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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

General Information

• Why backup?
• What is online backup?
• What if we already have a tape backup system?
• How secure are online backups?
• What tasks are required to run a daily backup?

Technical Information

• Which operating systems does Offsite SAN support?
• What is encryption?
• What happens if I lose my encryption key?
• What happens if my connection fails during a backup?
• Can I use my high-speed broadband connection?
• What if I turn my computer off and miss a backup?
• Can I backup my network?
• Can I backup more than one computer to my account?
• Does Offsite SAN work if my company has a firewall?
• How often is my computer backed up?
• How long does a backup take?
• How do I know that an online backup actually occurred?
• Do I have to install a special Internet connection or other communication equipment?
• How do I restore my data?

Why backup?
Most small businesses put their lives on the line every night and don't even realize it. With businesses depending more and more on the data stored in their computer, proper backups are becoming much more critical. Online backups accomplish several essential steps that are often overlooked or done improperly by other backup software - especially non-automated tape backup systems.

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What is online backup?
Online backup works basically like regular (tape) backups, with one important difference. Instead of sending backups to a device attached to the computer, online backup works by sending data over your existing Internet connection to an offsite remote storage vault. It does this (usually) at night while the business is closed and nobody is using the computer. It's completely automatic.

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What if we already have a tape backup system?
Using both a tape backup system and an online backup system offers the best of both worlds. Critical files, like billing, customer contact files and databases can be backed up daily using the online backup service. The tape system can be used to create a full backup of the entire file system - including program files - once or twice a month. In this way, the tapes and the drive will last longer and require less maintenance. The online backup system can provide a quick and easy way to retrieve critical files and databases without the hassle of searching through tapes.

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How secure are online backups?
Very. You -- and you alone -- have access to your data files because Offsite SAN encrypts your data prior to transmission to our offsite backup storage vault. Military-grade encryption technology and a user-defined password (encryption key) ensure that nobody, including employees of Offsite SAN, can access your data. Compare this to the total lack of security on most tape, zip and CD/DVD drives.

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What tasks are required to run a daily backup?
None! The actual backup process itself is fully automated. Once you have configured the time, frequency and list of files to be backed up into the client software, the actual backup will take place automatically on schedule. All you have to do is keep your PC turned on when you leave the office in the evening.

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Which operating systems does Offsite SAN support?
Offsite SAN will work with any OS (Windows, Mac OSX, Linux & FreeBSD).

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What is encryption?
Encryption is basically a mathematical formula that is used to scramble a data file. The only way to unscramble the file is with the proper encryption key. Offsite SAN clients have their own personal encryption key that is known only to them.

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What happens if I lose my encryption key?
Unfortunately, encryption keys cannot be recovered. Offsite SAN recommends keeping a record of your encryption key offsite in a safe location.

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What happens if my connection fails during a backup?
If a transmission is interrupted in the middle of a backup, the Offsite SAN software client will attempt to re-establish a connection and resume the backup from where it was interrupted.

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Can I use my high-speed broadband connection?
Absolutely. This is in fact the preferred method for quickly accomplishing online backups. It is highly recommended for clients with large offsite storage requirements.

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What if I turn my computer off and miss a backup?
If you occasionally forget to leave your computer on, this is not a problem. Offsite SAN will simply resume your backup schedule when you power back up your system. Files that have changed since your last backup will be identified and properly archived when it is time for the next scheduled backup.

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Can I backup my network?
Yes. Configure your Offsite SAN client software to backup files on a networked drive and it will. Offsite SAN customer support is available to assist with this sometimes tricky task.

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Can I backup more than one computer to my account?
Yes. The number of computers that can be backed up to your account depends on the Package Plan you purchased. Each computer must have its own unique username and password. All computers covered under your account share a "pooled" amount of disk storage space on the offsite backup server.

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Does Offsite SAN work if my company has a firewall?
Offsite SAN client software establishes a "passive" network connection to the online backup server. It is therefore fully compatible with most popular firewall devices on the market today. This includes devices that employ network address translation (NAT.)

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How often is my computer backed up?
As often as you wish, because you set up the time and frequency that works best for your schedule.

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How long does a backup take?
The size of your backup, speed of your Internet connection and amount of compressed data being transmitted will determine the length of time for the backup. Backups can be incremental -- archiving only files that have changed since the previous backup -- or full, to backup all of your critical data. Cable modems, DSL and T-1 connections do speed up the process but are not required. Your initial backup and all full backups will take the longest because it requires transmission of all data files in your backup set to the offsite storage - not just the data that has recently changed.

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How do I know that an online backup actually occurred?
Offsite SAN sends you an email progress report at the completion of each backup. This lets you know that your backup was completed. If Offsite SAN experiences any problem with the backup, the log files attached to the progress report email will identify the files that have not been archived or other trouble found.

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Do I have to install a special Internet line or other communication equipment?
No. Offsite SAN uses your existing Internet connection to transmit files to our offsite storage servers. Even though cable, DSL and T-1 lines speed up the process, some Offsite SAN clients successfully use a dialup modem to transmit encrypted data to the Offsite SAN server each night.

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How do I restore my data?
Offsite SAN lets you select individual files or folders for restoration. If you have a catastrophic loss, simply install the Offsite SAN client software on your new computer, connect to the Internet and restore all of your data up to the point prior to the unfortunate event. In order to recover you data, you must have your encryption key or recovery diskette created at the time you first installed the original backup client software.

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