Channel 9 - Entries tagged with backups

EdgeShow 50 - Windows Azure and StorSimple

David Tesar, Joey Snow — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:24:32 GMT

David Tesar met with Mark Weiner, Director Product Marketing for StorSimple, to discuss new storage enhancements, how StorSimple + Windows Azure helps out with your overall storage strategy.

In this interview that starts at [04:24] , we cover:

[07:40] Demo - Configuring the StorSimple System
- Volume Access Groups
- Cloud credentials to connect to Azure
- Security encryption configuration of data
[11:54] Demo - Connecting up a Windows Server to StorSimple cloud storage using iSCSI & assigning d
[13:54] Demo - Copying data to mounted drive from iSCSI storage
[14:34] Demo - Creating a volume group and specifying policy to backup the data in Azure or local via the StorSimple MMC
[17:28] How do you effectively deal with the tax of your bandwidth to back up potentially TBs of data over the internet to the cloud?

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Whitewater Backup to the Cloud on Windows Azure Storage

Bruce D Kyle — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:21:45 GMT

Whitewater from Riverbed automates backup for enterprises into Windows Azure. Azure Architect Evangelist Allan Naim talks with Riverbed Marketing Director Bob Gilbert about Riverbed's decision to support Windows Azure for their Whitewater backup appliance.

Bob explains why Riverbed selected Windows Azure for their customer to backup data into the cloud, how data is secured using security keys in conjunction with the Whiteware appliance. Bob explains why Azure is an important component in an enterprise back up strategy and for disaster recovery.

Architectural Overview

For an architectural overview of how Whitewater works with Windows Azure storage, see ISV Case Study: Cloud Storage Gateway Provides Backup into Windows Azure.

About Whitewater

Whitewater automates enterprise backup to the cloud. The product from Riverbed is a gateway that combines data de-duplication, network optimization, data encryption, and integration with Windows Azure storage services through a single, virtual, or physical appliance.

No longer do enterprises need to use tape and move the files from disk to disk. Nor does an enterprise need to pay for a traditional disaster recovery site.

Whitewater cloud storage gateways and public cloud storage provides secure, off-site storage with restore anywhere capability for disaster recovery (DR). Data can be recovered by Whitewater from any location. Public cloud storage offers excellent DR capabilities without the high costs associated with remote DR sites or colocation service providers. With the public cloud and Whitewater cloud storage gateways – any size organization can significantly reduce its business risk from unplanned outages without the large capital investments and running costs required by competing solutions.

Additional Resources

Getting started with Windows Azure

LaCie Reveals New Windows Home Server with Up To 10 TB Storage

Sarah Perez — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:08:00 GMT

LaCie has announced the debut of its new WHS-powered server, the LaCie 5big Backup Server. Originally revealed at this year’s CES, the new server is designed for small businesses (or serious storage enthusiasts) to backup a network of PCs or Macs without needing I.T.’s help. The server can support configurations that allow it to backup up to 10 PC and 25 Mac workstations simultaneously.

It also includes 5 hot-swappable hard disk drives with capacities up to 10 TB (you can order it with either five 1 TB drives or five 2 TB drives). And it’s scalable with USB and eSATA connections. The server runs Windows Home Server as its OS and uses Intel’s D410 single-core processor running at 1.6 GHz. Prices start at $1,199.99 (€1,239 in Europe) for the 5 TB option.

Engadget says the new server offers “vaguely HAL 9000esque styling” like all the other LaCie 5big devices…which really just makes it that much cooler.

(via WeGotServed)

Mozy 2.0 for Windows Launches with Local Backup

Sarah Perez — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:32:00 GMT

Mozy, makers of the popular “cloud” backup service by the same name, have just announced a new client software application for Windows users called, unsurprisingly, “Mozy 2.0 for Windows.” The biggest change in this new edition of the program is the ability to perform local backups in addition to online backups.

Although cloud security and stability continues to improve, not everyone is comfortable with having their data stored only in the cloud. With Mozy 2.0, that’s no longer a concern. You can still backup to the cloud, but you can also configure the program to save your backup to an external hard drive, too. This local option is made available via Mozy 2xProtect, which is included in the software.

The company also says that the new program delivers up to 25% faster upload speeds from desktop to cloud. It has a new user interface too, designed to be easier to understand and use.

Mozy for Windows is available in two different versions: Mozy Home for personal use and Mozy Pro for businesses. Home users get 2 GB of free online backup storage and for only $4.95/month, can get unlimited storage. Business users can buy either desktop or server licenses starting at $3.95 or $6.95 per month, respectively.

You can learn more about the new software here.

Secure Online Backup for Windows Azure via Gladinet

Sarah Perez — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:51:00 GMT

Gladinet, the cloud desktop application for Windows, recently introduced AES 128-bit encryption for files backed up to Windows Azure. What this means is that if you use the program to back up your data, it will be encrypted before before being stored online on Azure in encrypted form.

To perform a secure backup like this, you’ll need to select a folder for encryption within Gladinet’s Management Console. You then select Windows Azure from your list of target locations. The first time an encrypted folder is added, you’ll get a prompt to create a password that will be used to generate the encryption key. From that point forward, everything you upload to Azure will be encrypted.

This option is a part of the new Gladinet Desktop 2.0, an update to the program that brings a completely revamped Management Console, features like a new cache manager and new task manager, improved transfer speeds, and additional cloud services integration.

The backup manager is a part of the professional edition of the program. You can download it or the free version from here.

(via the Gladinet blog)

Windows Easy Transfer Tool Tip: Back Up Windows Live Writer

Sarah Perez — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:28:00 GMT

Over the weekend, I had the fun experience of reinstalling Windows 7 – no, I’m not being sarcastic, I’m a geek, I like doing things like this. For one thing, a fresh install lets me pare down the number of applications I’ve crammed onto the machine to just the essentials. And despite my move to the cloud for many things, I’m always surprised at the number of desktop programs I still use. (For example, Windows Live tools like Messenger and Live Writer, Adobe Photoshop and Reader, FileZilla for FTP uploads, Microsoft Office, and Skype just to name a few.

Anyway, after backing up the essentials (files, photos, music, videos, and my user account) via the included Windows Easy Transfer tool, it occurred to me that I needed to back up my Windows Live Writer settings too. This led me to the free software program called Windows Live Writer Backup. I thought I had used this in the past successfully, but this time around the program just hung. It looks like the current version was released back in the summer of last year, so maybe it just needs an update? (It’s open source, guys, so have at it!).

Since I couldn’t automate the process with the tool, I took a couple of screenshots of my settings and moved on. After reinstalling Windows, re-downloading my favorite programs and re-running the Easy Transfer tool to restore my files and other settings, I launched Windows Live Writer. I was prepared to reconfigure my settings using the saved screenshots, but - low-and-behold! - they were already there! I guess the Easy Transfer tool grabbed them too. How nice!

If you’re preparing to reinstall Windows (and users of the Release Candidate like I was – this means you!), I thought you’d be grateful to know about this little tip. It certainly made my experience easier and hopefully will help you too.

MailBrowserBackup: Back Up Your Windows Live Mail

Sarah Perez — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:40:00 GMT

I’ve just come across a new backup utility for Windows Live Mail thanks to Steven Hodson of WinExtra. The program is called MailBrowserBackup, and, as it turns out, you can actually use it to backup a lot more than just your Live Mail. The recently updated .NET 2.0 application also lets you make complete backups of Outlook 2003/2007, Windows Contacts, Windows Live Messenger, Live Messenger Plus!, Internet Explorer Favorites, Windows Calendar, and much more.

When running the program, it will automatically detect your profiles and accounts, allowing you to check or uncheck the boxes of the items you want to backup. And should disaster strike, you can also use the application to restore the backups it creates.

MailBrowserBackup is free software licensed under the GNU GPL v2. You can download it for Windows XP SP2, Vista, and Windows 7 from here.

MyPhone Public Beta Open

Larry Larsen — Wed, 20 May 2009 13:45:00 GMT

Yesterday we announced that the MyPhone beta is now open to the public. Working with Windows Mobile 6 or 6.1, MyPhone will backup your phone, synchronize your contacts, photos, videos, calendars, and text messages over the air. And if you lose your phone, you can simply log in and copy everything back down to your new one. The service is free to Windows Mobile users.

Save Your Spreadsheets With Autobackup

Sarah Perez — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:26:00 GMT

I can’t tell you how many times I was asked this question when I worked in I.T.: “I accidentally just closed my spreadsheet and said NO to saving my changes…is it gone?” For whatever reason, some people’s fingers slip from time to time and the wrong button gets mashed. The shadow copies feature introduced in XP (aka “previous versions” in Vista) helped to some extent as does the AutoSave feature in Office. However, if you’re working with a spreadsheet undergoing a lot of revisions, what you might like even better is a tool that took periodic snapshots of the file at intervals you specify, allowing you to restore the spreadsheet to any particular moment in time.

As it turns out, there is a tool that does just that. I recently came across a review of it over on gHacks. The tool is an Excel plugin called Autobackup. With Autobackup installed, you can specify how often you want your spreadsheet backed up, how many copies it should save, and how long those copies should be saved (in days). Installation is simple – just got to Tools –> Add-ins and browse for the Autobackup file. Autobackup is available as a free download from here. An English and Portuguese version are available.