For the ultimate in security, our off-site backup service stores your data off site on a server with the most stringent of security measures. This both ensures a copy of your valuable data is kept outside of the server itself, but additionally is protected from any calamity affecting your physical office location such as fire, flood, or theft of equipment. The remote server is only accessible through two means; when your server initiates an upload, and when our designated technician logs in to either retrieve file(s) for you or perform maintenance.
Backups are always initiated by your server (or leased Backup Concentrator), so no access to your network is needed. Additionally, our server can verify servers identity by checking its IP address, the time of backup start, the commands sent to our server, and most importantly, through a secure Public Key which uniquely identifies your machine. These logs are reviewed daily.
By default, we store 5 days worth of backups on our servers (in a very efficient manner that actually only uses space for the changes). This default can be modified to suit your purposes, using only the space required to store the modified files or directories.
Reports of the backup are automatically sent to our management server, processed, and any inconsistencies flagged. Additionally, you can receive a copy of all reports (summary or full) at one or more designated e-mail addresses, web sites or ftp locations.
Managed, monitored and secure; ready to keep your data safe for you.
Backup Service Advantages
Monitored
The Daily Data backup service is monitored in many ways for your security. Each backup results in an message being sent to our monitoring server.
- If a backup is not received within the previous 24 hours, an alert is sent to our duty technician. If the technician has access to your server, they will log in, locate the problem and fix it. If not, you will receive a notification on the following day.
- The size, duration and number of files backed up is stored in our database for historical data and trend analysis.
- The full logs of backups are stored on our servers for 12 months, allowing us to determine when and how often individual files were updated. Copies of these logs are also stored on your server for any length of time you decide (default is to never erase backup logs on your server).
- Backup clients are randomly selected for a more in-depth check of your service.
- If you so desire, we will cause all backup reports to be sent to an e-mail account of your choosing, automatically, so you can see that your backup is working.
Versioning
Each time your backup is made, you may optionally choose to store a “snapshot” of the previous backup. Your previous versions are stored very efficiently, only using the disk space necessary to store the changes in the files, plus a small amount of overhead (less than 1% per version).
The versioning can be very simple (keep 5 days worth of backups), or complex (keep backups as the the first of every year, the first of every month for the last 4 months, and the 7 most recent backups).
Full Service
- Files may be retrieved from any version you have currently stored. If we have remote access to your server, we can place them on your server and they “magically” re-appear. If we do not have access to your server, small (less than 1 Gigabyte) will be placed at a randomly chose location for you to retrieve. Larger requests will require storing the files (or even a full snapshot) on a hard drive which can be shipped to you, or hand delivered. You are responsible for the cost of any media (hard disk, thumb drive, DVD) and transportation.
- Every 12 months, you may request a full snapshot of your backup for off-site storage. This will be at no charge except for the storage media and any shipping.
- Your backups can be scanned for duplicate files. When duplicate files are found, we can send you a report on what files are duplicated, and the savings to remove the extra copies. Additionally, if you request it, a process can be run on your backups that will decrease the storage required for these duplicate files.
Flexibility
Your backup can be customized in many ways to fit your needs. Daily Data offers the following additional forms of backup service. If you do not see what you want, ask us.
- Onsite Backup – Using your server or ours, you can have an on site server for backup. The advantage is that your designated personnel will have full access to the data without requiring intervention by a Daily Data technician (though we are happy to monitor, maintain or service if you desire). NOTE: we do not recommend this as the only backup service you have since catastrophic loss of your facility would result in loss of all your data also. However, if the server is geographically separated by Colocation at our secure Network Operations Center or at a satellite office, this provides a secure, cost effective solution.
- Offsite dedicated backup server – This server is dedicated to your company, and again, you would have full access if desired. In many cases, clients request this service as a duplication of primary servers, allowing rapid access to data in case of catastrophic facility failure, or loss or theft of existing file servers. With site-to-site or “road warrior” vpn access, this would be a full duplicate of your current server(s) in case of an emergency. See Server Replication for more information.
- “Owncloud” disk synchronization. More appropriate for individual workstations, this service duplicates your files in near real-time to remote server(s) (yours or ours), with a web based GUI for access. Allows synchronization of files across multiple workstations (or servers in certain situations). See Owncloud File Synchronization for more information.