Online Backup Plus Frequently Asked Questions

Online Backup Plus Frequently Asked Questions

1 INSTALLATION 1.1 Who installs the Redstor Online Backup Plus service? 1.2 How does the installed client connect to Redstor s Cloud Platform? 1.3 On which machines is Redstor s Online Backup Plus software installed? 1.4 Can Redstor s Online Backup Plus client be installed remotely? 1.5 Can I do a silent install of the software? 2 CONFIGURATION OF BACKUPS & SCHEDULES 2.1 What access permissions are required to configure the backup client? 2.2 Whose responsibility is it to configure the backup sets and schedules? 2.3 Which user(s) will have access to configure backup sets and schedules? 2.4 Can users be responsible for their own backups? 2.5 What options are available for setting the frequency of backups? 2.6 What options are available for setting the granularity of the backup sets? 2.7 In what order will backup sets be backed up? Can a machine or folder be prioritised? 2.8 Is it possible for multiple machines to be backed up simultaneously? 2.9 Can limits be placed upon the backup window timeframe? 3 DATA BACKUP AND THE REDSTOR ONLINE BACKUP PLUS CLIENT 3.1 How is the initial backup completed? 3.2 How are subsequent backups completed? 3.3 Is it necessary to create a separate user on all devices on which the service backs up data? 3.4 What is data de-duplication? 3.5 What is delta restore? 3.6 Can very large file systems be protected? 3.7 Does the client cache data locally? 3.8 If a backup is interrupted due to a crash or lost connection, how is this handled? 3.9 Does Online Backup Plus maintain a constant connection to Redstor s platform? 3.10 How many versions of my files will be held on Redstor s platform 3.11 Are permissions retained when files are backed up by Redstor Online Backup Plus? 3.12 Is Redstor Online Backup Plus able to back up open files? 3.13 How is Online Backup Plus affected by hard drive defragmentation? 3.14 What happens if the machine on which Online Backup Plus is installed, fails permanently? 3.15 Once the initial backup set has been configured, is it possible to change this later on? 4 DATA TRANSMISSION 4.1 How does Redstor ensure the secure transmission of data off-site? 4.2 What happens if the secure connection is disrupted or lost? 4.3 What data is transferred each time a backup takes place? 4.4 Is it possible to monitor bandwidth usage during and after a backup? 4.5 Is it possible to restrict / limit bandwidth utilisation?

5 OFF-SITE STORAGE AT REDSTOR 5.1 How is data stored off-site on Redstor s platform? 5.2 Who has access to my data while it is stored on Redstor s platform? 5.3 What physical security measures are in place at Redstor s data centres? 5.4 Is my data held in more than one location whilst off-site? 6 RESTORATION OF DATA 6.1 At what point is my data protected and available for restore in the event of a disaster? 6.2 Does data have to be restored to the machine from which it came? 6.3 Can I restore individual files rather than a whole backup set? 6.4 How does Online Backup Plus handle Exchange restores including individual emails? 6.5 How does Online Backup Plus handle SQL restores? 6.6 Can I restore an entire backup set to a previous point in time? 7 COMPRESSION, ENCRYPTION & SECURITY 7.1 Why does Redstor encrypt data? 7.2 What encryption standards are used? 7.3 Why is data compressed and what does this mean? 7.4 What level of compression can be expected? 8 MONITORING 8.1 How does Redstor monitor the service? 8.2 How is the Online Backup Plus service administered on an on-going basis? 8.3 What functionality is available on Redstor s web portal? 9 DISASTER RECOVERY 9.1 In the event of a disaster, can I prioritise the restoration of my most critical data first? 9.2 Can I request a test restore to ensure the system is working as expected? 9.3 In the event of a fire or flood where my whole site is lost, how can I restore my data? 10 LOCAL STORAGE 10.1 Does Redstor s Online Backup Plus solution include a local copy of my data? 10.2 What are the advantages of having a local copy of data? 11 ENDPOINT PROTECTION 11.1 I want to protect data residing on laptops and PCs as well as servers. Can Online Backup Plus do this? 12 VIRTUALISATION 12.1 Is it possible for Redstor s Online Backup Plus client to run from a virtual machine? 12.2 Can I backup my virtual machines using Redstor Online Backup Plus?

1 INSTALLATION 1.1 Who installs the Redstor Online Backup Plus service? Typically the end user or their service provider will install the backup software having received sufficient training from Redstor. However, it is possible to request Redstor to help with the installation(s). This is something that can be discussed with your account manager. 1.2 How does the installed client connect to Redstor s Cloud Platform? The backup client communicated on port 443 on the following range of IP addresses 91.224.152.1-254 and to 130.117.53.20 for authentication. All client to platform communications are secured with SSL and all communications come outbound from the client to the Redstor servers. 1.3 On which machines is Redstor s Online Backup Plus software installed? The software is typically installed on the device where the data is held. However, if you intend to backup data from a device on which a backup client cannot be installed, for example a NAS device or an unsupported operating system, the UNC backup functionality can be used from another host to protect the data remotely. 1.4 Can Redstor s Online Backup Plus client be installed remotely? Yes. The software can be installed remotely using conventional remote desktop tools (RDP & VNC, etc). 1.5 Can Redstor s Online Backup Plus client be installed silently? Yes. The client can be installed silently, deployed through a range of different deployment tools and configured centrally using the management console. 2 CONFIGURATION OF BACKUPS & SCHEDULES 2.1 What access permissions are required to configure the backup client? The user installing / configuring the backup client needs to have sufficient permissions to install the software. This typically is a user with administrative privileges such as the local or domain administrator. 2.2 Whose responsibility is it to configure the backup sets and schedules? It is the responsibility of the end user to determine and configure the backup schedule. 2.3 Which user(s) will have access to configure backup sets and schedules? By default, a user with access to the client can configure the backup selections and schedules, however, access to features in the interface, such as setting selections or changing schedules, can be removed if required. 2.4 Can users be responsible for their own backups? Yes, depending on the agreement between the service provider and the end user 2.5 What options are available for setting the frequency of backups? Backups can be configured with almost any frequency required and manual backups can be run at any time. This includes the option to create advanced schedules. For example, a schedule can be configured to run SQL backups twice daily with system state backups only running once weekly.

2.6 What options are available for setting the granularity of the backup sets? The selection options range from the inclusion of specific files through to entire volumes, with options to exclude files of any given extension (eg mp3 files). The client also supports the backup of a comprehensive set of applications, which can be scheduled together with or independently of file system backups. 2.7 In what order will backup sets be backed up? Can a machine or folder be prioritised? The most recently started backup will always be prioritised so that the newest data (often the most important) is protected first by the backup application. Scheduling can also be used to prioritise the order in which your data is protected. 2.8 Is it possible for multiple machines to be backed up simultaneously? Yes, assuming that each machine is protected by a locally installed backup client 2.9 Can limits be placed upon the backup window timeframe? Yes, bandwidth limitations can be set during working hours to restrict any possible impact the client may have from running during working hours. The option to cancel any running backups during these times is also available. 3 DATA BACKUP AND THE REDSTOR ONLINE BACKUP PLUS CLIENT 3.1 How is the initial backup completed? The initial backup is a full backup (albeit compressed and deduplicated) which can either be completed online or alternatively using a portable device (snapshot backup). Typically the size of the first backup and available bandwidth will determine the transfer method used. 3.2 How are subsequent backups completed? Subsequent backups will be incremental with only the unique blocks that have been created since the previous backup being sent to the platform in a compressed and encrypted format. 3.3 Is it necessary to create a separate user on all devices on which Online Backup Plus backs up data? No. The backup application runs as a service/daemon. By default it will be installed as the local system user/root but it is possible to specify an alternative user. E.g. Administrator NOTE: This is typically only required when local system permissions are not sufficient to backup data. 3.4 What is data de-duplication? Data de-duplication is a technology applied during the backup process where duplicated data blocks are identified and a reference to the existing copy of the block is made rather than duplicating it. This process minimises the network impact of the application, reducing the backup window and the cost of the service by storing less data on the backup solution. 3.5 What is delta restore? Delta restore utilises the same mechanism as deduplication in order to perform high speed restores. Often when a restore is performed, many of the data blocks required to restore a file already exist on the target server in other copies or versions of the file. Delta restore makes use of these local blocks and uses them to reassemble the file locally where possible, only restore data over the internet when a block is completely unique to the file being restored. This reduces the network load and can drastically improve the speed of restores.

3.6 Can very large file systems be protected? Yes, individual file systems in excess of 10 million files are successfully being protected with this service. A unique technology, Stacked Directory Hashing, makes the client extremely effective at scanning file systems and identifying where data in the backup set has been modified. Unlike other solutions, this does not require every file in the selection to be accessed making it more practical to backup large file systems. 3.7 Does the client cache locally? No. During a backup, data is prepared into small data cabinets and sent to the online platform directly from RAM, minimising the disk space required by the client and minimising the disk I/0 required to complete a backup. 3.8 If a backup is interrupted due to a lost connection, how is this handled? Should a network interruption occur during the backup process, the backup is simply paused until the connection is available again. At this time the client reconnects to the platform and resumes the process. 3.9 Does Online Backup Plus maintain a constant connection to Redstor s platform? No. The client connects every 5 minutes to the management server to see if any changes have been made to the client configuration or if any remote commands have been set for the client. These connections are extremely light and should this connection fail, there is no immediate impact on the client, it will simply connect again once the network is available. 3.10 How many versions of my files will be held on Redstor s platform? By default the Redstor Online Backup Plus service stores up to 60 days worth of backups, regardless of how many backups have run in that period. Any retention can be configured on request and occasional backups can also be stored in perpetuity if required (archive sessions). Please contact your account manager for more details of the options available. 3.11 Are permissions retained when files are backed up by Redstor Online Backup Plus? Yes. The backup client allows the restoring of file and folder permissions when conducting restores. 3.12 Is Redstor Online Backup Plus able to back up open files? Yes. The backup client supports the backup of open files through VSS (Windows OS) 3.13 How is Online Backup Plus affected by hard drive defragmentation? Disk defragmentation may cause an increased load on your system which may have knock on effect on the backup performance. Where possible these should be scheduled to run at differant times of day. Defragmentation will have no impact on the volume of data sent by the client. 3.14 What happens if the machine on which Online Backup Plus is installed, fails permanently? If the server requires replacement, it is possible to reinstall the client software on the new server and perform a reconnection to the existing account. It will be necessary to have the access to the account name, password and user defined encryption key during this automated process. 3.15 Once the initial backup set has been configured, is it possible to change this later on? Yes. The backup set(s) can be modified post initial configuration.

4 DATA TRANSMISSION 4.1 How does Redstor Online Backup Plus ensure the secure transmission of data off-site? Data is encrypted at source and remains encrypted end-to-end, with a choice of encryption algorithms, ranging from 128bit AES, 256bit AES or 448bit blowfish encryption. The software also utilises SSL encryption during data transmission for extra security. 4.2 What happens if the connection is corrupted or lost? The software includes a robust reconnection mechanism so the connection will re-establish, automatically, as soon as possible. 4.3 What data is transferred each time a backup takes place? An encrypted and compressed copy of any unique data blocks that appeared since the last backup of the server and reference data to describe how files can be reassembled from the unique blocks. 4.4 Is it possible to monitor bandwidth usage during and after backup? The client has a progress monitor that shows rate at which data is being processed during the backup, along with an estimated time remaining. Further statistics are available via console reporting. 4.5 Is it possible to restrict / limit bandwidth utilisation? Yes. The client can be set to throttle bandwidth at user specified times through the options menu. The throttle can also be disabled at weekends if appropriate. 5 OFF-SITE STORAGE AT REDSTOR 5.1 How is data stored off-site on Redstor s Platform? Data is stored at two geographically separate data centre locations. The primary being in Slough, UK and the mirror site being in Reading, UK. The data is stored at rest using your choice of 128bit AES, 256bit AES or 448bit blowfish encryption. Mirroring of data between the primary and secondary platform is continuous, ensuring data availability from each site. 5.2 Who has access to my data while it is stored on Redstor s platform? Data on the Redstor platform is encrypted at all times, so even though the data is accessible to Redstor s administrators, it is not in a usable format. Data can only be accesed in its original format using the backup client and encryption details specified by the user of the service. 5.3 What physical security measures are in place at Redstor s data centres? Redstor data centres are highly secure with CCTV surveillance, 24/7 security and state of the art physical security. 5.4 Is my data held in more than one location whilst off-site? Yes. Data is held in two locations (primary and mirror) both of which are within the United Kingdom. 6 RESTORATION OF DATA 6.1 At what point is my data protected and available for restore in the event of a disaster? From the point at which your first successful backup completes, data is available online 24/7/365 days a year with the exception of any scheduled or unscheduled downtime. 6.2 Does data have to be restored to the machine from which it came? No. Data can be restored to a remote target or alternatively, a client can be installed on another machine and run in Restore Only mode.

6.3 Can I restore individual files rather than a whole backup set? Yes. 6.4 How does Online Backup Plus handle Exchange restores including individual emails? Exchange data is protected at the mail store/database level. The restoration options will depend on the version of Exchange in use. For more information relating to the recovery of Exchange data, including our guide to restoring individual mails, please refer to the Redstor knowledge base. 6.5 How does Online Backup Plus handle SQL restores? SQL restores can be performed directly back to the source database, or can be restored to another location of your choice, allowing them to be mounted in other data bases or on other servers. 6.6 Can I restore an entire backup set to a previous point in time? Yes. It is possible to select an entire drive(s) for restore. System state is restored separately. Please refer to the manual for further information. 7 COMPRESSION, ENCRYPTION & SECURITY 7.1 Why does Redstor encrypt data? Data is encrypted to ensure data security. Even if unauthorised access is gained to the data stored on the platform, it is unusable without the encryption key set by the user of the service. 7.2 What encryption standards are used? Data is encrypted at source using your chouce of 128bit AES, 256bit AES or 448bit blowfish encryption algorithms. SSL/TLS is also used to transmit data to the platform for additional security. 7.3 Why is data compressed and what does this mean? Data is compressed to save disk space and bandwidth. Compression is a method of reducing the space requirement for the storing of data. 7.4 What level of compression can be expected? It depends. Whilst text and word processor documents compress very well (>50%) pictures and video may not benefit greatly from compression. 8 MONITORING 8.1 How does Redstor monitor the service? Redstor monitors the service at multiple levels by including the application and infrastructure levels. Monitoring is conducted both by technicians and automated availability/performance monitoring tools. 8.2 How is the Online Backup Plus service administered on an on-going basis? Although the service can be setup and then left to run automatically, as best practise, we recommend configuring daily backup reports and actively checking the completion status of backups using the management console to ensure no errors ooccur. 8.3 What functionality is available on Redstor s web portal? Redstor can provide access to a web portal that can be used to track usage of the service and report on how usage has changed over time.

9 DISASTER RECOVERY 9.1 In the event of a disaster, can I prioritise the restoration of my most critical data first? Yes. It is possible to choose the order in which files are recovered. 9.2 Can I request a test restore to ensure the system is working as expected? Yes you can perform test restores via the internet at your convenience. Should you wish to perform a test HDD snapshot restore via courier, charges may apply. 9.3 In the event of a fire or flood where my whole site is lost, how can I restore my data? You would be able to restore the data to an alternative location or multiple locations. Simply install the backup client, reconnect to the account and then select the data to be restored. The data can also be delivered to a disaster recvovery site for high speed LAN based restore if required. 10 LOCAL STORAGE 10.1 Does Redstor s Online Backup Plus solution include a local backup of my data? The backup client can be configured to use the Local Speed Vault option. This option writes a third copy of your data to a local storage target specified by the user, this is then used preferentially for high speed restores. This option is free of charge. 10.2 What are the advantages of having a local copy of my data? Speed of restore is improved where the internet connection is slow or unreliable. 11 ENDPOINT PROTECTION 11.1 I want to protect data residing on laptops and PCs as well as servers. Can Online Backup Plus do this? Yes we have a Desktop and Laptop version of the software which supports the following operating systems: Desktop and Laptop Edition Windows XP (SP3 +) Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows 8 MAC OS X (10.6-10.8) 12 VIRTUALISATION 12.1 Is it possible for Redstor s Online Backup Plus client to run inside a virtual machine? Yes. Backups of Virtual Machines using a client natively installed are fully supported. 12.2 Can I backup my Virtual Machines using Redstor Online Backup Plus? Yes. Redstor provide plug-ins for both HyperV and VMware, which allow full virtual machine backups to be taken and virtual disk restores to be performed.