Tape Backup Software for Windows 2003 from SnapBack with Open Transaction Manager and Disaster Recovery

Products

SnapBack Exact

Product and Technology Comparison

"It is comparison that makes men happy or miserable"
Thomas Fuller, 1732

This section compares True Image® with Image, File-by-File, and Logical Object technologies. We've avoided mention of specific product names in these comparisons for three reasons.

Specific software products on the market today are in a constant state of revision. Almost before the ink is dry on this Guide, one or more of the referenced products will have been revised or improved.

In addition, other than SnapBack, other backup products have added cost options that overcome some of the limitations of the base technologies.

And finally, any direct comparison we'd print would certainly be biased toward our own product. Reading about your own product on someone else's web page is a little like reading about yourself in the newspaper. If they spell your name right - you're lucky! All the backup products in national distribution at this time are of high quality. Each has specific strengths and weaknesses tied to their base technologies and target markets.

Other Image Products

Raw image backup products are appropriate when the server can be taken off-line at regular intervals for backup and recovery purposes.

Generally, the image products excel at speed and direct bit level duplication of a server. Some products are available to take advantage or multiple tape targets to run at incredible speeds. Most are unable to recover individual files or operate in a live environment.

True Image® Versus Image

Image Background

Image backups consist of a byte-by-byte copy of server hard drives duplicated to tape. The earliest backup products were image based. Many of the current objections to image backups are based on the early implementations. For some situations, such as downed servers, alien or unsupported operating systems, image backup is the only solution. Some shops, which have massive data storage requirements combine tape array technology with high speed image software to perform offline windowed backups

True Image® Versus File-by-File

File-by-file backup products traverse the server hard drive file system using the server operating system and API to read and write files and data objects. File based backups require special procedures or add-ons to properly capture open files. Database agents are required to correctly capture concurrent data transactions.

File based systems allow exceptional control to the administrator over the precise content of the backup tape. An administrator may select files, directories, or groups of files to be included in the backup tape. Incremental file backups allow tapes to be created consisting of only files which have been modified since the most recent backup.

Use of incremental backup, and the omission of server objects, deleted files, and unused drive space produces tapes much smaller than equivalent image tapes

The increased flexibility of file-by-file backups has a cost in complexity, backup time, and operating cost. Locating a file or group of files usually involves a database file located on the server. If the server is down file recovery can become impossible until the server is rebuilt, backup software restored, and tape library re-logged. Disaster recovery can be extremely time consuming and there are no guarantees that the entire server data set has been recorded on tape. The backup and tape operating systems are not trivial applications. A considerable amount of operator skill and time is required to properly administer the backup library..

In spite of these limitations, file-by-file backup systems are extremely useful as business data archival systems. Large organizations that have centralized data warehousing facilities, and the personnel to maintain them, are able to effectively utilize file-by-file backups in overall corporate wide data management systems.

Many such organizations use file-by-file systems for corporate data backup needs over a WAN while using SnapBack to protect local office LAN servers.

On the following pages are comparison tables between True Image®, Logical Object and File-by-File

Complete Server Backup

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack® is the ONLY backup product that backs up a complete image of the server hard drive(s) EVERY TIME a backup is performed. This prevents inadvertent data loss because SnapBack always backs up the complete server environment, not just the files!		Backs up only the data files selected by the administrator from a complex backup application. Important files or other data may not be backed up at all, which would not be discovered until after restoration.
SnapBack® backs up all deleted, unpurged files and restores them as well!		Cannot back up deleted files.
SnapBack® provides complete hard drive, volume, and file-level recovery.		SnapBack provides complete hard drive, volume, and file-level recovery.

Disaster Recovery

True Image®		File-by-File
Simple, non-system specific rescue disk (single DOS boot floppy) which can be easily created after the disaster has occurred.		The server operating system must be running before the restore begins and requires critical server information contained on the rescue disks that must be created prior to the disaster. Added cost disaster recovery options require system specific rescue disks.

Restoration Speed

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack® accomplishes total server restoration typically in about one hour.		Since the total server environment is not backed up, complete restoration typically requires one to two days to accomplish. Added cost "wizards" ease the task of system rebuilding, but do not eliminate it.

O/S Compatibility

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack® backs up any version of Windows NT via device drivers. Also, in manual mode, or using the LITE product, SnapBack can backup and restore ANY operating system on ANY Intel based PC computer. (DOS, UNIX, NT)		Only works with specific, recent server operating systems. Many customers in the field have older systems. Does not back up the complete hard drive, only files and other data given to it by the server API. Other operating systems cannot be backed up at all.

Open File Handling

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack® backs up all open files and transactions without the need for additional agents or third-party programs. ONLY SnapBack's open file/transaction technology captures EVERY byte on the server hard drives with NO EXCEPTIONS, including all open files and all open transactions.		After-market backup agents must be purchased to handle open-file backups. These agents typically need to know specifically how each software application operates to properly back up its open files. Without these agents, file-by-file backup utilities either skip the open files completely or corrupt the open files on the backup tape.

Server Performance Impact

True Image®		File-by-File
With SnapBack®, server performance is NOT impacted at all. When SnapBack detects end-users on the server, end-users get priority for server resources. If needed, SnapBack temporarily pauses the backup to give end-users the resources required.		CPU utilization for the backup alone can be as high as 85%. This puts a huge strain on the server resources and results in very poor performance for the end-user during the backup. The backup operation competes with end-users for system resources.

File Retrieval

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack's® simple TD-ROM technology mounts the backup tape so the operating system sees it as a disk drive. This allows end-users to easily find and retrieve their own files with their own software applications.		File retrieval is so complex that the Network Administrator must perform the task by learning a proprietary tape operating system and file retrieval interface.
SnapBack® assures that all rights, permissions, and security are identical to the original backed-up drive. End-users can access only the data that was available to them on the original drive.		All files are accessible from the tape by any administrator of the file retrieval software. File-by-file backups do not provide any file-level security from the tape.

Server Upgrade

True Image®		File-by-File
SnapBack allows servers to be upgraded to new, larger drives in approximately one hour.		Upgrading hard drives requires the same process as restoring from a drive crash and typically requires at least one day to complete.

True Image® Versus Logical Object

Logical Object backup systems are a combination of file-by-file and image technologies. Logical Object is the most recent development in backup technology.

Like image technology, Logical Object moves the head smoothly across the disk surface for high-speed backup. Unlike image, the backup system attempts to recognize server data structures during the course of the backup
This technology is a good attempt at compromise between the speed of image backup and the complexity of file-by-file methods. Like True Image, the products run on live servers, make provision for handling open files and dynamic database transactions, and end user file retrieval. Unlike True Image, data can be selectively omitted from the tape and the backup tapes are not true serial records of the server hard drive contents.

Logical Object systems run under the network server operating system and as such require reinstallation of the operating system prior to disaster recovery.

Complete Server Backup

True Image®		Logical Object
SnapBack® performs a complete image backup of the server hard drive(s). This image contains every byte of data on the drive including: FDISK, FORMAT, Configuration, Deleted files, Operating System volumes and configurations. In short, everything on the physical hard drive(s)!		Some parts of the hard drive are copied as files only, some are copied as objects presented by the operating system, some are copied to floppy, and some parts are not backed up. The backup tape never contains a complete image of the physical hard drives.

Disaster Recovery

True Image®		Logical Object
Simple, non-system specific rescue disk (single DOS boot floppy) which can be easily created AFTER the disaster has occurred.		System specific rescue disks required. The server operating system must be running before the restore begins and requires critical server information contained on the rescue disks that must be created prior to the disaster.