Main Area and Open Discussion > General Software Discussion
In search of ideal backup utility
tslim:
Hi *.*,
I have been looking for years but still I am unable to find a backup utility that fulfill all the 7 requirements as listed below:
----------
START LIST
----------
1. A modern and fast backup engine - supports multi-core cpu and 64 bits O/S.
2. Support Unicode / Unicode aware
i.e. Able to backup/restore files or folders names in multiple languages, irregardless of how Windows language is set.
3. Efficient and easy backup job setup with filter.
A backup job is typically a definition of what are the source items (folders and files) to be backup to certain target (a backup archive on certain storage).
A filter in a backup job means a mechanism to define what are the source items (to backup) by file or folder name patterns.
Backup job filter should:
a) Support wildcards and/or regular expression - thus able to automatically include future folders or files which match certain name patterns.
b) Support a way to easily define a "include all and exclude few" or the other way round "exclude all and include few" scheme.
c) Or even a folder-treeview with checkbox on every tree-node. Just tick to select.
The challenge here is not to simply provide the a), b) and c), but also integrate them and make sure they work together nicely. An intuitive user interface is very crucial such that user won't get confused when using more than one of the a), b) or c) at the same time.
4. Able to group backup jobs and act (backup/ restore) base on the group.
For modern backup utility, the ability to backup/ restore base on a backup job is fundamental requirement, in practice, we need more powerful/ flexible feature - that is the feature which allows user to group multiple backup jobs and acts on (meaning to backup or restore) the group.
5. Efficient user interface.
I understand that Wizards/ wizard-like interface are very helpful especially for newbies/ general PC users, but a more sophisticated and centralized interface, where one can do almost everything or access every feature is a must for serious/ power users.
6. Able to selectively backup registry key(s) rather than just backing up the whole Windows registry like an ordinary files.
i.e. besides folder and file, I think the registry should be treated as a collection of registry keys and individual registry key should be a candidate of a backup job.
7. Advanced Data Stream and folder junction aware.
Able to backup ADS is so crucial for user with multimedia files that tagged with ADS.
It should be user's choice whether folder junction should be treated just like other source item (say treat it like a shortcut LNK file) or as an ordinary folder (that contains folders or files).
---------
END LIST
---------
and I am very sad, I can't find a backup utility which does all the above...
If anyone knows any backup utility that fulfill all the above requirements, please kindly quote it here, and I thank you in advance!
cmpm:
Sounds more like you getting into group policies and enterprise type backup systems.
Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image for personal use. Without some of the requirements stated.
But for enterprise work and group policies Norton Ghost enterprise edition would be the choice imo.
Though it's doubtful you could get a ghosting program to operate based on the registry or to selectively eliminate or include any entries, because of the nature of the dependencies. Which is where group policies would come in. Requiring that type of program and knowledge.
Most backup programs provide the tree type selection alternative, but I have not seen anything like that for the registry, since the programs require the registry entries and not registry entries requiring programs or system operations.
tslim:
Hi,
Norton Ghost or Acronis True Image are not backup utilities. Even though they push their sales very hard with Backup idea.
Their main function is cloning and is far from a true backup utility with sophisticated functions that I am looking for.
Of course one can clone the whole drive(s) and kept the clone-image(s) as backup, I did that twice a year, but I can't imagine doing that every month if not week.
In my case, on my main working PC, I got 4 active HDD (use daily) that sum up to more than a TB of storage, 60% of them are used, that is about 800GB used-space. On a weekly, monthly basic backup or random case that I start certain backup job manually, then a backup job or group jobs might only involved few hundred Mb of data. I feel stupid to backup all HDD(s) every time when I need to backup... it is like burning my house when all I need is just to kill a mice.
cmpm:
lol...ok,
how much do think you need to backup?
not the entire system apparently....
cmpm:
Here's some info on setting up specifics, manually,
and then automating them.
http://www.unix.ualberta.ca/ADSM/adsmwin/cp5ec602.htm
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version