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Many of the questions asked by
the first-time remote backup service users are captured below.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 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. Remote backups accomplish several essential steps that are often overlooked or done improperly by other backup software - especially non-automated tape backup systems. Remote backup works basically like regular tape backups, with one important difference. Instead of sending backups to a tape or zip drive attached to the computer, remote backup works by sending data over regular telephone lines to another computer safely off-site. It does this (usually) at night while the business is closed and nobody is using the computer. It's completely automatic. What if we already have a tape backup system? Using both a tape backup system and a remote backup system offers the best of both worlds. Critical files, like billing, customer contact files and databases can be kept on the remote backup system. 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 remote backup system can provide a quick and easy way to retrieve critical files and databases without the hassle of searching through tapes. Which operating systems does HCSProtectIt support? HCSProtectIt will work with most PC's running Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000 or XP. 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 HCSProtectIt client software. HCSProtectIt software client will also backup remote volumes (files from other computers and operating systems) which are visible as a networked drive to your PC. 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. HCSProtectIt clients have their own personal encryption key that is known only to them. What happens if I lose my encryption key? Unfortunately, encryption keys cannot be recovered. HCSProtectIt recommends keeping a record of your encryption key offsite in a safe location. What happens if my modem connection fails during a backup? If a transmission is interrupted in the middle of a backup, the HCSProtectIt software client will attempt to re-establish a connection and resume the backup from where it was interrupted. Can I use my high-speed broadband connection? Absolutely. This is in fact the preferred method for quickly accomplishing remote backups. It is highly recommended for clients with large offsite storage requirements. 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. HCSProtectIt 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. Yes. Simply configure your HCSProtectIt client software to backup files on a networked drive and it will. 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 Remote Backup 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. Does HCSProtectIt work if my company has a firewall? HCSProtectIt client software establishes a "passive" network connection to the remote 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.) 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. 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 ISDN 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. How do I know that a remote backup actually occurred? HCSProtectIt can be configured to email you a progress report at the completion of each remote backup. This lets you know that your backup was completed. If HCSProtectIt 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. Do I have to install a special telephone line or other communication equipment? No. HCSProtectIt uses your existing Internet connection to transmit files to our offsite storage servers. Even though cable, DSL and ISDN lines speed up the process, many HCSProtectIt clients successfully use a dialup modem to transmit encrypted data to the HCSProtectIt server each night. HCSProtectIt lets you select individual files or folders for restoration. If you have a catastrophic loss, simply install the HCSProtectIt 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. |