Is backup necessary? What is backup? Exiland Backup - file backup. Cross data copying

  1. Regularity. Creating backups should be as regular as brushing your teeth in the morning.
  2. Examination. Check the backup you just made. It will be very disappointing if, at a particularly tense moment, your lifesaver turns out to be a dummy. Open several files from the archive and make sure they work.
  3. Separateness. It is better to store backups not in one place, but in at least two. For example, on an external hard drive and in the cloud. After all, disks sometimes fail, and cloud storage may not be available at the right time.
  4. Demarcation. Divide what you plan to store into several clear categories. Data of varying importance require different approaches to archiving.

System solutions

Windows

Windows has a standard backup and recovery tool that allows you to save both individual files and an entire image from which you can restore the system in the event of a failure.

Windows 7

Go to the “Control Panel” by left-clicking on the “Start” button and selecting the appropriate item. In “Control Panel” select “System and Security” → “Backup computer data” → “Set up backup”.

Next, the system will ask you to specify a location to save the archive. Please note: if you want to backup data from drive C, you will not be able to save it there. To do this, you will have to select another medium, for example a second physical disk, flash drive, DVD or folder in local network. If we recall the principles of creating a backup, the archive must be stored on a separate medium, and not on the very computer from which the copy was made.

Next, the system will prompt you to automatically or manually select folders for archiving. Click on “Give me a choice” and in the window that opens, check the boxes for the folders you want to save. Click Next → Save settings and exit.

Now the “Archive” button appears in the “Backup or restore files” window. Clicking on it will start the process of archiving your data.

Recovery follows the same principle. To do this, click on the item “Select another backup to restore files” and indicate the one into which the backup was made.

Windows 8 and above

The built-in File History tool allows for real-time archiving. For it to work, only initial setup is required.

Go to "Control Panel". To do this, click on the “Start” button with the right mouse button and context menu find the line you need.

As a storage location, select a disk other than the system one, a flash drive or network folder. Click Enable.

“File History” will automatically copy the following libraries: “Documents”, “Music”, “Images”, “Videos” - and standard user folders: Windows, “Desktop”, “Favorites”.

By default, backups are made every hour, but you can change this time, for example, to 10 minutes. However, this will require more disk space. The retention time for each copy can be configured in the Advanced Options menu.

macOS

Time Machine- a standard Apple solution designed to create backup copies of applications, files and folders, documents, videos, music.

To use Time Machine, you will need third-party storage, such as a flash drive, external hard drive, or network solution.

When connected external drive Your Mac should be asked: Should I use it as backup storage? Select "Use as backup drive."

If the window does not appear, you must select the backup disk manually:

  • go to the menu and open Time Machine settings;
  • click on “Select backup disk”;
  • select the one you need and click on “Use disk”.

Backups will be automatically created once per hour, copies for the past month - every day, and backups for the entire time - every week. Don't be afraid that the capacity of your hard drive will be small. Time Machine will only save changed information, and old copies will be automatically deleted as disk space becomes full.

Android

Android Backup Service

Designed to create data backups Google accounts. With its help you can save:

  • data about Wi-Fi networks;
  • desktop wallpaper;
  • Gmail settings;
  • Google Play apps;
  • language and input settings;
  • date and time;
  • row settings third party applications.

To create a backup you need:

  • open device settings;
  • go to “Personal data” → “Restore and reset”;
  • enable "Data backup".

To restore data on another device, just log in with your account. To restore the settings of saved applications, go to “Personal data” → “Recovery and reset” → “Auto recovery”.

Synchronization

Android has a native synchronization tool that allows you to save user contacts installed from Google Play apps, calendar, display settings, languages ​​and input methods, data Google Drive and settings for some third-party applications. The tool requires a Google account.

Synchronization in Android is enabled by default. If you want to get the latest backup copy, do the following:

  • open your phone settings;
  • in the “Accounts and Synchronization” section, select Google;
  • Check the required boxes and click “Synchronize”.

The data will automatically be sent to Google cloud storage. To restore them on another Android device, just connect your account.

You can also synchronize most popular accounts: Skype, Telegram, Viber and VKontakte. To sync photos and images, Android has a built-in Google Photo solution.

iOS

iTunes

Apple's universal application for receiving and playing content. Allows you to locally save data from a device connected to a computer under Windows control or macOS. This is especially convenient when you do not have Internet access.

To create a copy using iTunes, do the following:

  • connect the device to the computer;
  • go to the “Devices” tab;
  • click "Sync".
  • photos;
  • notes;
  • contact list;
  • calendar;
  • SMS/MMS messages;
  • Safari browser;
  • access point settings;
  • application data;
  • main screen view.

iCloud

Cloud service for storing user data. Like any cloud, it has two limitations: the need for Internet access and a relatively small (5 GB) amount of free allocated space.

To save data when iCloud help On your device, open Settings → iCloud → Backup and start the backup process.

Saved in iCloud:

  • purchase history in the App Store;
  • photos;
  • Phone settings;
  • application data;
  • main screen view;
  • ringtones;
  • voice mail.

Software

Windows

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: There is.

A simple solution for creating backups. Allows you to save both individual files (photos, music or movies) and mail files, for example from Microsoft Outlook or TheBat.

In the main program window, click “Create a new task” → “Create a backup copy”. From the directory tree, select the data you want to save. In our case, this will be the “Music” folder on the desktop.

Finally, give the task a name and click Finish. Archiving is complete.

Data recovery is performed using the same principle. Select the saved backup copy, and then select the location where you want to restore it.

The trial period for using the program is 30 days. The developers offer to purchase the full basic version for 800 rubles. There are other versions of Handy Backup - Professional and Expert. Their capabilities are much wider and tailored to professional needs; for our purposes, the Standard version is quite sufficient.

License: shareware.

Russian language support: No.

Another solution for creating backups and recovering lost files. The interface is so simple and clear that even the lack of Russian language will not be an obstacle.

First of all, choose where to save your data. Let it be a removable drive E.

The next step is to specify the data to be saved. The program offers both a smart selection, where you can mark desktop files, system folders “Pictures” or “Videos”, and a directory tree at once. Go to it and save the already familiar “Music” folder.

After clicking on the checkbox, the archiving window will open. On the selected drive, the program automatically creates a Genie TineLine folder, where it places the saved files.

Save and restore functions are available in the basic version of Genie Timeline Free. The advanced paid versions of Genie Timeline Home and Genie Timeline Pro have much greater capabilities: sending notifications by email, highly secure data encryption, and setting up a schedule. But for saving home files, the Free version is quite enough.

Genie TineLine has an iOS app that allows you to check the status of your backups on your computer.

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: There is.

A powerful tool for creating backups and restoring data. You can store backups not only on physical disks, but also on Acronis’s own cloud service. True, for this you will have to subscribe for a year, and the amount of space provided will depend on tariff plan. With a standard subscription, 50 GB are allocated, when purchasing a premium version - from 1 TB.

Immediately after installation, the program prompts you to choose what data to send to the copy: from the entire computer, from disks and partitions, or individual folders.

Select "Files and folders" and select the ones you need. Let this again be the “Music” folder on the desktop. Click "OK" and proceed to select storage.

Select flash drive E, click “OK” → “Create a copy” again. A copy of the “Music” folder has been created on a flash drive.

Acronis also has other useful features. For example, “Archive” allows you to free up disk space by packing files big size, and the Disk Cloning tool will create a complete copy of local disks, which will allow you to restore in case of failure the initial state systems.

The cost of the program is 2,700 rubles. A standard subscription for a year will cost users 2,400 rubles, an extended one - 5,100 rubles. Mobile applications work in conjunction with the desktop version and are downloaded for free.

macOS

Carbon Cope Cloner

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: No.

A utility for creating a duplicate disk. Russian language support is not provided, but understanding the interface will not be difficult.

In Source Disk, select the drive you want to copy. In Target Disk, specify the location to store the copy. Start the process with the Clone button.

The free period of using the program is 30 days. After Carbon Cope Cloner will cost 2,405.65 rubles.

Android

License: shareware.

Russian language support: There is.

A convenient solution for creating backups and synchronizing applications on Android that does not require root rights. However, for full operation you will have to install Helium on a computer running Windows, Linux or macOS.

After installing the application on your smartphone, you will immediately receive a notification about the need for the desktop version. To make installation easier and save time, the program offers to send a link to a user-friendly messenger or email. From there follow the link to the program website, download and run. Installation in the style “Next” → “Next” → “OK” does not cause any difficulties.

While the program is installing, mobile app asks to connect the phone to the computer and enable USB debugging.

After receiving a notification about successful synchronization, you can disconnect your smartphone from the computer.

Open the mobile application. From the list installed programs select the ones you need and click on the “Reservation” button. Specify where the backup will be stored and wait for the process to complete.

To restore from a backup, go to the “Restore and Synchronization” tab, specify the storage location with the copy, select required applications and click "Recovery".

The basic version of the program is free, the cost of the extended version is 149.86 rubles.

The extended version allows:

  • disable advertising;
  • set up scheduled backups;
  • enable synchronization between Android devices;
  • save data in the cloud.

Owners of Motorola devices and some Sony models will not be able to install the application.

License: shareware.

Russian language support: There is.

The most popular tool among Android users Reserve copy applications. Requires root access to the device.

To create a backup copy of one or more applications, open the "Backups" tab, which presents full list installed software. Exclamation mark next to the application indicates that a copy has not yet been created for it. The phone icon means that the program is stored on internal memory devices. The SD card icon indicates applications stored on the memory card.

Select the application and click “Save” in the menu that opens.

The backup has been created. Now, if you enter the application again, you can see the “Restore” button.

Titanum Backup supports group work with applications and backups. To do this, go to “Menu” → “Batch actions”.

This function allows you to:

  • check backups - both recently created and entire ones - for errors;
  • make backup copies of all installed applications;
  • make backup copies of all system data;
  • delete old backups;
  • restore all backups;
  • restore all system data;
  • clear application cache;
  • remove system or user applications.

The functionality of Titanium Backup is much broader, but for our purposes the listed capabilities are quite sufficient.

The extended version of Titanium Backup costs 349 rubles. Its main features:

  • creating multiple backups for the application;
  • encryption of reserved data;
  • checking all archives;
  • batch freezing and unfreezing of applications;
  • synchronization of backups with the cloud.

iOS

iMazing

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: There is.

Compatibility: Microsoft Windows, macOS.

Actually it's file manager with provision for backup. In many ways it is similar to iTunes, but working in it is much easier and more enjoyable. You can transfer data both via cable and via Wi-Fi, and in iMazing there is no limit on the number of connected devices.

When you connect your device to your computer, iMazing automatically makes a backup of it. The function of changing data directly in a saved copy is very useful: when next connection changed data is instantly synchronized.

The free period is 30 days, after which you will have to pay $39.99 for use on one computer.

License: commercial software.

Russian language support: No.

Compatibility: iOS.

A tool for backing up devices with . Allows you to save notes, contacts, photos, messages, call history and much more.

To create a backup, just select what you want to save and click on the corresponding icon. A copy can be stored on your smartphone, computer, in the cloud, or sent by email.

To restore data, click on the Restore button in the menu on the left side of the screen.

BackupAZ costs $2.99.

iLex

License: free software.

Russian language support: There is.

Compatibility: iOS.

And this software product will require you to have a jailbreak. Free app iLex allows you to save absolutely any data from your device, and you don’t need a computer to operate it.

Having created a backup copy, save it where it is convenient for you, and after flashing the device or in case of loss, copy the archive to your phone and restore the necessary information.

Cydia

License: free software.

Russian language support: There is.

To do this, just go to Manage Accounts, enter your account and select Installable Purchases. But this can only be done for purchased applications. Cydia does not save information about free ones.

Cloud solutions

Google Drive

License: shareware.

Russian language support: There is.

Compatibility:

Allows you to store user data on Google servers, differentiate access rights to files and folders, open access and share them with other Internet users.

Storage includes:

  • Google Drive - used to store files;
  • Gmail - stores the user's contacts and is a powerful email client;
  • Google Photo - automatically finds images on devices and saves them to the cloud.

15 GB is provided for free. For larger volumes you will have to pay from $2.99 ​​to $299. Maximum volume storage is 30 TB, and file download is 5 TB.

2 GB of storage is available for free use. The cost of 1 TB will be 9.99 euros. Unlimited space can be purchased for 10 euros per month.

Yandex.Disk

License: shareware.

Russian language support: There is.

Compatibility: browsers, Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.

Cloud service of Russian origin, former Yandex.People. Like previous solutions, it allows you to save data in the cloud and share it with other Internet users. Supports synchronization between different devices.

Users are provided with 10 GB free of charge. For an additional 10 GB, Yandex asks to pay an additional 30 rubles, for 100 GB - 80 rubles, and the cost of 1 TB will be only 200 rubles.

Many users are accustomed to storing contacts, documents and photos in a single copy - in the device’s memory. However, the safety of data in this case is minimal, because at any time the information can be damaged by a technical failure or the actions of malicious software. A backup will help protect you from losing important files. This article will tell you what it is and how to perform a backup on popular Windows and Android systems.

Backup is a backup

Backup (from the English back up) is a full or partial backup copy of any data, for example, operating system, programs, user documents. Such an archive allows you to restore information after technical failures or equipment breakdowns. Also, using backup tools, you can automate the process of transferring settings and programs from one device to another. This allows you to get two systems with an identical set of applications and parameters without manual configuration.

How to make a backup on a Windows computer

You can create a backup standard means Windows OS. Starting with Windows 7, there is a “Backup and Restore” item in the control panel - it is with this that the user has access to the functions of creating backup copies.

To backup the system partition, you must complete the following steps:


After finishing copying a backup system partition, it is recommended to create boot disk, allowing you to quickly restore the OS in case of technical problems. To do this you need to follow three simple steps:

  1. In the “Backup and Restore” window, in the menu on the left, select the “Create a system repair disk” option;
  2. Specify the disc recording device (if there are several);
  3. Click the “Create Disk” button and wait until the image is completed.

The following video tutorial demonstrates in detail the process of creating a backup in Windows:

Disadvantage this method is that the backup includes only files on the system partition. But what if you want to make a copy of other disks as well? Microsoft provides a free solution for this - the RichCopy program (https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2009.04.utilityspotlight). It allows you to transfer files and directories while maintaining the structure and attributes. Copying is multi-threaded (which speeds up the process of information transfer) and fault-tolerant (if errors occur, the operation does not stop). I hope it’s clear to you that this is a backup and why you need to do it.

How to make a backup on Android smartphones

Modern Cell phones contain no less (and sometimes more) important data and applications. Therefore, regular Android tools also allow you to make a backup.

  1. To do this, you need to open the Backup and Restore application.
  2. Specify the location where the archive will be saved (usually an SD card) and select what data will be included in the copy.
  3. After this, all that remains is to click on the “Create a backup copy” button and wait for the operation to complete.
  4. If necessary, the archive can be protected with a password.

The process of creating a backup on Android is clearly shown in the following video:

In contact with

Website files, mail, FTP accounts and many other hosting options. Simply put, we save the entire site and its settings in a separate place, and if necessary, we can return the site to the version that we saved. In this case, data can be copied to the current and backup (additional) server, located separately from the provider’s servers or in another data center. It is done in case something happens to the server on which the site is stored. Thus, in 2009, after a fire in own data center Hosting.ua managed to restore most of the sites, copies of which were stored on other servers.

Why do you need a website backup?

An illustrative example will help you understand the essence of the term “backup”. Let's say your web project has been exposed to hacker attack, as a result of which a change or deletion of databases and site files occurred. Some time ago, solving this problem was quite difficult and time-consuming: webmasters had to start from the very beginning, but now the existence of backup makes this problem insignificant.

You can restore your hosting provider's backup using your hosting account's control panel or by contacting your provider, and then start working on improving the security of your site rather than restoring your site's content piecemeal.

However, another more complex problem may arise - as a result of some natural disaster, the server’s performance is disrupted, and it, like all sites and the backups contained on it, also stops working. For such force majeure cases, a double backup service is provided.

The hosting provider has the opportunity to quickly restore the operation of its services and restore backups of user data by taking them from another backup server, which is located in another data center and which was not affected by force majeure circumstances that disrupted the operation of the sites.

Therefore, before purchasing hosting, be sure to ask the provider whether he offers his customers a backup service for your data and how regularly he does this and how long he stores the copies. The success of your Internet project directly depends on this factor.

Why save to your computer?

We recommend saving a backup copy of the site to your computer on a weekly basis. This is necessary in case the site was hacked a month ago, and the provider only stores backups for 2 weeks. In this case, all copies of the site on the provider’s server will be infected.

How to make a website backup?

The main task will be to save the site files and database located on the hoster’s server to your computer. There are several options for how to backup a site. And now we will look at them in detail.

Using a hosting account

Go to your hosting control panel and find a section there that looks like “Backups”, “Backup” or something similar. Next are two ways:

The provider will create a copy (in one archive) and give you a link to download. The provider will make a copy, and you will need to download it from the server (on which your site is located) using an FTP client (usually the copy file is located in the backup folder or similar), or download it through the file manager in the hosting control panel.

Using an FTP client and phpMyadmin

We start by installing and configuring an FTP client. After that, with its help, we download to our computer absolutely all the site files stored on the hosting provider’s server.

After this, you need to copy the database to your computer (also called creating a database dump).

How to return the site to the saved version?

If in the future you need to return the site to the version that you saved on your computer, then completely delete all files on the server (do not touch the settings files, delete only from the folder where the site files are stored, for example public_html, www, etc. ). The site will completely stop working (this will not last long). After that, clear all the tables in the database (via phpMyadmin), and import into an empty database the database that is saved on your computer. After that, upload the site files to the server and the site should work. Moreover, this will be the version of the site that you previously saved to your computer.

How often should you make website backups?

It is advisable to do this every day. Typically, backups are created automatically by the hosting itself and are stored there for about 2 weeks. We recommend downloading them to your disk (or cloud storage like Dropbox) about 1-2 times a month. For most sites this will be a good balance of effort and efficiency.

How many backups should you keep permanently?

It depends on how often your site is updated. The optimal number of backups for most sites can be called per year. If you do them 1-2 times a month, you get 12-25 copies.

ALEXEY BEREZHNOY, System Administrator. Main areas of activity: virtualization and heterogeneous networks. Another hobby besides writing articles is popularizing free software

Backup
Theory and practice. Summary

To organize a backup system most effectively, you need to build a real strategy for saving and restoring information

Backup (or, as it is also called, backup - from the English word “backup”) is an important process in the life of any IT structure. It is a parachute for rescue in the event of an unforeseen disaster. At the same time, backup is used to create a kind of historical archive of a company's business activities over a certain period of its life. Working without a backup is like living under the open sky - the weather can turn bad at any moment, and there is nowhere to hide. But how to organize it correctly so as not to lose important data and not spend fantastic amounts of money on it?

Typically, articles on the topic of organizing backups discuss mainly technical solutions, and only occasionally pay attention to the theory and methodology of organizing data storage.

This article will focus on just the opposite: the focus will be on general concepts, and technical means will be discussed only as examples. This will allow us to abstract from hardware and software and answer two main questions: “Why are we doing this?”, “Can we do this faster, cheaper and more reliably?”

Goals and objectives of backup

In the process of organizing a backup, two main tasks are set: restoring the infrastructure in the event of failures (Disaster Recovery) and maintaining a data archive in order to subsequently provide access to information for past periods.

A classic example of a backup copy for Disaster Recovery is an image of the server system partition created by Acronis True Image.

An example of an archive would be the monthly download of databases from 1C, recorded on cassette tapes and subsequent storage in a specially designated place.

There are several factors that differentiate a backup for quick recovery from the archive:

  • Data storage period. For archival copies it takes quite a long time. In some cases, it is regulated not only by business requirements, but also by law. Have copies for disaster recovery it is relatively small. Usually they create one or two (with increased reliability requirements) backup copies for Disaster Recovery with a maximum interval of a day or two, after which they are overwritten with fresh ones. In particularly critical cases, it is possible to update the backup copy more frequently for disaster recovery, for example, once every few hours.
  • Fast access to data. The speed of access to a long-term archive is not critical in most cases. Usually the need to “raise data for the period” arises at the moment of reconciliation of documents, return to previous version etc., that is, not in emergency mode. Another thing is disaster recovery, when the necessary data and service performance must be returned as soon as possible. In this case, the speed of access to the backup is an extremely important indicator.
  • Composition of copied information. The backup copy typically contains only user and business data for a specified period. In addition to this data, the copy intended for disaster recovery contains either system images or copies of operating system settings and application software, as well as other information necessary for recovery.

Sometimes it is possible to combine these tasks. For example, a year's worth of monthly full snapshots of a file server, plus changes made during the week. True Image is a suitable tool for creating such a backup.

The most important thing is to clearly understand why the reservation is being made. Let me give you an example: a critical SQL server failed due to a disk array failure. We have the correct hardware in stock, so the only solution was to recover the software and data. The company's management asks an understandable question: “When will it start working?” – and is unpleasantly surprised to learn that it will take four whole hours to recover. The fact is that throughout the entire service life of the server, only databases were regularly backed up without taking into account the need to restore the server itself with all settings, including software the DBMS itself. Simply put, our heroes only saved the databases and forgot about the system.

Let me give you another example. Throughout the entire period of his work, the young specialist created, using the ntbackup program, a single copy of a file server under the control of Windows Server 2003, including data and System State in a shared folder on another computer. Due to limited disk space, this copy was constantly overwritten. After some time, he was asked to restore a previous version of a multi-page report that had been damaged when saved. It is clear that, not having archived history with Shadow Copy turned off, he was unable to complete this request.

On a note

Shadow Copy, literally – “shadow copy”. Ensures that instant copies of the file system are created in such a way that further changes to the original have no effect on them. Using this feature, it is possible to create multiple hidden copies of a file over a certain period of time, as well as on-the-fly backup copies of files opened for writing. The Volume Copy Shadow Service is responsible for the operation of Shadow Copy.

System State, literally – “state of the system”. System State Copy creates backup copies of critical components of Windows operating systems. This allows you to restore a previously installed system after destruction. When copying System State, the registry, boot and other files important for the system are saved, including for recovery Active Directory, Certificate Service database, COM+Class Registration database, SYSVOL directory. In OS UNIX family An indirect analogue of copying System State is saving the contents of the /etc, /usr/local/etc directories and other files necessary to restore the system state.

What follows from this: you need to use both types of backup: both for disaster recovery and for archival storage. In this case, it is necessary to determine the list of copied resources, the execution time of the tasks, as well as where, how and for how long the backup copies will be stored.

With small amounts of data and a not very complex IT infrastructure, you can try to combine both of these tasks in one, for example, making a daily full copy of all disk partitions and databases. But it is still better to distinguish between two goals and select the right means for each of them. Accordingly, a different tool is used for each task, although there are also universal solutions, such as the Acronis True Image package or the ntbackup program

It is clear that when defining the goals and objectives of backup, as well as solutions for implementation, it is necessary to proceed from business requirements.

When implementing a disaster recovery task, you can use different strategies.

In some cases, it is necessary to directly restore the system to bare metal. This can be done, for example, using Acronis programs True Image bundled with the Universal Restore module. In this case, the server configuration can be returned to operation in a very short time. For example, it is quite possible to recover a partition with a 20 GB operating system from a backup in eight minutes (provided that the backup copy is accessible over a 1 Gb/s network).

In another option, it is more expedient to simply “return” the settings to the newly installed system, such as, for example, copying configuration files from the /etc folder and others in UNIX-like systems (in Windows this roughly corresponds to copying and restoring System State). Of course, with this approach, the server will be put into operation no earlier than the operating system has been installed and the necessary settings have been restored, which will take much more long term. But in any case, the decision on what kind of Disaster Recovery should be stems from business needs and resource constraints.

The fundamental difference between backup and redundant redundancy systems

This is another one interest Ask which I would like to touch upon. Redundant equipment redundancy systems mean introducing some redundancy into the hardware in order to maintain functionality in the event of a sudden failure of one of the components. An excellent example in this case is a RAID array (Redundant Array of Independent Disks). In the event of a failure of one disk, you can avoid loss of information and safely replace it, saving data due to the specific organization of the disk array itself (read more about RAID in).

I have heard the phrase: “We have very reliable equipment, we have RAID arrays everywhere, so we don’t need backups.” Yes, of course, the same RAID array will protect data from destruction if one fails hard drive. But from data corruption computer virus or this will not save you from inept user actions. RAID will not save you if the file system collapses as a result of an unauthorized reboot.

By the way

The importance of distinguishing backup from redundant systems should be assessed when drawing up a plan for copying data, whether it concerns an organization or home computers.

Ask yourself why you are making copies. If we are talking about backup, then it means saving data during an accidental (intentional) action. Redundant redundancy makes it possible to save data, including backup copies, in the event of equipment failure.

There are now many inexpensive devices on the market that provide reliable backup using RAID arrays or cloud technologies(e.g. Amazon S3). It is recommended to use both types of information backup simultaneously.

Andrey Vasiliev, CEO of Qnap Russia

Let me give you one example. There are cases when events develop according to the following scenario: when a disk fails, data is restored through a redundancy mechanism, in particular, using saved checksums. In this case, there is a significant decrease in performance, the server freezes, and control is almost lost. System Administrator, seeing no other way out, reboots the server with a cold restart (in other words, clicks “RESET”). As a result of such live overload, file system errors occur. The best that can be expected in this case is that the disk check program will run for a long time to restore the integrity of the file system. In the worst case scenario, you have to say goodbye to file system and be puzzled by the question of where, how and in what time frame you can restore data and server performance.

You won't be able to avoid backups even if you have a cluster architecture. A failover cluster, in essence, maintains the functionality of the services entrusted to it if one of the servers fails. In the event of the above problems, such as a virus attack or data corruption due to the notorious “human factor,” no cluster will save you.

The only thing that can act as an inferior backup replacement for Disaster Recovery is the presence of a mirror backup server with constant data replication from the main server to the backup one (according to the Primary  Standby principle). In this case, if the main server fails, its tasks will be taken over by the backup one, and you won’t even have to transfer data. But such a system is quite expensive and labor-intensive to organize. Let’s not forget about the need for constant replication.

It becomes clear that such a solution is cost-effective only in the case of critical services with high requirements for fault tolerance and minimal recovery time. As a rule, such schemes are used in very large organizations with high commodity and cash turnover. And this scheme is an inferior replacement for backup because, anyway, if the data is damaged by a computer virus, inept user actions, or incorrect work application, data and software on both servers may be affected.

And, of course, no redundant backup system will solve the problem of maintaining a data archive for a certain period.

The concept of “backup window”

Performing a backup places a significant load on the backed-up server. This is especially true for the disk subsystem and network connections. In some cases, when the copying process has a fairly high priority, this may lead to the unavailability of certain services. In addition, copying data at the time of making changes is associated with significant difficulties. Of course, there are technical means to avoid problems while maintaining data integrity in this case, but if possible, it is better to avoid such on-the-fly copying.

The solution to solving these problems described above suggests itself: to postpone the start of the copy creation process to an inactive period of time, when the mutual influence of the backup and other running systems will be minimal. This time period is called the “backup window”. For example, for an organization operating under the 8x5 formula (five eight-hour working days a week), such a “window” is usually weekends and night hours.

For systems operating according to the 24x7 formula (all week round the clock), the period of minimum activity is used as such a period, when there is no high load on the servers.

Types of backup

To avoid unnecessary material costs when organizing backups, and also, if possible, not to go beyond the backup window, several backup technologies have been developed, which are used depending on the specific situation.

Full backup (or Full backup)

It is the main and fundamental method of creating backup copies, in which the selected data array is copied entirely. This is the most complete and reliable type of backup, although it is the most expensive. If it is necessary to save several copies of data, the total stored volume will increase in proportion to their number. To prevent such waste, compression algorithms are used, as well as a combination of this method with other types of backup: incremental or differential. And, of course, a full backup is indispensable when you need to prepare a backup copy for quickly restoring the system from scratch.

Incremental copy

Unlike a full backup, in this case not all data (files, sectors, etc.) are copied, but only those that have changed since the last copy. To determine the copying time, you can use various methods For example, systems running the Windows family of operating systems use a corresponding file attribute (the archive bit) that is set when the file has been modified and cleared by the backup program. Other systems may use the date the file was modified. It is clear that a scheme using this type of backup will be incomplete if a full backup is not carried out from time to time. When performing a full system restore, you need to restore from the last copy created by Full backup, and then alternately “roll up” data from incremental copies in the order in which they were created.

What is this type of copying used for? In the case of creating archival copies, it is necessary to reduce the consumed volumes on storage devices (for example, reduce the number of tape media used). This will also minimize the time it takes to complete backup tasks, which can be extremely important in conditions where you have to work in a busy schedule 24x7 or pump large volumes of information.

U incremental copy there is one nuance that you need to know. Step-by-step recovery returns the necessary deleted files during the recovery period. Let me give you an example. Let's say that a full backup is performed on weekends, and an incremental one on weekdays. The user created a file on Monday, changed it on Tuesday, renamed it on Wednesday, and deleted it on Thursday. So, with a sequential, step-by-step data recovery for a weekly period, we will receive two files: with the old name on Tuesday before the renaming, and with a new name created on Wednesday. This happened because in different incremental copies were stored different versions the same file, and eventually all variants will be restored. Therefore, when sequentially restoring data from an “as is” archive, it makes sense to reserve more disk space so that deleted files can also fit.

Differential Backup

It differs from incremental in that data is copied from the last moment of Full backup. The data is stored in the archive on a “cumulative basis”. On Windows family systems, this effect is achieved by the fact that the archive bit is not reset during differential copying, so the changed data ends up in the archive copy until a full copy resets the archive bits.

Due to the fact that each new copy, created in this way, contains data from the previous one, this is more convenient for completely restoring data at the time of the accident. To do this, you only need two copies: the full one and the last of the differential ones, so you can bring data back to life much faster than gradually rolling out all the increments. In addition, this type of copying is free from the above-mentioned features of incremental copying, when, with a full recovery, old files, like a Phoenix bird, are reborn from the ashes. There is less confusion.

But differential copying is significantly inferior to incremental copying in saving the required space. Since each new copy stores data from previous ones, the total volume of reserved data can be comparable to a full copy. And, of course, when planning the schedule (and calculating whether the backup process will fit into the time window), you need to take into account the time it takes to create the last, thickest, differential copy.

Backup topology

Let's look at what backup schemes there are.

Decentralized scheme

The core of this scheme is a certain shared network resource (see Fig. 1). For example, a shared folder or an FTP server. A set of backup programs is also required, which from time to time uploads information from servers and workstations, as well as other network objects (for example, configuration files from routers) to this resource. These programs are installed on each server and work independently of each other. An undoubted advantage is the ease of implementation of this scheme and its low cost. Suitable for copying programs regular means, built into the operating system, or software such as a DBMS. For example, this could be the ntbackup program for the Windows family, the tar program for UNIX-like operating systems, or a set of scripts containing built-in SQL server commands for unloading databases into backup files. Another advantage is the ability to use various programs and systems, as long as they can all access the target resource for storing backup copies.

The downside is the clumsiness of this scheme. Since the programs are installed independently of each other, each one has to be configured separately. It is quite difficult to take into account the peculiarities of the schedule and distribute time intervals in order to avoid competition for the target resource. Monitoring is also difficult; the copying process from each server has to be monitored separately from others, which in turn can lead to high labor costs.

Therefore, this scheme is used in small networks, as well as in situations where it is impossible to organize a centralized backup scheme using available means. More detailed description This diagram and practical organization can be found in.

Centralized backup

Unlike the previous scheme, in this case a clear hierarchical model is used, working on the client-server principle. In the classic version, special agent programs are installed on each computer, and the server module of the software package is installed on the central server. These systems also have a specialized backend management console. The control scheme is as follows: from the console we create tasks for copying, restoring, collecting system information, diagnostics, and so on, and the server gives the agents the necessary instructions to perform these operations.

It is on this principle that most popular backup systems work, such as Symantec Backup Exec, CA Bright Store ARCServe Backup, Bacula and others (see Fig. 2).

In addition to various agents for most operating systems, there are developments for backing up popular databases and corporate systems eg for MS SQL Server, MS Exchange, Oracle Database and so on.

For very small companies, in some cases you can try a simplified version of a centralized backup scheme without the use of agent programs (see Fig. 3). This scheme can also be used if a special agent is not implemented for the backup software used. Instead, the server module will use already existing services. For example, “raking out” data from hidden shared folders on Windows servers or copy files via SSH from servers running UNIX systems. This scheme has very significant limitations related to the problems of saving files open for writing. As a result of such actions open files will either be missed and not included in the backup copy, or copied with errors. There are various workarounds for this problem, such as running the job again to copy only previously opened files, but none are reliable. Therefore, this scheme is suitable for use only in certain situations. For example, in small organizations working in a 5x8 mode, with disciplined employees who save changes and close files before going home. To organize such a truncated centralized scheme, operating exclusively in Windows environment, ntbackup works well. If you need to use a similar scheme in heterogeneous environments or exclusively among UNIX computers, I recommend looking towards Backup PC (see).

Figure 4. Mixed backup scheme

What is off-site?

In our turbulent, changing world, events can occur that can cause unpleasant consequences for the IT infrastructure and business as a whole. For example, a fire in a building. Or a breakdown of the central heating battery in the server room. Or the banal theft of equipment and components. One method to avoid information loss in such situations is to store backup copies in a location away from the main location of the server hardware. In this case, it is necessary to provide quick way access to data necessary for recovery. The described method is called off-site (in other words, storing copies outside the territory of the enterprise). Basically, two methods of organizing this process are used.

Writing data to removable media and physically moving it. In this case, you need to consider a means of quickly getting the media back in the event of a failure. For example, store them in a neighboring building. The advantage of this method is the ability to organize this process without any difficulties. The downside is the difficulty of returning the media and the very need to transfer information for storage, as well as the risk of damaging the media during transportation.

Copying data to another location over a network link. For example, using a VPN tunnel over the Internet. The advantage in this case is that there is no need to transport media with information somewhere, the disadvantage is the need to use a sufficiently wide channel (as a rule, this is very expensive) and protect the transmitted data (for example, using the same VPN). The difficulties encountered in transferring large volumes of data can be significantly reduced by using compression algorithms or deduplication technology.

It is worth mentioning separately about security measures when organizing data storage. First of all, care must be taken to ensure that the data carriers are located in a secure area and that measures are taken to prevent unauthorized persons from reading the data. For example, use an encryption system, enter into non-disclosure agreements, and so on. If removable media is used, the data on it must also be encrypted. The labeling system used should not help the attacker in analyzing the data. It is necessary to use a faceless numbering scheme for marking name carriers transferred files. When transferring data over the network, it is necessary (as already mentioned above) to use secure data transfer methods, for example, a VPN tunnel.

We have discussed the main points when organizing a backup. The next part will discuss methodological recommendations and provide practical examples for creating an effective backup system.

  1. Description of backup Windows system, including System State - http://www.datamills.com/Tutorials/systemstate/tutorial.htm.
  2. Description of Shadow Copy - http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Copy.
  3. Acronis official website – http://www.acronis.ru/enterprise/products.
  4. Description of ntbackup - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTBackup.
  5. Berezhnoy A. Optimizing the operation of MS SQL Server. //System administrator, No. 1, 2008 – pp. 14-22 ().
  6. Berezhnoy A. We organize a backup system for small and medium-sized offices. //System administrator, No. 6, 2009 – pp. 14-23 ().
  7. Markelov A. Linux guarding Windows. Review and installation of the BackupPC backup system. //System administrator, No. 9, 2004 – P. 2-6 ().
  8. Description of VPN – http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/VPN.
  9. Data deduplication - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_deduplication.

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Review of the best data backup programs. Download the best free and paid programs for data backup.

Everyone knows that it is necessary to constantly back up our data. Most often, we postpone this procedure “for later” and sometimes find ourselves in a situation where valuable photos and documents are impossible or extremely expensive to restore. I suggest you spend 5 minutes reading my article and another 10 minutes installing one of 5 backup programs to set up data backup on external hard disk or cloud. You will never regret spending 15 minutes of your life, because such a short time will guarantee the safety of your photos and important data. Undoubtedly, you can manually save the necessary data to an external drive, but why not entrust this routine procedure to a program? Moreover, many of the backup programs mentioned in the review are absolutely free.

Best Backup Software

EaseuS Todo Backup Free

Acronis True Image

Acronis products are extremely famous in our country. The program is good in everything, perhaps, except for the somewhat high price. In all other respects, it is an excellent program for careful backup of your data or operating system.

  • Full backup of a disk or selected area.
  • Universal Restore— the ability to restore a copy of the operating system even to a computer with a different configuration.
  • Incredibly fast backup and recovery.
  • You can restore the entire image or specific folders or files

Price: 1 device - 1700 rub.

R-Drive Image


R-Drive Image is a small but feature-rich program for on-the-fly disk backup. The program can restore both entire disks and individual files. Also with using R-Drive Image you can easily clone disks. In general, the program has many small, but successful functions, but its price for the Russian market is somewhat frightening, given the dollar exchange rate.

Price: 1 device – $44.95

CrashPlan


Quite often, free backup programs have limited functionality, but not in this case. Free version CrashPlan has everything you need to regularly create backups across a variety of media, including a unique feature that backs up your data to a specific computer on your network (such as a friend's computer).

  • Available for Windows, Mac and Linux
  • Saving backups to other computers
  • Saving a backup to an external drive
  • Automatic daily backups
  • 448-bit file encryption

Overall, a very interesting backup program that deserves attention.

Aomei Backupper

AOMEI Backupper Standard is a free data backup and recovery program that is functional and easy to use. The program contains everything necessary tools for backup and recovery of system, disks, partitions and disk cloning. Thanks to the support of VSS technology, AOMEI Backupper can make a complete backup of your system and any data even while the OS is running, without interfering with running processes in any way.
Even though this program is at the end of the list, I recommend paying close attention to it. The program is really good, and I can’t count how many times the Universal restore function has helped me out.

P.S. Universal restore - allows you to restore and run a copy of the system on a computer with different characteristics.

Action Backup

The last place (but not in quality) in our selection is occupied by the development of domestic programmers -. The program is actively developing and has several of its own features that distinguish this product from foreign competitors. Before purchasing, you can download a 15-day trial version of the program.

Here are the main features of Action Backup:

  • Easy to set up and use: the program is extremely easy to understand, especially since there are instructions in Russian on the website. After initial setup The utility will backup the necessary data on a schedule, relieving you of worries about data safety.
  • Rich functionality: Action Backup really does a lot - it can make backups to a remote FTP server and network drives, to external hard disks, “cut” data onto optical drives, create “shadow copies”, work as a service 24/365 and much more!
  • Unpretentious: Action Backup consumes extremely few system resources and can work even on weak machines. This is especially true for budget organizations, many of which cannot boast of a modern fleet of equipment.
  • Excellent compatibility: Action Backup works perfectly on any modern Windows versions: 7, 8, 10, Server and supports 32 and 64 bit editions.

Price: from 560 to 960 rub. depending on the number of licenses purchased. You can use the program completely free for 15 days!

So, today we got acquainted with the best data recovery programs. Yes, there are only 5 of them, but why make the top 10, 20, 30 - after all, the functions of all these programs are almost similar. I recommend you free program AOMEI Backupper Standard. If you are confused by the lack of Russian language in this program, pay attention to Acronis True Image. All the best, I hope my article helped you choose a data recovery program.