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Frequently Asked Questions About Online (Remote) Backup
GENERAL INFORMATION
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Why backup?
Most small
businesses put their lives on the line every night and don't even
realize it. With businesses depending more and more on the data
stored in their computer, proper backups are becoming much more
critical. Online backups accomplish several essential steps that
are often overlooked or done improperly by other backup software
- especially non-automated tape backup systems.
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What
is online backup?
Online backup
works basically like regular (tape) backups, with one important
difference. Instead of sending backups to a device attached to the
computer, online backup works by sending data over your existing
Intenet connection to an offsite remote storage vault. It does this
(usually) at night while the business is closed and nobody is using
the computer. It's completely automatic.
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What if we already have a tape backup system?
Using both
a tape backup system and an online backup system offers the best
of both worlds. Critical files, like billing, customer contact files
and databases can be backed up daily using the online backup service.
The tape system can be used to create a full backup of the entire
file system - including program files - once or twice a month. In
this way, the tapes and the drive will last longer and require less
maintenance. The online backup system can provide a quick and easy
way to retrieve critical files and databases without the hassle
of searching through tapes.
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How
secure are online backups?
Very. You
-- and you alone -- have access to your data files because Dr.Backup
encrypts your data prior to transmission to our offsite backup storage
vault. Military-grade encryption technology and a user-defined password
(encryption key) ensure that nobody, including employees of Dr.Backup,
can access your data. Compare this to the total lack of security
on most tape, zip and CD/DVD drives.
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What tasks are required to run a daily backup?
None! The actual backup process itself is fully automated. Once you have configured the time, frequency and list of files to be backed up into the client software, the actual backup will take place automatically on schedule. All you have to do is keep your PC turned on when you leave the office in the evening.
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Which operating systems does Dr.Backup support?
Dr.Backup
will work with most PCs, laptops or servers running Microsoft Windows
versions 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 2008 Server and Windows 7.
Both 32 and 64-bit operating systems are supported. To ensure a minimum of software compatibility issues, please verify
that you have applied the most recent service packs (software patches)
to your system prior to installing the Dr.Backup client software.
Dr.Backup software client will also backup remote volumes (files
from other computers and operating systems) which are visible as
a networked drive to your PC.
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What is encryption?
Encryption is basically a mathematical formula that is used to scramble a data file. The only way to unscramble the file is with the proper encryption key. Dr.Backup clients have their own personal encryption key that is known only to them.
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What happens if I lose my encryption key?
Unfortunately, encryption keys cannot be recovered. Dr.Backup recommends keeping a record of your encryption key offsite in a safe location.
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What
happens if my connection fails during a backup?
If a transmission is interrupted in the middle of a backup, the Dr.Backup software client will attempt to re-establish a connection and resume the backup from where it was interrupted.
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Can I use my high-speed broadband connection?
Absolutely.
This is in fact the preferred method for quickly accomplishing online
backups. It is highly recommended for clients with large offsite
storage requirements.
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What if I turn my computer off and miss a backup?
If you occasionally forget to leave your computer on, this is not a problem. Dr.Backup will simply resume your backup schedule when you power back up your system. Files that have changed since your last backup will be identified and properly archived when it is time for the next scheduled backup.
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Can I backup my network?
Yes. Configure your Dr.Backup client software to backup files on a networked drive and it will. Dr.Backup customer support is available to assist with this sometimes tricky task.
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Can I backup more than one computer to my account?
Yes. The number
of computers that can be backed up to your account depends on the
Package Plan you purchased. Each computer must have its own unique
username and password. All computers covered under your account
share a "pooled" amount of disk storage space on the offsite backup
server.
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Does Dr.Backup work if my company has a firewall?
Dr.Backup
client software establishes a "passive" network connection to the
online backup server. It is therefore fully compatible with most
popular firewall devices on the market today. This includes devices
that employ network address translation (NAT.)
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How often is my computer backed up?
As often as you wish, because you set up the time and frequency that works best for your schedule.
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How long does a backup take?
The size of
your backup, speed of your Internet connection and amount of compressed
data being transmitted will determine the length of time for the
backup. Backups can be incremental -- archiving only files that
have changed since the previous backup -- or full, to backup all
of your critical data. Cable modems, DSL and T-1 connections do
speed up the process but are not required. Your initial backup and
all full backups will take the longest because it requires transmission
of all data files in your backup set to the offsite storage - not
just the data that has recently changed.
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How
do I know that an online backup actually occurred?
Dr.Backup
sends you an email progress report at the completion of each backup.
This lets you know that your backup was completed. If Dr.Backup
experiences any problem with the backup, the log files attached
to the progress report email will identify the files that have not
been archived or other trouble found.
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Do
I have to install a special Internet line or other communication
equipment?
No. Dr.Backup
uses your existing Internet connection to transmit files to our
offsite storage servers. Even though cable, DSL and T-1 lines speed
up the process, some Dr.Backup clients successfully use a dialup
modem to transmit encrypted data to the Dr.Backup server each night.
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How do I restore my data?
Dr.Backup lets you select individual files or folders for restoration. If you have a catastrophic loss, simply install the Dr.Backup client software on your new computer, connect to the Internet and restore all of your data up to the point prior to the unfortunate event. In order to recover you data, you must have your encryption key or recovery diskette created at the time you first installed the original backup client software.
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