What are the advantages of online backups over other kinds of backups?

Bruceb Cloud Backup adds a valuable extra layer of protection for data that might otherwise be lost.

• Bruceb Cloud Backup stores your files safely offsite. Your data will be protected regardless of what happens at the office.
• Bruceb Cloud Backup storage is reliable. External hard drives can fail, taking your backups with them. Amazon's S3 storage is redundant and resilient.
• Bruceb Cloud Backup software runs whenever a computer has an Internet connection. You don't have to trust your employees to do their own backups or wait for them to bring their laptops to the office to be backed up.
• Bruceb Cloud Backups are monitored. If a computer isn't being backed up, you'll know about it.

Can I see how it works?

If you have questions before getting started, just give me a call. You're welcome to test the service - it takes only a few minutes for me to install the software and set up a trial. You're welcome to cancel any time within thirty days with no charge. If you decide you want to cancel after that, you can do that any time and only pay for the time you used the service.

Where is the data stored?

Your backups are stored in Amazon S3 online storage. Your backups are transmitted using secure socket layer (SSL) security technology, and stored in Amazon's reliable, flexible and secure data storage. Bruceb Cloud Backup is powered by software from Cloudberry Labs.

Can I back up more than one computer?

There is a one-time license fee for each computer. All your data goes into the same storage space, so adding more computers does not change the monthly storage charge.

How long does it take for a backup?

Your first backup might take hours or days. Upload speeds are typically slower than download speeds, and we're likely to throttle bandwidth used by the backup service during the day so it doesn't interfere with your work. Expect to back up about 2-4Gb per day.

Once the first backup is complete, subsequent backups typically take very little time. The backup software is very smart about identifying new or changed files and only uploading the changed bits.

Can I use my computer while a backup is in progress?

Yes. You can use your computer normally, including accessing the Internet while a backup is in progress. Backups should not significantly affect your system’s performance.

Will a backup occur if my computer is sleeping or turned off?

No. I'll be notified in that case. We'll come up with settings that get your files backed up.

How long are backed up files kept online?

Archiving: Backed up files can be kept permanently, even if files are deleted from your computers. That can cause your data storage to grow constantly, so some businesses choose to hold deleted files for some length of time (typically 90 days), then have them removed from the backups. That can be handled automatically by the backup agent.

Versions: By default, the service keeps up to ten versions of a file. Again, these settings are fully configurable.

Is there a charge for restoring files?

You can restore files as often as you like with no extra charges. Support is included if you want my help with simple file and folder restores. If there's a crisis and you need help setting up a new computer or replacement server, there will be hourly charges for the additional work to get you up and running.

Can I restore backed up files to another computer?

Yes. Your backed up files are accessible from any computer through the web-based portal at http://backup.bruceb.com. If all your files need to be restored to a different computer (after a hard drive crash, for example), I'll provide assistance at no extra charge to help you get up and running right away.

What if I have hundreds of gigabytes of photos or music to back up?

You can back up as much as you want to an external hard drive, and choose which data is important enough to also be stored online. You'll have one easy-to-use program running your backups instead of having to manage a variety of different programs and services.

Can I back up my entire hard drive?

Like most online backup services, Bruceb Cloud Backup is most effective backing up your data files, not your entire computer. You may also want to have an image-based backup of your entire computer, using the backup program built into Windows 7 and Vista. A server should always be doing image-based backups to local storage.

Can I back up Exchange Server, or SQL Server databases?

It's not impossible but this isn't the best way to accomplish that. Bruceb Cloud Backup is best for backing up data files - documents, spreadsheets, accounting files (e.g., Quickbooks and Quicken), photos, etc.

What if I go over the storage space?

I'll contact you. You can either move to a plan with more storage space or remove some files from the backed up data.

How are the backups monitored?

Bruceb Consulting monitors the backups continuously. We'll be notified whenever a backup does not run or misses any files. You have complete access to logs and reports that show you exactly what was backed up, when it was backed up, and how much storage space you are using. If you want even more assurance, you have the option to receive automated email notifications about every successful backup and every warning.