard | Cloud Backup VM Enterprise | Cloud Backup VM Enterprise Plus | Cloud Backup Server |
| Price for 1 virtual or physical server per month excluding VAT | 440 ₽ | 440 ₽ | 800 ₽ | 1200 ₽ | 1200 ₽ |
| VM ( Hyper-V or VMware) whole or separate files |
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| Backing up and restoring the state of a physical server as a whole or individual files with the ability to restore to the original location or to another hardware |
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| Backup and recovery Active Directory | Recovering single user and computer accounts |
Recovering multiple objects at the same time, containers, GPOs, Active Directory-integrated DNS records |
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| Backup and recovery Exchange Server |
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Restoring individual objects (letters, mailboxes, notes, contacts) in .pst | Restoring objects to their original placement | ||
| Backup and recovery SharePoint Server |
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Restoring individual objects to a file | Restoring sites, collections, and objects to their original location | ||
| Backup and recovery SQL Server |
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Restoring an entire SQL database | Restoring the transaction log, databases and SQL objects (tables, stored procedures, views) to the original or another SQL Server | ||
| Backup and recovery Oracle |
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| Data deduplication and compression | |||||
| Ability to exclude individual files and folders from backup |
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| WAN acceleration (accelerate data transfer to the cloud up to 50 times) |
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| Backing up from storage snapshots |
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| Self-service file recovery portal for users |
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Review of popular solutions, part 2
SkyDrive
SkyDrive is a cloud storage designed for storing documents, multimedia information (presentations, photos) and other files. The service is provided with a Microsoft account, offering easy integration with Windows Live products.
The user gets 7 GB of disk space at his disposal for free. This is 2 times less than the Google Drive output, but significantly more than in the case of Dropbox. In addition, there is a free space expansion up to 25GB as space fills up. The size of a single file cannot exceed 2 GB. Additional 100 GB will cost $ 50 / year.
Of course, this service is aimed at Windows users: the proprietary SkyDrive application is included in the OS or is available with updates starting from Windows Vista. It will also seem attractive that the cloud is conducive to collaborating with documents. It is convenient to work in conjunction with MS Office and access documents through Office Web Apps, which can be created directly from the Skydrive menu.
The web interface is optimized for both desktop and mobile devices, it should be noted that it is tiled. Conveniently implemented group operations with files, drag and drop. Also, for uploaded data, operations such as setting up sharing, publishing are available. For videos and images, preview is possible, advanced presentation capabilities. SkyDrive can also be used to back up files from your camera and other sources.
Of the additional options related to backup, there is a file history, making it easy to restore a particular version through the timeline. However, the location of the archive files is configured separately and is not versioned during synchronization.
Of course, installing the SkyDrive app (for Windows 8 it's the SkyDrive app) includes file explorer integration and file syncing. The required set of actions is supported: drag and drop, add files and folders.
A distinctive feature of mobile support, in addition to the interface features, is support for Windows Phone. As you know, many other services (including Dropbox and Google Drive) have not paid due attention to this device.
SpiderOak
The SpiderOak service focuses not only on a full-featured backup, but also on availability from various devices and minimal tariff limits. Supported external, network, removable drives, files are stored in the cloud without restrictions on the size, type, number of devices attached to the server.
2 GB of disk space is provided free of charge, an additional 100 GB will cost $ 10 / month - which is significantly more expensive compared to SkyDrive. For registration using a referral link and answering tests on the SpiderOak blog, bonuses are awarded, so you can "increase" another 10 GB for free.
To log into your account on the server, you must complete the installation using the desktop application. This is an inconvenience, but not a formality: for security purposes, cryptographic keys are generated at this stage. Generally speaking, SpiderOak uses a layered encryption approach, a combination of 2048-bit RSA and 256-bit AES, and 2-Step Verification.
The web interface showed itself not from the best side - an access error constantly occurred or there was no possibility of data management. The SpiderOak desktop app does its job much better. The widget displays the status of backup, synchronization, publication, connection quality. In the adjacent subsections, information is available about the current tasks and actions performed in the account, the log and statistics. Reservations can also be made manually by defining a list of categories.
SpiderOak has such an option as, which allows you to save on disk space when backing up. Also, through the desktop application, version control of files and folders is carried out.
Ubuntu One
The Ubuntu One service combines a file storage based on the service and a service for listening to music. 5GB of storage is free, plus a special offer for 6 months: 20GB bonus storage and access to Music Streaming. Cost of 100 GB of additional space - $ 14.95 / month (with promotions, rates may vary). Also, due to invitations via a referral link, you can increase the space up to 20 GB for free (500 MB is required for each referred user).
Ubuntu One has a simple and low-interactive web interface, objectively not suitable for regular file operations. To download files, there is a panel with the ability to drag and drop and view the progress status. Ubuntu One does not provide any user permissions, but it is possible to publish a link to a file or folder. Other important options include file recovery; however, this function is not at all intuitive for the user.
Besides the general section for files, there are Music and Photos sections. Accordingly, preview and other specialized operations related to media management are available for them.
Using the desktop widget, you can manage connected devices, view published files, synchronize your home directory - with the ability to pause and resume transfer. Again, when compared to Dropbox or other closest peers, adding a new source is difficult, let alone selectively syncing within a directory.
The files are stored on the server unencrypted. To transfer data to the server, the SSL protocol is used in conjunction with certificates, for authorization - OAuth.
Wuala
Wuala is a secure cloud storage with backup, synchronization, collaboration, distribution of access rights and other standard features.
The free plan includes 5 GB of storage space. At the expense of referrals, you can increase the space by 10 GB, 1 GB for each attracted user. An additional 100 GB costs € 9.99 / month, expandable up to 1 TB is possible.
Despite the presence of a Web Access section on Wuala's site, there is no shell as such. Therefore, similar to SpiderOak, you have to use a desktop application. Fortunately, it pleases with good functionality.
The application allows you to create backups, sync on different devices, thanks to the backup and sync wizard, respectively. Wuala also allows you to recover deleted files or their versions, open access to files, invite users and manage groups. The appearance, widget notifications are customizable in detail, there is selective integration with the file system.
Files are stored encrypted on the user's computer. When transferring data to the Wuala server, AES-256 encryption is used, RSA 2048 for signatures and keys, and SHA-256 for integrity verification.
Syncplicity
Syncplicity is a cloud-based collaboration solution for easy access to data from mobile and desktop platforms.
2 GB of free space is not the best choice for backups. However, at the expense of referrals, you can increase it by another 3 GB. 50 GB under this plan will cost $ 15 / month. In the Business and Enterprise editions, there are no limits on disk space, but the price is appropriate - it starts at $ 45 / month.
The desktop application allows you to quickly set up directories for synchronization using a simple file manager. There is a selective sync - you can include or exclude a subdirectory. Version control is provided for synchronized data, making it easy to recover lost data. It is possible to open access, but you cannot provide access to directories, only to files separately. For published files, there is a Shared links section, where you can, in particular, track the number of downloads.
The web interface is minimalistic and fast. In addition to viewing data on the server, I was pleased with the convenient editing mode, downloading files, previewing images. In the account settings, you can manage subscriptions, devices, connected services.
Data transmitted or stored on Syncplicity is encrypted using AES 256bit technology, and encryption is also applied during authorization.
[email protected]
According to information from the start page of the cloud.mail.ru service, the most attractive is 100 GB, provided free of charge, without any conditions for obtaining. In fact, there are no restrictions, but any background information or the choice of a tariff plan is not available. All this can be attributed to the "youth" of the service, which appeared later than its competitors, being in beta status.
Having studied the "Clouds" web shell, it can be argued that it is clearly incomplete. Drag and drop is not supported; when loading folders, files are copied without preserving the structure. As it has become customary to note, you cannot upload files over 2 GB via the web interface. However, there are no alternative methods available. On the other hand, you can preview videos, images, presentations, and listen to music. There are data display modes to choose from, quick link publication (the list includes Russian-language services). Users of mail.ru services may find it useful to integrate the cloud with mail.
The desktop application is intended only for synchronizing the specified directory in the cloud. There are no settings: you can not only configure the backup, but even limit the speed of uploading or downloading. Integration with the file system is not provided.
Yandex.Disk
When registering, 3 GB of disk space is allocated for free (with a maximum file size of 10 GB), which can be increased to 10 GB and 20 GB by inviting friends via a referral link. The cost of 100 GB is 150 rubles / month.
The web interface is visually pleasing and easy to use. There is a complaint about the loader - it does not allow placing files with the preservation of the structure. For example, if you drag a folder into it, the result will be a 4KB file loaded. Otherwise, there are no complaints about the interface. There is search, sorting, file operations, preview, music playback and publishing, collaboration available. There is a separate section for the camera that allows you to back up information from the device, similar to SkyDrive. There is no version control, so important backup functions are not fully implemented.
The desktop widget will be useful for sharing data, synchronization. True, there are not so many settings: for example, a subdirectory cannot be excluded or included in the cloud. The baud rate is also out of control.
Yandex.Disk supports encryption, all cloud data is scanned for viruses. "The safety of files is ensured by the most modern technologies" - there are no other details.
LiveDrive
LiveDrive does not provide free storage space, but a trial mode is available for each plan. The disadvantage is that without entering payment information, you will have to constantly be distracted by a notification in the control panel. For each invitation of users via a referral link, 3 months of free use of the service are provided. 1 TB of additional storage costs $ 8 per month - which, incidentally, is much cheaper than the competition.
Online data management is available starting with the Briefcase plan. The interface cannot be characterized as responsive: delays are noticeable by eye, problematic dialog for downloading files (although a flash or java loader is available to choose from). It is possible to publish files or provide access to other users; a special section has been created to control resources with open access. Music collection management is carried out through a separate manager and player - this is, perhaps, everything related to working with multimedia.
The desktop application provides scheduled backup options. Certain types of data can be excluded from the list of files for copying. The widget informs about the copying status and allows you to pause or limit the transfer rate. The Windows 8 app is available in the store.
You can enable encryption during transmission in the LiveDrive widget settings, as well as when logging into the server.
OziBox
The OziBox service evokes associations with the [email protected]. These are the same free 100 GB and the absence of any information on tariffs. It's surprising that there are no ads on the pages: apparently, the developers are thinking about a way to monetize. With all the uncertainty, mistrust arises: how reliable is the storage of data on the service, where there are no prices or other specifics, not to mention such an important aspect as security.
OziBox meets with a rather outdated interface, with recurring errors, lack of preview, not very convenient download window (when downloading folders, the same problem as in Yandex Disk). Although there are some minimal means to provide access to the data. As a result, file management is possible here, but rather difficult, but there is no need to talk about normal backup tools.
The desktop widget doesn't help much, providing options for syncing home directory and setting baud rate.
FilesAnywhere
FilesAnywhere is not one of those services that entice you with free features. 1 GB is given as a gift, 100 GB will cost $ 24.99 / month (we are talking about a single-user Personal plan). In the Professional edition there are no traffic limits, user management and other features are available. However, the free version also provides backup functions.
The web interface is notable for the fact that, in addition to sorting, searching and file operations, it displays data in the form of graphs and charts, grouped by date, size, type, and other properties. To add files to the server, not only a downloader is provided, but also 6 alternative methods to choose from. If you select the Silverlight or Java Upload option, the 2GB file limit for upload disappears.
Also on FilesAnywhere, there are many options for providing access to data: sending a link to mail, direct file transfer, group sharing, and even sending a fax. In the History section, the history of file changes is available, with convenient search and filtering.
The important tools are collected in the Tools section. Reporting, grouping by tags, virtual folders is available here. Additional tools include file recovery, download time estimation, document conversion.
FilesAnywhere uses 128/256-bit SSL and AES 256-bit encryption before uploading to the server.
All people are divided into two categories: those who are not making backups yet, and those who are already making backups.
I consider it unnecessary to talk about the importance of data backup and the risks associated with the lack of such. I think everyone will agree on this issue - backups are needed!
Backing up your data is definitely a good thing. However, many believe that this data should be kept in a personal "chest / closet" and not with a neighbor. At the same time, such a position is usually justified by the fact that only when storing in a repository that you own on the basis of ownership, you can not worry about security.
What is the basis for such a position? Perhaps it is due to a lack of understanding of the really important risks.
Where is the physical hardware located?
What does it mean to keep backups "in a personal chest"? If, with this approach, the storage system is located in the company's office, have sufficient measures been taken to ensure the safety of the data? If the co-location service is used in the data center, then the data center is responsible for the physical security of the equipment and the observance of favorable conditions for the operation of equipment. The equipment of the cloud provider Cloud4Y is located in, this ensures high security and fault tolerance of the infrastructure. With this approach, the level of security is significantly higher than when placing storage systems for backup in the office of a company that is unlikely to use all the best practices of the IT industry. In this regard, storage in the Cloud4Y cloud is comparable to the co-location service in a Tier III data center, but it can be more profitable in economic and organizational terms.
Cloud backup should not be taken as "keeping a backup with a neighbor"
Most likely, you have chosen to back up your information system or other data because of its value. Yes, information in our time is a specific "money". Entrusting the storage of backups to a cloud provider or storing them at home is partly a choice equivalent to choosing between keeping money in a bank or at home. A serious cloud provider, like a large bank, has significant investments in business and brand building. The responsibility of the cloud provider is legally secured. But the main incentive for him is to maintain his reputation as a reliable provider of IT services. Keeping a backup at home is "keeping in a chest", and keeping a backup at a good cloud provider is "keeping in a bank safe", not "at a neighbor's."Backup and the law
In opinion on this issue, we have been joined by the government with its punishing hand, and by the regulators in the field of information protection. We all remember the requirements of the legislation, voiced in the 17th, 21st and 31st Orders of FSTEC. Also, regulators of the credit and financial sector have formed requirements for redundancy and backup. And from January 1, 2018, Federal Law of July 26, 2017 No. 187-FZ "On the security of the critical information infrastructure of the Russian Federation" a significant object of critical information infrastructure is: "" restoration of the functioning of a significant object of critical information infrastructure, provided, among other things, by creating and storing backup copies of the information necessary for this. "
Thus, these requirements cover virtually legal entities in all areas. And what do our regulators like the most?
The correct answer from our practice is to use in our activities the means that have undergone conformity assessment in accordance with the established procedure (read - certified). In such a situation, what could be better than a combination of the world's best backup practices and a certified product? We found this combination in Veeam Backup & Replication. For understanding - a little about this product.
Veeam Backup & Replication provides efficient backup, replication and recovery of virtualized applications and data. The solution provides fast and reliable backups of VMware and Hyper-V virtual machines without the use of agents inside the virtual machines. Veeam Backup & Replication can dramatically speed up the backup process and reduce storage costs.
The certified version of Veeam Backup & Replication is designed to protect information:
- in state information systems up to 1 class of security, inclusive;
- in automated control systems for production and technological processes up to 1 class of security, inclusive;
- in information systems of personal data (for which threats of the 1st, 2nd or 3rd type are classified as relevant) up to 1 class of security, inclusive, when following the instructions for use.
State information systems (GIS)
Requirements for the protection of information contained in the GIS are determined by the Order of the FSTEC of Russia dated 11.02.2013. No. 17 "On approval of the Requirements for the protection of information that does not constitute a state secret contained in state information systems."“To ensure the protection of information contained in the information system, information security tools are used that have passed the conformity assessment in the form of mandatory certification for compliance with information security requirements in accordance with Article 5 of the Federal Law of December 27, 2002 N 184-FZ“ On Technical Regulation "" - Article 11 of the document.
Personal data information systems (ISPDN)
Requirements for the protection of personal data contained in the ISPD are determined by Order of the FSTEC of Russia dated February 18, 2013 No. 21 "On approval of the composition and content of organizational and technical measures to ensure the security of personal data during their processing in personal data information systems."For state operators of personal data, conformity assessment is always carried out in the form of mandatory certification followed by certification.
“To ensure the security of personal data during their processing in state information systems, in addition to the Requirements approved by order of the FSTEC of Russia dated February 11, 2013 N 17, it is necessary to be guided by the requirements (including in terms of determining the level of protection of personal data) established by the Government Of the Russian Federation of November 1, 2012 N 1119. At the same time, in accordance with clause 27 of the Requirements approved by order of the FSTEC of Russia dated February 11, 2013 N 17, an appropriate ratio of the security class of the state information system with the level of personal data security must be ensured. In the event that the level of security of personal data determined in the established manner is higher than the established security class of the state information system, then the security class is increased to a value that ensures the fulfillment of clause 27 of the Requirements approved by order of the FSTEC of Russia dated February 11, 2013 N 17. "
For commercial operators of personal data, conformity assessment can be performed both in the form of certification and in another form at the choice of the operator, but it should be noted that in some cases, the choice of a certified product allows you to reduce the cost of assessing the information system, since the certificate for the product is automatically certifies that the conformity assessment has already been carried out by the manufacturer.
Requirements for the use of information security tools that have passed the conformity assessment depending on the level of security of the ISPD:
Process control systems at critical facilities
Requirements for the protection of information contained in the IS of APCS are determined by Order of the FSTEC of Russia dated March 14, 2014 No. 31 "On approval of requirements for ensuring the protection of information in automated control systems for production and technological processes at critical facilities, potentially hazardous facilities, as well as facilities, representing an increased danger to life and health of people and to the natural environment ”.“In the automated control system, information security tools are used that have passed the conformity assessment in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation on technical regulation” (Article 11). The use of certified safeguards can reduce the cost of completing this step, as the certificate certifies that the product has already passed the compliance test. The use of products that do not have a certificate is also possible, but requires additional costs from the buyer for certification or other conformity assessment activities provided for by the legislation on technical regulation.Assessment of possible damage: see Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 21, 2007 N 304 "On the classification of natural and man-made emergencies"
The security class of the APCS and the need to use backup tools that have passed the conformity assessment are determined in accordance with the table:
The composition of information protection measures of automated control systems and their basic sets for the corresponding security class (in relation to ensuring backup of information), where the use of tools that have passed the conformity assessment is required:
What can Cloud4Y cloud do?
Let's take a look at our BACKUP AS A SERVICE as an example. The solution provides the possibility of cloud backup, ensuring the reliability of storing any amount of data.There are at least three options for organizing such a service, and all of the above options are provided with a free VPN with encryption over the Internet:
1. The Backup as a Service based on Veeam Backup allows you to get the required disk space for storing and restoring backups from storage. In addition to this, we can provide guaranteed recovery at a given time in the following modes:
1. SLA "Basic" 10-19 / 5
2. SLA "Priority" 9-21 / 7
3. SLA "Critical" 24/7
4. SLA "VIP" 24/7
2. When using Veeam Endpoint Protection, a backup is made to our Veeam, and payment is made according to the plate for the provided disk space.
3. Using the IaaS service, a server (VM) is rented for balls (Linux or Windows - depending on preferences), the tenant independently lifts and configures the VM and makes a ball there for storing backups, then independently connects the server (VM) in the cloud with the backup server. All resources can be added or modified via VMware vCloud Director in real time.
In order to consult and get a calculation of the cost of the service for your business, please contact any manager by phone +7 495 268 04 12 or any other convenient one.
"System administrators are divided into 2 categories: who does the backup and who WILL do it!"
It is believed that the 3-2-1 backup rule was first described by Peter Krogh in his book Digital Asset Management for Photographers. So, the "3-2-1" rule states that in order to ensure reliable data storage, you must have at least:
- THREE backups,
- to be stored in TWO different physical storage formats,
- and ONE of the copies must be transferred to offsite storage
For any system administrator, there is an acute problem with backing up corporate data. It is not enough to understand WHAT to copy and WHERE to copy, you still need to understand WHAT to do all this. There are many options for organizing backups in the office: a bunch of free programs, shareware and commercial products. Of course, paid products are very good, they usually solve such problems that their free "brothers" cannot "afford": copying databases, Active Directory, virtual servers and work machines, mail servers, and more. These systems usually cost adequate money, but not all directors share this statement. And for most companies, the issue of backup comes down to a simple task of backing up user data: various files, documents, photos, etc.
When choosing a program for backing up file data, I would like to observe the "3-2-1" rule.
And for these purposes, you need to find a simple solution. It is desirable not yet expensive, but rather free.
Duplicati is free open source software. Duplicati is licensed under the LGPL and available for Windows, OSX and Linux
Features of the program:
- The program is completely FREE! Even for commercial use.
- Uses AES-256 encryption. The data is encrypted on the client and the already encrypted data is sent to the cloud.
- There is deduplication. The program stores only unique data; it does not duplicate files that are repeated. This significantly saves disk space.
- There is already a standard function - incremental copying. Duplicati makes a full backup initially, and then only saves the modified data, which is smaller. This allows you to save disk space and transfer less data with low bandwidth.
- There is an automatic task scheduler with notification.
- You can set flexible custom filtering rules when choosing folders and files for backup
- There is an intuitive web interface and a full command line for managing the program.
- Duplicati can back up open or locked files using Volume Snapshot Service (VSS) under Windows, or Logical Volume Manager (LVM) under Linux. This allows Duplicati to back up the Microsoft Outlook PST file while it is running.
- Supports Cloud Copy to Amazon S3, OneDrive, Google Drive, Rackspace Cloud Files, HubiC, Backblaze (B2), Amazon Cloud Drive (AmzCD), Swift / OpenStack, WebDAV, SSH (SFTP), FTP and more!
Special project with Acronis
Sooner or later, all of us are faced with the need for a backup. And believe me, it's better early than late. Once upon a time, in 2009, I lost all my data. Back then I made backups on DVD-R / RW, which was not very convenient, so they were rarely made. Some of the data was sent by colleagues (it's good that they kept it), but a lot of things were lost. It was from that time that I regularly make backups, and today we will talk about finding the perfect product for the family budget.
Where will we store backups
Before choosing software, you need to decide where we will store the backup. You know, DVD-R is not very good for backups. Firstly, a small volume, secondly, slowly, and thirdly - noisy. And since I switched to laptops for a very long time and I don’t recognize inpatients at all (although they are available on the farm), I had to buy several external drives. First for 250 GB, then more.
I did not consider the cloud for one simple reason - there is not enough space:
You understand, even 15 GB is not enough, especially if the minimum size of the external screw available on the farm is 250 GB. Extra space? You could, of course, give $ 2 a month for 100 GB on Google Drive or $ 10 for an additional 1 TB, but 100 GB won't save me, and 1 TB is a little expensive. Ideally, 500 GB would be fine for $ 2-3 a month 🙂
Later, two Android smartphones and one tablet appeared in the family, from which, from time to time, backups were made to an external screw, in the old fashioned way (after all, I was used to just such a process). It would be safe to use a cloud here, but habit is a strong thing.
Search for backup software
Here we come to the most interesting part. How to make a backup?
Basically, you can use the free Clonezilla. The capabilities of this program are, if not impressive, then at least pretty good. Some of them that I consider to be the most important are:
- support for Linux / macOS / Windows file systems: from ext2 to ext4, xfs, jfs, FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, HFS (macOS);
- support for MBR and GPT;
- data encryption support (AES 256);
- the ability to deploy one image to multiple local devices;
- support for SSH, Samba, WebDAV and NFS.
If you need to make a backup in a corporate environment of some server, and even on a ball, you cannot find a better option. For cloning systems in the case of deploying one operating system to many machines with the same configuration, it’s the very thing: they brought in a fleet of computers, put the axis on one of them, set everything up, made an image of it and deployed it to the rest of the computers. An admin's dream!
I was familiar with Acronis products for a long time, but mostly with server versions. I will not compare them with Clonezilla now, since we are talking about home backup: after all, there are one or two computers and several Android devices at home, images of all these devices do not need to be constantly made. In general, CloneZilla is poorly suited for the home. Once, I remember, I made a backup with her at home, when I changed the system disk to a larger disk and was too lazy to reinstall all systems. Then this program, of course, saved me.
CloneZilla is a good program, but it's 2016 and I want something more modern, but it's stuck in the past. I want some kind of automation, backup management from all devices, including mobile ones, I want to copy photos from my profile on social networks, I want to search inside the backup copy in order to find the desired file. I want a lot of things. Sometimes I even think about buying a NAS just for storing backups.
Actually, I started looking for the perfect software for myself. I stumbled upon the File History feature in Windows 8/10. I somehow missed the "eight", and the "ten" is installed on only one computer. Although the "File History" was created in the image and likeness of Apple Time Machine and should be convenient, in practice it turned out to be not very convenient to use, moreover, it is not compatible with computers running the "7" and Android smartphones.
If anyone is interested, while I was looking for the software I needed, all this time I was making backups using Total Commander by simply copying files. But this is very inconvenient. First, there is no automation: you need to go to each computer with an external screw and make a backup. Secondly, the irrational use of space. I did not use compression. Why? Yes, because I periodically need to search for information on a backup. Have you tried looking for something in an archive of several GB in size?
Quite by accident, I remembered Acronis True Image and discovered that version 2017 had been released. Let's see what it can do now:
It looks like the perfect backup software exists! However, not very ideal, but I'll tell you about the shortcomings later, but for now I will boast of its capabilities: Acronis True Image 2017 is a completely modern backup program, and unlike ancient software like CloneZilla, it has everything that a modern person might need. That's what I personally liked very much ...
First, it saves space on the screws that are used for backups. The backup is done in a compressed form, but Acronis allows you to search within the backup.
Secondly, now I don't have to worry about data on mobile devices. Over the past two years, two microSD cards have failed: one on the wife's phone, the other on the tablet. One photo was saved at least partially, from the second - no, she "died" completely. Acronis True Image 2017 allows you to backup an unlimited number of Android / iOS mobile devices to a local computer.
Thirdly, you can (as I already noted) remotely control the backup on all home devices. Using the web panel, you can check the status of backups and configure real-time data protection.
Fourth, there is support for copying Facebook profile content. A lot of information is now published on social networks: photos, videos, comments. A backup of this data will protect against hacking of the page or from accidental deletion.
Finally, targeting the cloud. I couldn't even imagine that Acronis had such powerful cloud support: by purchasing a subscription, you get 500 GB of cloud space! This volume is quite enough for me for home purposes (unless, of course, uploading entire images of hard drives to the cloud, although Acronis allows it).
About disadvantages
Everything has its drawbacks. I hope the Acronis developers will heed the criticism. Personally, I did not like two points in the program.
The first is the lack of Linux support. The data that is stored in Linux will have to be done the old fashioned way: either by copying, or using Clonezilla by creating an image of the partition with the data (fortunately, I have / home on a separate partition, as usual).
The second is the lack of support for other social networks besides Facebook. I think, however, that over time it will appear. But whether there will be support for Linux is a question. Of course, Acronis has a Linux Server product, but I don’t want to use it for several reasons: firstly, using the server version for home use is tantamount to shooting sparrows from a cannon, and secondly, I don’t want to pay for another product (which is a minimum 792 rubles per month), and thirdly, I want everything to be managed from one product.
About the price
We all know that Acronis was never free. However, the prices also pleasantly surprised me: the official website has a calculator that allows you to find out how much Acronis will cost you.
A one-time license for 1 computer (the number of mobile devices is unlimited) will cost 1,700 rubles (about $ 27 at the current exchange rate). But it's more profitable to buy a subscription: in this case, you will get both the program itself and 500 GB of cloud storage. The cost of a subscription for a year will cost 1400 rubles. (~ $ 22), for two years - only 2000 r (~ $ 32), this is approximately $ 1.83 or $ 1.33 per month. For that kind of money, you can only buy 100 GB of Google Drive! And here I got an excellent backup tool + 500 GB in the cloud.
If you count a more real configuration: 3 computers and 1 TB in the cloud, then a subscription for a year will cost 2400 rubles, and for 2 years - 3600 rubles. Just 150 rubles per month compared to 600 rubles for 1 TB on Google Drive! As for me, the conclusion was obvious. 150 rubles - the amount is quite affordable for a home user, this will not hit the family budget.
