iBac Software - iBac FAQs
iBac Software - General Questions
- What does iBac for Windows do?
iBac is a high speed Data Protection
Software Application that backs up data in the native file format
as it resides on the source server.
Re-written from the
ground up, iBac 5.0 adds support for Windows 2008 and Windows
Vista.
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New wizard driven management
interface.
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Remote management for multiple
systems.
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Support for 64 bit Operating
systems.
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New file system filter driver, does
not require reboot for install/uninstalling or upgrading.
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Option to use Microsoft VSS frame work
or iBac Open Volume Sync for open file backup.
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Backup Versioning Module is now part
of the base license.
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Ability to backup data over network
Share.
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Backup hardlinks as hardlinks.
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Select network link for backup.
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Control block size for checksum
compare.
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No limit on the number of versions of
backups to keep.
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Enhanced logging for
troubleshooting.
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Reduced pre-processing time.
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Use of Virtual Volume for backup of
open files.
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Enhanced statistics
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What is Backup Versioning Module
(BVM)?
BVM is an integral
component of iBac Data Protection Software. BVM uses virtualisation
and file differencing to allow you to create multiple full backups
on a given removable disk or array by using only the space required
to store the changes between the first full backup on that disk and
all subsequent backups. In essence, BVM uses file de-duplication to
allow you to get the most out of your disk space and store full
backups using a fraction of the required space.
- What are the supported operating systems for iBac
5.0?
• Microsoft Windows
XP SP2
• Windows Server 2003 with SP1 or later
• Windows Storage Server 2003 with SP1 or later
• Windows Vista 32/64 bit.
• Windows 2008 Server 32/64 bit.
- What is the duration of the iBac 5.0 and iBac VIP trial
download?
The evaluation copy
of iBac 5.0 and VIP are good for 30 days.
- Is the trial download a fully functional version of iBac
5.0 and VIP?
Yes. All the features
are enabled for the evaluation period.
- What ports do I need to open on my firewall to backup my
system using iBac?
You need to open the
following ports:
Management 9350,
11500
Backup Jobs: 9300 - 9320
Restore Jobs: 9351 - 9355
- Do I need to install iBac on every system that I need to
backup?
You need to install
iBac only on systems where you need to backup open and exclusively
locked files.
- Do I need to reboot my system when installing
iBac?
You do not need to
reboot the system when installing or updating iBac 5.0
- Can any of the previous agents of iBac be used with iBac
5.0?
No. The agents of
iBac 4.0 cannot be used with iBac 5.0. Customers that are currently
covered under annual maintenance will be able to upgrade each
server/agent/option to move to iBac 5.0.
- Do I have to pay to upgrade to iBac 5.0?
Customers who are
current with maintenance or support contracts for previous versions
of iBac can upgrade to iBac 5.0 at no additional charge. However,
additional modules be charged separately.
- Do I need to re-install iBac to license it at the end of
the evaluation like some other products?
No. All you need to
do is activate the license using the license key provided at time
of purchase on the system where you have installed the iBac
Management Interface.
- Can iBac limit the amount of bandwidth that is utilised by
my backups?
Yes, iBac provides
bandwidth throttling options to ensure that backups do not take up
the entire available bandwidth.
- What type of backup media is required? Can I back up to
tapes?
iBac is designed to
backup only to hard disks.
- Does IBac have reporting or log capabilities?
Yes, IBac does have
detailed log and reporting capabilities. You can access this data
through the iBac Management Interface. You can also set up iBac to
email you the job status after each job is complete.
- What types of devices can I back up to using
iBac?
iBac can backup to
any Windows 2003 or 2008 Media Server or the Idealstor Backup
Appliance.
- What applications does iBac support?
iBac works at the
file-system level and any application that utilises the NTFS file
system is fully supported. Whether it be Microsoft Exchange, SQL
Server, Oracle®, or any other third-party application, iBac will
ensure that it's data is accurately and efficiently backed up to
the remote server.
- What is Open Volume Snapshot (OVS)?
OVS is a value added
module used to provide a stable point in time backup of open
databases such as Microsoft SQL and Exchange. OVS is licensed per
server and includes the base backup license of iBac. OVS uses the
Microsoft VSS Framework to create a stable backup of databases
without impacting system performance and provides relational
integrity for live database backups.
- Do your backup solutions work with Microsoft Data
Protection Manager (Microsoft DPM)?
Our Teralyte product can be used as
a backup target for Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM). You
would simply need to attach the Teralyte to your DPM backup server
and the Teralyte disks will appear as local drives to that server
which can be removed and sent offsite in place of tape.
iBac Software - Technical Questions
- Can I manage iBac jobs remotely?
Yes. You can manage all jobs remotely
using the target systems from the iBac Management Interface.
- How does iBac backup data?
iBac replicates data
from source servers including file permissions to a target disk. In
an ideal world we would only run full backups. iBac makes this a
reality by allowing you to only backup the changed data and merge
those changes into the last full backup. This gives you a full
backup in the time and disk space required to backup the
incremental changes server to the destination eliminating the need
to schedule around a backup window.
- What format are my files backed up in using
iBac?
iBac backs up data
in its native format - making restore simply drag and drop.
- What is the difference between Initial Backup and
Compare?
When first deployed
iBac backs up an initial copy of your data from the source onto the
target disk. We call this the initial backup or baseline copy. Once
you have the initial baseline backup, iBac will then compare data
between the source and target allowing you to simply backup the
changes since the last backup was run.
- How does iBac compare the files?
iBac compares the
data on the backup disk with the data on the production server
using two methods:
1. Date, Time and
size - preferred method for files and data
2. Block Checksum - this method only backs up changes within a file
and is available only if you have Open Volume Snapshot or OVS
license. This option should be used if backup is being performed
over a WAN or if the selected data is a Database.
iBac will backup the
entire file only when the default method or compare is used. If you
don't want to retransfer an entire file or if bandwidth is limited,
we recommend you use the "Block Checksum". Block Checksum allows
you to backup just the changed data within a file rather than
backing up the entire file. This provides much more efficient use
of network resources where bandwidth may be limited.
- I noticed that Block Checksum is slower than a compare. Why
is there such a difference in speed when I use Block Checksum vs.
Date, Time and Size to compare the data?
Block Checksum has
to compare the data within each file so it can backup those
changes. This makes the backup speed a bit slower than comparing
using Date, Time and Size where only the attributes are
checked.
- Does iBac backup the security attributes of a
file?
Yes, iBac backs up
the security attributes of every file.
- Can I backup my entire system over the WAN?
Yes you can but it
may affect throughput and backup speed. Because of this we
recommend that backup just the database or the data instead of an
entire server. iBac is an ideal solution for local or WAN backups.
Because iBac only backs up changed files, backup speeds increase
allowing for faster backups between local servers or those at
remote locations. But backup windows are not only defined by the
amount of data to be transferred, but also depend on the throughput
of the WAN.
- Can you backup multiple servers in one job?
No, you can backup
only one server in a job. Future release will allow this
option.
- Can iBac run multiple backup jobs at the same
time?
Yes. subject to how
much load the system can handle.
- Can iBac handle databases and open files?
Yes, by using our
Open Volume Snapshot (OVS) license, iBac can backup database files
and files that are in use.
- Does iBac have an Exchange or SQL Agent?
No. iBac does not
require the use of proprietary agents or modules to backup any
servers. The only additional optional agent that can be used with
Ibac is our Open Volume Snapshotc (OVS) which is used to backup
database files or files that are open and in use.
- Can I backup System State?
System State can be
backed up using the built in NT Backup which comes with Windows and
iBac's Pre/Post Commands. A batch file can be created to backup
system state using ntbackup and can be run before the backup job
under Pre command for source option in iBac.
- What should I do if I want to backup the entire server
except certain type of files?
You can use the
Exclude/Include File Types under Options tab to exclude the files
that you do not wish to backup or include files which you want to
backup by default.