FAQs
My computer backup system uses tape, why should I use the Axcient Solution™?
A computer backup system that uses tape can be reliable, but requires a high level of ongoing maintenance to guarantee reliability. Axcient Solution's online IT data backup uses a triple redundant system, meaning we maintain three separate backups of your data in two locations. With the Axcient Solution 100% of your backups are stored on redundant, fault-tolerant servers.
Even if you choose not to use our offsite backup services and continue using tape make sure your tapes are safe and working with the following procedures:
Clean your tape drives once a month;
Replace tape media regularly;
Rotate your backup tapes off-site every night via a bonded vaulting provider, while keeping them close enough that they are easily accessible;
Test and restore once a month;
Keep at least a 20 backup rotation;
Have easy access to your backup software if you have to re-install it;
Make sure your data is fully encrypted before being written to tape
The main risk of using tape systems is that they can malfunction, but appear to be working. All indications are that backups were successful... until you try to restore.
If you want to continue to use tapes as your primary backup, consider using offsite backup services as a secondary backup solution just in case your primary backup system fails. Remember, redundancy is the key to data protection!
Why do I need an online data backup service?
One of the most basic rules when using a computer is routinely backing up your files. Most users do not backup their files as often as they should and, even if they do, they do not store their data safely offsite. Offsite backup services eliminate the hassle of backing up because there are no additional hardware components required, and you have the added security of having your files backed up offsite to our secure facility. You can sleep better at night knowing all your data is properly protected.
How many versions of my backed up files are held?
When the Axcient Solution device is initially configured, you set the default number of generations that are retained. Unlike a tape backup, where the routine is to rotate tapes in a cycle, our online data backup service will only backup a new version of a file when it has changed, guaranteeing that the customer is not wasting space backing up exactly the same version more than once. For example, if a file only changes once a month and seven generations are retained, we will have 7 generations / versions of that file. The number of generations stored can be configured on an individual backup set basis. Online backup sets can be configured to include just a single file if desired, giving you the ability to maximize the efficiency of the storage.
What tasks do I have to do every day to run my online backup service?
None! Once you schedule the time and frequency of your backups during installation, the backups run automatically. With our online backup service there are no more tapes to replace or rotate eliminating the opportunity for human error in your data protection strategy.
What if I have a transmission or local network connection failure during the online backup?
If a transmission is interrupted in the middle of a backup, the Axcient Solution will stop your backup at that point, and if configured to do so, will notify the administrator that the backup failed. It will try again on the next scheduled backup.
What happens if a server stops or crashes during backup or if the online backup is interrupted for some other reason?
If the online backup is stopped, for whatever reason, it will simply continue onto the next backup in its schedule. It will not revisit the failed backup set until the next time it is set to run, e.g. the following night, at which point it will pick up where it left off. If however the problem has been rectified and backup window allows, the backup can be restarted manually, immediately. Axcient has a dedicated team who monitor the progress of backups. If a problem occurs, it will be escalated through the appropriate channels.
Does the Axcient Solution™ use Delta Blocking technology?
Yes, Axcient’s Business Class Solution™ uses Delta Blocking technology during data transfer. Delta blocking is an advanced logic that divides all files into equal sized blocks. When a file is detected for changes, the Checksum of each block of that file is compared against the Checksum for the same block of the same file. Any blocks that are found to be different are pulled out and transmitted. These delta blocks will also be compressed and encrypted before transmission.
I am an Axcient client and my initial backup was done via a shipped hard disk. But when I tried to backup the same data with the application, it appears it is backing up the same (all files) all over again. Why is this so?
When the initial backup is made via the shipped hard disk, the date and time stamps on the data backed up are usually the date and time of the copy event (backup made via shipped hard disk), and not the original date and time stamps of the data. So when you perform backup of the same data with the Axcient Solution for the first time, the application will perform incremental backups of 'all' the files, since the date and time stamps are different. However, the only incremental task performed by the application will be an update of the date and time stamps of that backed up data.
Can I do selective/interactive backups using the Axcient Solution™?
You can easily backup single file/folder at a time by dragging the file/folder from your computer side and dropping it on the folder or in the Axcient Drive root.
Is there a one button backup option?
Yes, if you have already created Backup sets, simply click the Backup Now button from the backup pane of the interface.
Suggestions for backing up C Drive?
While backing up C drive, be selective in the files that are to be backed up. It is likely that your entire hard drive may be much larger than the storage space you have purchased. You can save your storage space by avoiding backing up programs (such as MS office that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) that can be reinstalled from a purchased CD.
Please try to focus more on backing up folders like your "My Documents" folder and other important data files like accounting, income tax, contact management, etc.
Will the Axcient Solution™ retain the date and time of the files being backed up?
Axcient Aegis will retain the date and time of the files being backed up by default on your remote online backup account.
What does the Axcient Solution™ do if the Internet connection is interrupted during a backup session?
The Axcient Solution™ will try to resume the backups from the file at which interruption occurred. If partial transfers had taken place prior to interruption, it will continue from that partial transfer point.
I lost a file, which was probably backed up four days back from my desktop. Is there any way I can restore the file?
You can restore files that were backed up earlier using the Snapshots feature available Snapshots are point in time images of your data.
Once Snapshots are enabled, you should be able to see Snapshot folders with names like nightly.0, nightly.1 etc. at the top level of your account.
Then, if you know the folder where the file existed, try to navigate to the file/folder starting from folder nightly.3. This could possibly contain the data that you backed up 4 days ago. If it does not, try nightly.4.
Once you find the right file, simply restore it. (The Axcient Solution does not have the concept of separate full and incremental backup files as incrementals are directly written on top of full backup).
Can I use the Axcient Solution™ to schedule full and incremental backups on specific days? How do I see historical view of data?
The Axcient Solution does not have the conventional concept of full and incremental backups. Every backup is basically a full backup with incremental effect. Unlike the conventional concept of 'incremental backup' where only changed data is stored separately from full backup, with the Axcient Solution, during the backup, the changed data is written directly on top of the existing backup. In other words, you have 'full backup' results every time that helps in fast restores when needed.
The Axcient Solution uses advanced Delta Blocking technology to determine the changed data at the source and applies only modified blocks of the changed files on to the data stored on the Axcient Solution. So there is no efficiency lost due to the Axcient Solution’s methodology of updating full backups directly every time.
Can I backup open files with the Axcient Solution™?
Yes, you can backup open files using the Open file Backup feature available with the Axcient Solution version 9.4.7 or higher. Note that this feature is available for Windows XP and Windows 2003 servers and not for all Windows operating systems. The most common open files that can be backed up by using the Open file Backup feature are Outlook files (.pst), QuickBooks, Quicken, ACT, MS-Money, MS-Word, MS-Excel, MS-Access, MS FoxPro etc.
If all my file system partitions are on FAT32, can I backup my open files?
No, you cannot. Open file Backup feature requires at least one drive to be mounted on the New Technology File System (NTFS) file system partition. The user also has to ensure that the file system of at least one of the hard disk drives is NTFS. (NTFS is one of the file systems the Windows NT operating system uses for storing and retrieving files on a hard disk).
My backups are not happening on some days?
You might have chosen the frequency of scheduled backups as ‘Weekdays’ while scheduling the backup and hence the backup does not happen on weekends. Also, please make sure that your computer does not go to Sleep/ Standby/ Log off mode so that the scheduled backups take place without fail. If the issue persists, please contact Axcient Technical Support for assistance.
Where is the Axcient Solution™ data stored?
The Axcient Solution applications and data are hosted at multiple world-class data centers. The Data Centers provide the physical environment necessary to keep the servers up and running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These world-class facilities are custom designed with raised floors, HVAC temperature control systems with separate cooling zones, and seismically braced racks. They offer the widest range of physical security features, including state-of-the-art smoke detection and fire suppression systems, motion sensors, and 24x7 secured access, as well as video camera surveillance and security breach alarms.
Do we need to create a user for the Axcient Solution™ on all our servers?
No, but a dedicated user is recommended and it should be set for no password expiry for obvious reasons. In a domain, or NDS environment, a user on each machine isn't necessary as one central user can be created with access to all the resources that require backing up.
What access permissions does this user require?
This user is responsible for backing up and restoring all the data on your network, it is essential that access permissions are of administrative equivalence. The Axcient Solution can only backup data that this user can access. A less privileged user may be restricted, causing data to be missed.
How much data can I back up?
As much as you want, you will be charged on the amount of actual compressed data you store.
Are the backups incremental backups?
Not in the traditional sense. Every backup is in effect a full backup. Our computer backup system does this by cataloging all included files each backup session then transmitting only the changed or new files. From a restore standpoint, each backup is a full, complete image of the data that was selected at the time of each backup. If you need to restore, simply select the backup you wish to restore from and restore the files you need.
If the backup software is agentless, how is MS SQL and Exchange backed up Microsoft® developed SQL and Exchange with the backup requirement in mind. Both products can respond to API calls requesting the services to dump their data, while online, to an external destination. In the Axcient Solution case the product simply asks the specified MS SQL or Exchange server to stream the data a temporary directory where it is delta blocked and transmitted offsite. This process is a totally supported Microsoft function and guarantees compatibility with your existing MS systems.
This adhesion to Microsoft standards does however prevent us from restoring individual Exchange mailboxes, as this is not a function Microsoft supports.
Can the Axcient Solution run pre and post commands on servers?
Yes, even though the Axcient Solution is an agentless solution, it is still capable of running commands on servers. For example, shutting down a database or application running on a server to back it up correctly and restart afterwards, or perhaps interact with some overnight batch processing.
How does the Axcient Solution™ handle open files?
Open files are an issue in most backup environments. If a file is open exclusively on a workstation, it is the server's responsibility to stop anyone else, including a backup package, accessing that file.
To help counteract these issues the Axcient Solution has a range of options which attempt to handle open files. These options, combined with use of the Pre and Post commands, should enable the backup of almost any file.
Is there a quicker way than online transfer to restore large volumes of data?
Yes. In the event that a restore requires data that does not exist in the Axcient Solution’s local storage, Axcient can write your data to DVD’s or USB drives, or for very large volumes, to a mobile vault for next day delivery.
What type of connection do I need?
Our offsite backup services require a reliable, dedicated Internet connection. This connection could be cable modem, DSL, T1 or T3. The faster your connection, the faster your online backups will run.
Does all of our data get transferred every day?
Only new and unique data will get backed up. Duplicate or unchanged files will not be transmitted.
At what point is the data deemed to be backed up and offsite?
The data is backed up in real time, so when the administration console indicates that the backup is complete - it is also an indication that the data has been securely stored offsite.
What is delta blocking? How does it work?
Delta blocking is an advanced logic that divides all files into 4K blocks. When the file is detected to have changed, the Checksum of each 4K block is compared against the last known Checksum for the same block of the same file. Any blocks that are different are pulled out to be re-transmitted. These delta blocks will also be compressed and encrypted before transmission.
Is my data safe/secure?
Yes. Your data files are safe and secure at every step of the backup process due to the Axcient Solution’s state-of-the-art encryption and security methods. Only you can access your data.
How does the Axcient Solution™ store and protect my data?
Axcient understands the value of high quality equipment. All of our equipment is fully redundant, power-protected and fault-tolerant. Our tier one data center facilities are secured with high-level security systems, 7 days a week 365 days a year.
How is my online IT data backup secured?
The two primary security measures Axcient Aegis employs are (1) limiting access to your data to authorized users by password authorization; and (2) encrypting your data prior to transmission.
