Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 11

Log Reports and Progress Notification

One of the key benefits of an online backup service can be the peace of mind one gains form knowing all files have been backed up. A service which provides log reports for each individual file is essential if you want to be reassured of the status of your backups. Many companies have backed up onto tape, CD, DVD, etc only to find some files weren’t copied properly – despite receiving a general “OK” message when files appeared to be backing up.

Notification by email is the most common form of alert. Services which enable email notification on error only, or on failures give more flexibility than the low end services that don’t offer notification of any sort.

Some providers also pro actively monitor all accounts and contact users if there hasn’t been a backup for a given period. This is a nice added value service - comforting to know someone else is looking out for your services.



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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 10

Support Servers or not?

Some of the top names in online data backup have a different pricing structure for server support. Many don’t publish prices for backing up from servers and others show tiered pricing. Server backups are priced higher by providers who offer separate server pricing.

The best value is obtained from providers who offer a single client suitable for Desktops, PCs and servers without the need to re learn new client software. After all you never know when the use of a computer might change.

As some online backup services are not suitable for supporting servers it is important to understand your needs at the outset. The online backup providers who don’t offer automatic file selection will not be suitable for supporting servers so watch out!


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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 9

Exclude / Include Filters

Filters are really a sub topic of File Selection. Exclude filters enable users to specify which files they don’t want backed up even if they would have normally been selected automatically in a folder.

You can save vast amounts of space using exclude filters by automatically excluding files of a particular type (eg. all “.tmp” files). This feature is important as it will save you money. Other common files excluded are mp3 files and some of the spurious “~*.*” files produced by windows.

Include filters perform the opposite function. They can be used to specify, for example, all *.doc and *.xls files to include all word and Excel files respectively.

Some prominent online backup providers who typically scoop up the low end of the market don't offer this critical feature. With such providers, the only way to exclude a file from a folder is to deselect it.

However, by deselecting the file the rest of the folder is negatively impacted in that new files created in the folder won't be automatically included for backup up. This could lead to you not being able to restore files you thought you had backed up.....

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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 8

Continuing our focus on specific backup software features.....

Reliability and Software Client handling
The software client (backup software used to select files etc) is the “control centre” for online backup operations. This client should be easy to use and intuitive. A single click “backup now” button should exist and it should be just as easy to restore / delete files as required.

Fundamental options in the thin client should enable users to trade off the level of file compression against the speed of compression and include options for controlling the maximum size of files allowed to be backed up.

Not all services have clients that are easy to use and some are likely to cause you to want to return to more risky traditional backup methods. Make sure you choose a service with a no obligation/free trial to test out the client.

Also aim for a well supported client if you want the best protection for critical files. For real peace of mind you’ll need to know the client is always being updated, improved and debugged / tested with new operating systems.

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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 7

Now I'll highlight some more specific features that might not be apparent when choosing an online backup service at the outset but which could have a significant impact on the usefulness of the service.

These features will be part of the backup software and supported at the data centre end too. Account sharing is the first feature we'll discuss.

Can two or more users share the same backup account? This can be extremely useful if some staff are frequently mobile or occasionally work from home. An office server backup account could be used by other staff members giving excellent value.

Not all providers offer multiple account user services. Others charge extra beyond a certain number of users. Here are some questions to help you decide if account sharing might be a useful feature for you:-

Do you want to backup a desktop PC and a laptop?

Are there several staff who need to backup to one account?

Is it better to open up separate accounts for multiple staff or use one account?

Do you need two servers/laptops on one account for the purpose of disaster recovery?

First decide if you require account sharing and then check your intended provider can offer this feature.

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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 6

Moving on now from the financials to the backup software installed on your PC, laptop or server. This small intelligent piece of software can determine whether you continue using the service or not so it's quite important.

Let's specifically look at file selection today.

File selection should be simple and straight forward and is one of the most important aspects of the service. Users should be able to select a whole folder without having to select each individual file. This is very important as some of the cheaper services don’t offer this. When a folder is fully selected, all subsequent files placed in the folder should automatically be included in the backup set. Conversely it is extremely useful to be able to select a whole folder and then de-select certain files.

Imagine the hassle of having to select all new files individually before backing up? This would be far more hassle than using a CD or Tape backup. Due to human error users are more likely to miss files and be mal informed about which files are backed up. Individual file only selection providers are not suitable for backing up servers.

Finally it should be possible to select multiple groups of files (backup sets) and set a different schedule for each of them if need be. For example, group files that don't change much into file set A and those that change each day into set B. Run an automatic daily schedule for group A and a weekly schedule for group B.

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Online Backup - How to choose the right supplier - part 5

Now let's choose an example with a provider who charges based on storage on your computer system.

Considering the example in part 4 - an 80 GB hard disk but you want to backup 2 GB.

In this case the provider simply charges you for 2 GB. Compression ratio etc doesn't really come into it for the user....although it does matter to the provider. If you backup 2 GB and the data compresses to 660 MB the provider has got a bargain as they only have costs for 660 MB while charging you for uncompressed storage of 2 GB!

Conversely, if the data doesn't compress then the provider has storage costs of 2 GB as well. In most cases, the most commonly backed up critical data consists of database files, office documents and spreadsheets etc. These documents normally compress very well indeed.

It is left to the reader to consider which type of provider to use based on charging model alone having explained the concepts involved. If you are backing up office documents etc as mentioned above that compress well, the provider who charges based on compressed storage - i.e. the provider in the first example - could end up cheaper.

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