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DataSafe - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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- What is DataSafe?
DataSafe is an Internet-based service that allows computer users to routinely backup and recover their important data using a secure and trusted server on the Internet.
If you use your computer to create and save valuable data for business or personal reasons, you should make some type of backup of your important data to prevent a total loss in the event of any kind of system failure or human error. Simple data backup can be done by saving your data to multiple locations, copying the data from its original location to removable media, another hard drive, or another computers hard drive on the network.
To make this task easier, specialized programs known as Backup Software exist to aid users in regularly making a backup copy of their data. Since some users are not interested in managing the tasks necessary for maintaining their own backups, a new breed of backup software was created, known as DataSafe Software. DataSafe software is designed to routinely copy your important files to a private, secure location on the Internet by securely transmitting your data over your existing Internet connection.
If you have a working Internet connection on your computer, you can use A5.com's DataSafe Service to keep your important files safe from disaster on a daily basis. Check the pricing of our DataSafe Service.
- I have a slow Internet connection, does it make sense for me to use DataSafe?
Depending on the speed of your connection and the size of your backup, your initial backup over the Internet may take several hours or even days. Many people with large backup sizes and slower Internet connections will often run their first backup over the weekend. Once the first backup is completed, each subsequent backup is usually a small amount of data that can be backed up in just minutes over a slower dialup connection.
Our software can also resume a canceled backup, so you can start the backup during your slow times and cancel it during your busy times. The next time you start the backup, it will pick up from where it was canceled until the entire backup is complete.
- What files should I select?
Since your entire hard drive is likely to be much larger than the amount of storage you have purchased on the backup server, you should be selective in the files that you choose for backup. In general, you can avoid backing up any programs that you can reinstall from a purchased CD, such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.). Why pay for storage for "stuff" you can easily re-install? Try to focus your selection on things like your "My Documents" folder and data files of your important programs like accounting, income tax, contact management, graphics etc. Your DataSafe software comes with predefined filters, which allow you to automatically select categories of files without knowing where all the files are located. Check the online help for Filters to learn how they can be used.
- What happens if I exceed my quota?
Check your pricing plan to determine the costs for additional storage.
- How do I delete files from the Backup server?
In order to control how much data is stored on the DataSafe server, your DataSafe software allows you to view all of the data stored on the server and selectively remove files from the server. To view the data stored under your account, run your DataSafe software and click on the folder tab labeled "Restore". In the left windowpane, Right-Click on the Desktop icon and select "Get Volume List from Server". This will show you each computer that has been backed up to your account. Now you can navigate the folders to see what data is stored on the server. To delete files, click on the button with the Red "X" to enable the Delete Files mode. Mark any files you wish to delete by clicking your mouse in the empty box next to the file(s) you wish to delete. Click the "Delete Files Now" to issue the command to delete the selected files from the server. WARNING: Once a file is deleted from the server, it can no longer be restored.
- Can I backup more than one computer to my account?
Yes. We allow you to backup any number of computers to your account. You only
pay for the storage space that you use. Your account should be setup to allow
you to backup 1 system, but you can expand to several computers if needed. If
you would like to backup more computers to your account, simply call or
E-mail sales@a5.com to request additional
computers on your account.
- Should I also have a local backup in addition to my DataSafe?
It's up to you. Users that want an added level of protection may perform local backups in addition to their DataSafe. Local backups can allow you to backup ALL of your files, while the DataSafe is a great way to automatically store your critical files off-site. When it comes to your important data, you can never be too safe. Since everyone has different needs, you'll find a wide variety of backup software and services available to help you find the one that best fits your needs.
- What is the Personal Recovery CD?
The Personal Recovery CD is a service that we offer which copies all of your data from our servers onto CD(s). This allows you to restore the archive of your data from a CD without requiring an Internet connection. This is great for keeping long-term archives of your data or restoring large amounts of data without connecting over a slow Internet connection. When the Personal Recovery CD is ordered, it includes all of your account data. Each CD holds approximately 650 MB, so accounts with more that 650 MB of storage will require multiple CDs.
- What do I do if I have trouble connecting to the server or performing a backup?
During business hours (8am - 8pm CST) you can call our technical support group for assistance. You can also view the technical support section of our web site for some helpful information.
- Can I backup open and locked files with the DataSafe software?
A. In the case of many backup software programs, files and databases that are in use during the backup may not get backed up successfully because they are locked to prevent any other program from altering the data. To solve this problem, A5.com's DataSafe can be used with the optional Open File Manager program to make sure that these open and locked files get backed up successfully.
- What is a FastBIT backup?
A. The FastBIT patching process is the core technology
behind our speedy backup service. The patching process involves the comparison of two
different versions of the same file and extracting the differences between the files. When
the differences are extracted from the two files, they are saved into a new file and
compressed into what is known as a Patch. The patch file is often 85% to 99.9% smaller
than the file which the patch was extracted from originally.
In order to perform a FastBIT backup, the software has to backup the files 3 times: the first backup is a full, the next backup will perform an incremental, and the third performs the first FastBIT backup.
- Do you have a chart for Bandwidth Requirements?
A. It's very difficult to analyze those requirements because of all the variables added by FastBIT. However, the basic formula is pretty simple:
Take the expected size, in MB's, of the data you might see in a day, divide it by the amount of seconds in the day and divide that number by 8 to obtain MB/Sec Bandwidth. This will result in the required bandwidth (MB/Sec) needed to sustain 100% load throughout the day.
Example: Let's say we have 500 users sending us an average of 600MB per month (this is about what we see at the NovaStor Online Center), then the formula follows:
600MB * 500Users = 300000MB (300GB) / 30days (per month) = 10000MB Per Day (10GB) / 86400seconds (1 day) = 115.74Kb/sec * 8 (to convert to MB/Sec) = .93MB/Sec or about 61% of a full T1.
Of course, this assumes that you have full saturation throughout the day, which isn't going to happen. It typically gets a bit peaky around noonish and around midnight, so to accommodate the mean, you should probably have a 30% overhead, which in the above case, would translate to just about a full T1 (1.5MB/Sec).
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