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Online BackupFor Servers

All data protected by Backup Direct remains inside the European Economic Area in tier-4 level data centres. In storage, we use AES and Blowfish data encryption. In transmission, we use Secure Socket Layer protocol.

This makes our service Data Protection Act compliant.

What makes you different to other providers?

Backup Direct have been at the forefront of the UK online backup market for nearly ten years. We specialise in online backup and have thousands of customers - all shapes and sizes. Our headquarters, support team and data centres are all UK-based.

We know what it takes to deliver a great backup service and have won multiple service awards because of it. We are passionate about maintaining close relationships with all our customers - just read our testimonials.

What level of support do you provide?

Our support team work out of our headquarters in Bath, UK. Customers receive free 24/7 phone, email and remote log-in support as part of their subscription. No hidden charges.

Which online server backup software do you use?

Backup Direct supply and support LiveVault, Attix5 and Asigra online backup software. These are the three most trusted backup software in the world.

Do you have certifications for best practices and security?

Backup Direct follow best practices as described by ITILv3 (Information Technology Infrastructure Library). This is a set of best practice guidelines for IT providers issued by the Office of Government Commerce. Some of the largest and most prestigious organisations around the word adhere to it, including Barclays, Boeing, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.

Can I try out the service before committing to it?

You can carry out a full evaluation completely free for 14 days. We will do a service health check and consultation with you without end commitment.

Compatibility

Which Operating Systems do you support?

Whatever your server's OS we have solution that will work. Our software will reliably run on all Windows Server OS (inc. SBS), MAC OS, Novell OS and various UNIX operating systems including Linux, Fedora, and Solaris.

Which applications does your software support?

We have software that is compatible with many popular, and not so popular, applications and databases. Common applications include SQL, MS Exchange, Lotus, Oracle, Sage, Quickbooks, and Sharepoint.

Can I backup data from a NAS (Network Attached Storage)?

Yes. For more information on NAS compatibility please contact our Sales Team.

Can I backup data over a Storage Area Network (SAN)?

Yes - although the SAN must appear as a local file system and the normal file system functions must work properly.

Do you support UNC (Uniform Naming Convention) paths?

Yes - any device using UNC paths will appear as a disk drive in our software interface.

Security

Where are your data centres based?

Our data centres are based in the UK and EU. For full redundancy, we have data centres in Milton Keynes, London and Brussels. Each site is managed and owned by world leading digital security companies. With UK and EU data storage you can be confident of Data Protection Act compliance.

How secure is your software?

The software we use is the most robust and secure on the market. During the backup process data is compressed and coded using AES and Blowfish encryption technologies, we use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security channels when we send data over the internet and when being stored, data resides in tier4 state-of-the-art manned and monitored dual-data vaults. Data is encrypted before it leaves your machine, whilst it is being transferred and when it's in storage. The same goes for when it is sent back to your machine, remaining in an encrypted form until it is decrypted on your machine. At no point can anyone outside of your organisation view your critical business data.

What encryption levels do you use?

Depending on the technology used, it will be either 256 bit AES or 448 bit encryption. Both types are the same adopted by banks and governments and are the most powerful forms of encryption available to the public. When your data is transferred over the internet to or from the data centre, it is done via SSL (Secure Socket Layer) standards, which again, is the standard for secure web communications and transfers.

Features

What is Continuous Data Protection (CDP)?

Continuous Data Protection (CDP) is a process of ongoing data backup. This is where the backup system logs every change to the host system in systematic intervals. For our service this means complete backups every 15 minutes. This functionality is made efficient by saving byte/ block-level differences rather than file-level differences.

How long can I keep backup copies of my data for?

This is variable depending on your requirements. We have software that will store your data for as long as seven years if need be. If you are regulated by governing bodies like the Financial Services Authority (FSA) this service is ideal.

What is the maximum amount of data that I can backup?

You can backup as much data as your server or cluster can hold - there is no theoretical limit. What does need consideration, however, is the cost of storage and how much bandwidth your organisation owns.

How often will your software perform a backup?

This is dependent on the software you decide to use. With CDP, you can schedule a backup to happen every 15 minutes. The result is 96 different restore points available daily. However, if you want to ease the strain on bandwidth resources you can disable this feature and manually define your server/s individual backup points.

How many versions of my data are stored?

The number of file versions backed up and stored depends on the software being used. It can range from 30 to several hundreds depending upon the backup frequency and particular rules you have set. For example, the maximum number of point in time restores you can achieve with a 7-year history policy is 96 versions within the last 24-hours, one daily version for the last 30 days before that, then one monthly version for the last 12 months after that and then quarterly versions for the last 6 years after that. That’s a total of 160+ file version states.

How do I retrieve my data?

Data is commonly retrieved in one of two ways. If you have only lost a limited number of files you can simply log on to an online portal, select the file/s needed within the data vaults and download them back onto your machine over the internet. If you are recovering the entire machine it is often quicker to seed it back to the host hardware via an external device - that we provide to you on request.

Can I restore files to different machines?

Yes, however you will need to tell the software which machine you’d like the data to be sent to. There may also be some configuration needed for security reasons. The award winning Backup Direct Service Team will help you with this if needed.

Can I perform a full Disaster Recovery?

Certain software will support a DR scenario. If you have backed up all of your systems, applications, and data, you can perform a full 'Bare Metal Restore' as long as your hardware is still functional. If your hardware has also been lost in a disaster you will have to recover to replacement hardware - which, while possible, will take a little longer.

What bandwidth is required with this service?

This question is relative. The amount of bandwidth that you have, combined with the amount of data you want to backup, will of course directly affect how long it takes to complete a full backup. However, file compression and intelligent data reduction technology means that the size of data sent is minimized.

Rules can also be set to schedule when you want your backups to take place, meaning you can schedule backups for quieter times of the day. However, there are several other factors that affect the speed of the transfer. For example, if your data is compressible, then the actual size of the files will be greatly reduced, allowing quicker transfer. If the majority of your data is static (it is not frequently being changed), then you will not need as much bandwidth because few files will be being transferred. The latency of your connection will also affect transfer speeds. For more information contact our Sales Team on 0800 0789 437.

What is latency and how does it affect me?

Latency is a measurement of the total time taken for data to be encoded and transferred between communicating devices. Poor latency causes lag, and is often responsible for transfer speeds that seem to fall short of advertised bandwidth figures.

Can I backup data across a network?

Yes our Network Backup solution will backup data across a network efficiently and securely. It is ideally suited for backing up servers that run network-wide applications. Simply install the software on a single server within the network and you can monitor and control everything centrally from that point.

Can you upload my data initially on a device?

Yes we can 'seed' your initial data load directly to our vaults. This avoids the initial lengthy backup of all of your files and folders. All incremental backups are then sent securely over the internet.

Can I access my data remotely?

Yes you can - although the way this is done varies on the software used. The functions available to you will depend on the solution best suited to your needs.

Can I back up open files?

Yes all of our server backup solutions support open file backup, either via Microsoft’s VSS Framework or through built in support.

Can I backup my emails using your software?

Yes. Certain software will even provide individual mail box recovery.

Online BackupFor Servers

General FAQs

Compatibility

Security

Features

General FAQs

Compatibility

Security

Features

Contact Backup Direct