Computer data backup software. Backing up your data in plain language

Recently, a friend of mine asked me to explain to her how to back up data. She is a humanitarian, so she needed options in which nothing needs to be configured. Since she is not a stupid person who likes to figure out the problem and make decisions herself, I decided to collect the basic principles for her and describe the pros and cons of certain options (as I see them). I decided to publish here in case that it will come in handy for some of you - to help a friend or relative. I would be very glad to comments on how the text could be made simpler and clearer.

Basic principles

1. Regularity and frequency

separateness

recheck

distinction

Often, backup programs make so-called "images" (image). They look like one single file. So in each such image it is better to save different data.

What is it for. Data of different importance requires different handling of itself, this is obvious. You will probably want to store your important documents more carefully than, say, a collection of films. By dividing data by update frequency, you can, for example, save time taken by backups. Topic - what data is it desirable to restore together in one step? A vivid example of two types of backup that should be done separately:

Data backup

System backup

Where to backup

Reliable enough (if not dropped or shaken excessively)
+ Relatively inexpensive

You must remember to connect the disk for backup yourself
-Not very convenient to carry (does not apply to laptop drives)

2. USB-stick - suitable as an additional tool when you would like to transfer data from one computer to another and / or have it at hand. Also, if the data itself does not want to be stored on a computer.
There is one big but - a flash drive has a limited number of entries, so if you store application data on it that will write intensively, then the flash drive (usb stick) will quickly die. In addition, in my personal experience, they break quite often. My friend, buying the most expensive flash drives, which were positioned as "not killed", received a broken flash drive in a month or two. To be fair, I must say that so far not a single flash drive has broken, some have been working for 5 years. Nevertheless, I would not store data on just one usb-stick.

Mobile storage
+ Takes up little space
+Very cheap

Unpredictable Reliability

3. Data storage on a remote server (or in the cloud).

There are pros and cons:

Data will be available not only at home, but also at work, while traveling.
+ Location separation of main data and backups (for example, if it happens, God forbid, a fire, the data survives)
+ There is no need to connect a hard drive for backup, as a rule, everything is done completely automatically.

It is advisable to encrypt the data, since it is not known who can access it
- A large amount of traffic is spent (if it is limited, then problems arise)
-Often, you can only store data up to 2 GB for free. So, such a backup is an additional expense item.

List with good description services can be found

How to backup

Here is a list of applications that you should pay attention to (in my opinion) when backing up to a hard drive.

Of the free ones are popular

1. Genie Backup Manager is a very handy program, but it slows down a little when working
2. Handy Backup - simple interface, fast.

Additionally

Incremental backup allows you to roll back to any of the moments in the past when the backup was made. However, especially if data changes occur frequently, space will be eaten up quickly.

The most valuable thing in any computer system- this is the information stored in it, the loss of which can result in serious trouble and even financial ruin for both the company as a whole and for specific users. It is far from always possible to restore information, and besides, it is very expensive, as it requires special knowledge and takes a lot of time.

Unfortunately, neither reliable hardware nor licensed software guarantees 100% data integrity. There are a great many reasons that can lead to data loss - here is a banal failure of a hard drive, and a failure file system, and file damage by viruses and unwanted modification or deletion of data by users themselves, since no one is immune from errors. You can also lose information as a result of a fire, computer theft, etc. In other words, no matter how sad it is to realize, but the probability of losing information was, is and will always be. The only way to prevent trouble is to back up the data. The latter is relevant not only within an enterprise, where data is backed up / restored by one or more servers controlled by highly qualified administrators, so that employees do not have to worry about this, but also at home, as well as in computer classes and in Internet cafes. Here, expensive software and hardware solutions, which also require serious knowledge, are not affordable, but inexpensive, simple, easily customizable applications that would allow information to be restored in critical situations are appropriate.

About data backup options

Data backup implies regular, as a rule, daily creation of copies of the necessary information, which are usually stored on any media, periodically overwritten and allow you to quickly restore data in case of an emergency. Local and network hard disks, CD-R/RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R/RW, magneto-optical disks, etc. can be used as media. In some cases, to increase reliability, backups are duplicated on FTP. Both individual folders and files, as well as disk partitions and even the entire disk can be backed up - technically this is implemented various methods and often using different software.

Backing up folders/files and drives/partitions

Folder/file backup is a special type of archiving that compresses and saves only the data in the resulting archive specified files and folders with their relative file structure remembered.

Disk backup, which involves creating a snapshot of the system (snapshot) or a disk image, is performed by backing up data not by folders and files, but by sectors. In this case, the entire operating system is included in the created archive, system registry Windows, device drivers, installed applications along with user settings, as well as disk overhead areas hidden from the user. The disk image includes images of all disk partitions, as well as an image of the initial disk area (track zero), including the Master Boot Record. It is possible to create an image not of the entire disk, but of its individual partitions. In this case, the created archive includes all files and folders of partitions, regardless of their attributes (including hidden and system files), the file allocation table (FAT) and the root directory.

It is impossible to give preference to any of the two named data backup technologies - each has its own pluses and minuses. Redundant disk as a whole allows in the event of a file system failure or failure hard drive completely restore the disk, including the OS and installed applications with minimal effort and time. Naturally, the recovered data will be identical to the created disk image, and not the state of the operating system and files at the time of the crash. It is also advisable to use a disk image when installing a new hard disk on a computer, as this allows you to quickly transfer all information from the old disk to it, including the operating system, installed applications, documents, and personal settings.

However, after a crash, it is not always worth restoring a system based on a previously created full disk image, since it is possible that the failure was caused by numerous errors in the system registry (wrong keys, links to non-existent files, missing device drivers, etc.). It is possible that the crashed system contained viruses and spyware components. When restoring a disk from its image, such problems will not disappear anywhere and normal operation will still be impossible - therefore, a complete reinstallation of the system and restoration of only important folders and files is necessary. It is for such situations that backup of folders and files is indispensable. Besides, this species reservations require much less time and disk space, while to back up just one partition hard a 50 GB disk will require approximately the same amount of additional space, which may not be available on the hard disk.

Full, incremental and differential backup

Both in terms of disk/partition backups and folder/file backups, depending on the application, different backup options may be provided: full, incremental, and differential.

Full data backup ensures that all archived data is included in the archive as of the moment of its creation. Therefore, a full archive is significant in volume, and its creation requires much more time than other backup options, but restoring data from a full backup can be much faster.

An incremental backup only contains data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup. Therefore, such an archive usually has a much smaller size and is created faster. But since it does not contain all the archived data, in order to restore information, it is necessary to have all previous incremental archives and the initially created full archive. Compared to incremental backups, which result in the creation of a whole chain of archives, differential backups create one independent file that contains all data changes that have taken place since the formation of the original full archive. As a rule, it is possible to restore information from a differential archive faster than from an incremental one, since there is no need to sequentially process previous archives. However, if the chain of incremental archives is small, the reverse situation is also possible.

Full redundancy, on the one hand, can be used as an independent method of redundancy, and on the other hand, it is the basis for subsequent incremental or differential redundancy. As a standalone reservation method, this option may be the best solution in educational institutions, computer clubs and Internet cafes. The fact is that the task of periodically returning the system to its original state is extremely relevant here in order to eliminate the changes made by young users, who often consider it a matter of honor to set up the computer in an arbitrary way and install all the toys at hand on it. Considering that the system settings and the required set of applications do not change often, which means that you do not need to constantly recreate the full source image, it is quite justified to spend a lot of time creating it once in order to get a long-term opportunity to quickly restore the system to its original state. Most often, however, full redundancy is used in combination with incremental or differential redundancy. For example, it is advisable to create a full archive once a month, and incremental or differential (depending on the situation) every day. This approach allows you to restore the necessary data at any time, and with minimal time and disk space.

Incremental copying is most effective in cases where it is necessary to frequently save the state of changed data and at the same time be able to return to any of the previous states at any time. In other words, incremental backups are very similar to the built-in System Restore mechanism in Windows XP. checkpoints(System Restore), only disk images with incremental backups need to be created independently, and the result is much more reliable and predictable. Differential redundancy is best used to be able to restore the last state of data in the event of a fatal system failure.

It is worth noting that after defragmenting a disk, it is recommended to re-create its full image. The fact is that during defragmentation, the position of the files on the disk changes: these changes will be reflected in the incremental or differential archive - the latter will eventually increase much in size and it will become inconvenient to work with them.

Data backup software

The total number of applications designed for one or another option for backing up information today exceeds all reasonable limits and is no longer even in the tens. Some programs implement only the ability to back up folders and files, others are focused on creating disk images, and others provide both options. To varying degrees, they support incremental and differential redundancy. The range of media that can be used to store backups varies, for example, some applications are focused strictly on burning copies to CDs and DVDs, while others are much more democratic and allow you to save backups on almost any media that can be connected to a PC. In other words, there are a lot of nuances, and you should choose an application in accordance with the characteristics of a particular system.

Due to the large number of programs offered on the market, it is even impossible to simply list them within the framework of the article, and we will only talk about the most reliable and recognized software of this kind. Those wishing to learn more about the range of data backup software can look at popular software directories, for example at: http://www.download.com/Backup/3150-2242_4-0.html?tag=dir .

For quite a long time, the PowerQuest Drive Image and Norton Ghost applications dominated the market for software solutions for backup hard drives, but in 2002 Acronis was added to this tandem on a well-deserved basis. true image. And at the end of 2004, the situation changed dramatically again - the PowerQuest Drive Image software package was discontinued (although it can be found and purchased on the Internet software catalogs if you wish), and its best features were included in the new version of the Norton Ghost 9.0 application. As a result, there are only two solutions that compete on an equal footing: Norton Ghost and Acronis True Image, recognized by experts as the most reliable and feature-rich data backup applications and steadily leading in sales ratings. Both solutions provide reliable data recovery in critical situations, but for Russian users, the Acronis True Image package is more attractive, as it has a Russian-language interface, is accompanied by a detailed and well-illustrated user manual in Russian, and has a much lower price.

At the same time, it cannot be argued that any one of these applications should be considered the best solution for any user - everyone's situation is different. For example, if the task is only to backup at the folder / file level, then it is wiser to choose a highly specialized application that can be cheaper, easier to use and an order of magnitude smaller. Of the most popular and well-established solutions for backing up folders / files in the world, it is worth highlighting the Backup Plus and Backup to DVD / CD programs. Additionally, you can include a package from Russian developers APBackUp in it - it is far from being so famous and famous, but much cheaper, has Russian-language interface and quite sufficient for a wide user opportunities. And if you need full disk backup, the best tool for Russian users today is the Paragon Exact Image package, which does not have such a wide range of features as Norton Ghost, but is very simple and offered at a symbolic price.

Acronis True Image 9.0

Developer: Acronis

Distribution size: 37.3 MB

Price: $49.99, for CIS users - 499 rubles. (Softkey.ru)

Work under control: Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP

The popular Acronis True Image package allows you to completely solve the problem of backing up information by supporting two complementary backup methods: backing up partitions and entire disks and backing up files and folders on a disk of your choice. Additionally, the program implements the ability to clone hard drives, which provides easy and fast transfer of information, including the operating system, applications, files and folders, and any other data from the old drive to the new one. The application has very wide possibilities, so its development will take a lot of time. However, a convenient and intuitive Russian-language interface of the program, a detailed user manual in Russian and the use of wizards containing detailed step-by-step instructions will shorten the learning process. The combination of two backup methods within one product, together with a symbolic price for a product of this level and a Russian-language interface, make Current Package a good solution for Russian users.

Acronis True Image allows you to create both incremental and differential archives, which greatly speeds up the process of regular backups, since there is no need to copy all the data every time. While creating exact images of the hard disk, the program allows you to save in the disk image only those sectors that contain useful information, and backing up files and folders is implemented using filters, thanks to which you can exclude the copying of certain types of files (system, temporary, etc.) to the archive. To store archives, you can use local and network hard drives, devices with IDE interfaces, SCSI, FireWire (IEEE-1394), USB (1.0, 1.1, and 2.0), PC card (PCMCIA), as well as CD-R/RW, DVD-RW, DVD+R/RW, magneto-optical drives, Iomega Zip devices, and Jazz. However, creating a DVD archive requires third-party UDF DVD burning software installed on your computer: Roxio DirectCD, Ahead InCD, etc. In the absence of a special device for storing backup copies, the program allows you to save them on your hard drive in a specially created security zone. The latter represents hidden section on the hard drive, inaccessible to both the operating system and other Windows applications and therefore completely protected from accidental damage.

Among other features of the program, it is worth mentioning the ability to configure the program for automatic scheduled backup; the presence of the "Restore at startup" function, which allows you to boot the computer and initiate the data recovery process even in case of damage to system and boot files and check the integrity of the backed up data after the recovery process is completed and before the recovery process begins, which provides protection against an accidental error that occurred during the process Reserve copy. An additional advantage of the program is the support of Acronis Snap Restore technology, thanks to which it is possible to boot the system and continue the work that was performed before the failure, directly during system recovery.

Norton Ghost 10

Developer: Symantec Corporation

Distribution size: 44.99 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $69.99

Work under control: Windows 2000/XP, Microsoft .NET 1.1 Framework

Norton Ghost- popular package to backup disks/partitions by creating their exact copies-images. The program has an intuitive interface, is accompanied by a detailed manual, though only in English, and is very convenient and easy to use. The slightly overpriced price does not allow us to recommend it for Russian home users, but Norton Ghost can be a good solution for data recovery in educational institutions, Internet cafes, small offices, etc.

Image archives created in Norton Ghost resemble logical drives and include not only the operating system, installed applications along with user settings, etc., but also all user files - this ensures fast recovery of both the entire drive and individual folders and files . In addition, disk images allow you to return to a previous system state, which is useful after an unsuccessful installation of new software. Images are also indispensable when installing a new hard drive on a computer, as they provide a quick transfer of all information from the old drive to it, including the operating system, installed applications, documents, and personal settings. You can restore images created by PowerQuest Drive Image 7.0 and previous versions of Norton Ghost. Image files can be saved to local or network drives, as well as to a variety of removable devices: CDR/RW and DVD+-R/RW drives, USB devices and FireWire (IEEE-1394), Iomega Zip and Jazz drives. If there is not enough space on the selected media, the program automatically generates a multi-volume image, but the possibilities of automation when working with multi-volume archives are limited. To check the integrity of the backed up data, Norton Ghost performs a cyclic checksum check (CRC) after the backup is completed, and can also compare whether the image contains the same files as the original disk. For additional security, image files can be protected with a password.

Norton Ghost allows you to perform full and incremental backups, so if you create, for example, a full backup once a month, all other days you can limit yourself to fixing changes in an incremental backup. This saves a lot of time and disk space. The compression system used in the program also leads to a reduction in the size of archives, which allows, depending on the chosen method and the contents of the disk, to reduce the volume of the image by up to 70%. It should be borne in mind that maximum compression is not always the best option, since situations are not ruled out when it will be impossible to restore data from such an image. The recommended options for compressing images are presented in the documentation and are directly related to the type of media used to store them.

You can manage the backup process manually or automatically using the built-in task scheduler. The latter allows you to configure the program to perform backups at any time. convenient time, such as on a specific day and hour, or before you turn off your computer. It is possible to make a backup while working on the computer - in this case, it is worth reducing the speed of creating a backup copy in order to free up system resources for the normal functioning of open applications. All the nuances of the backup process are recorded in the activity log.

Paragon Exact Image 7.0

Developer: Paragon Software Group

Distribution size: 11.6 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $39.99, for Russian users - 125 rubles. (company "New Disk")

Work under control: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

Paragon Exact Image is a simple and reliable solution for backing up hard drives by creating and saving exact compressed images of them. The presence of images, even with a complete collapse of the system, ensures the restoration of both the disk as a whole and individual folders and files. The program allows you to return your computer to its original, optimal working condition in case of penetration of viruses, clogging of the registry, incorrect installation software or reduce the overall health of the OS. Archives can be stored on CD- and DVD-disks, network drives or in the so-called Backup Capsule - a special secure hard disk area designed to store backups. Additionally, to increase the level of reliability, it is possible to protect archives with a password. The backup process can be automated to the maximum, and the program can be easily configured to create regular backups. copies of the hard disk, such as when the OS boots up or when the computer is turned off, daily, weekly, monthly, etc.

The main highlight of the program is the presence of a group of wizards that turn the backup process into an extremely simple operation that does not require the user to have any additional knowledge about backup (as well as the need to study a hundreds of pages manual, which is a prerequisite in the above applications). Simplicity and affordability, coupled with a symbolic price for Russians, make Paragon Exact Image one of the best backup tools for home users.

Backup Plus 7.7.1 and Backup Plus DVD Edition 1.1

Developer: AVANTRIX Inc.

Distribution size: Backup Plus - 5.3 MB, Backup Plus DVD Edition - 5.4 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $39.95

Work under control: Windows 95/98/NT/Me/2000/XP/2003

The Backup Plus package is designed to back up and restore important information and is very popular in the world, due to its reliability, ease of backup and restore operations, and an intuitive interface. The application comes in two editions: Backup Plus and Backup Plus DVD Edition, the latter is distinguished by the ability to burn archives to CD or DVD in the absence of specialized software installed on the computer in the form of Roxio DirectCD, Ahead InCD or similar.

Working with the program is quite easy and convenient, even with minimal training. Task Manager provides step by step creation data backup jobs, the total number of which is unlimited. When forming a task, it is allowed not only to include individual folders and files in the usual way, but also adding or, conversely, excluding files for which a certain set of conditions is met, for example, you can include / exclude files with certain extensions. In addition, it is possible to add special system folders and files to the archive: the My Documents folder, Internet browser bookmarks, cookies, Startup data, etc. checkboxes in the settings window. The type of archive created is determined by the backup style, and backup data can be saved to any external media, including Iomega Zip and Jazz devices, floppy drives, other hard drives, network drives, CDs, DVDs, and FTP sites.

In the list of supported styles - "single archive", "single with duplication to FTP" (for which it is enough to specify the FTP server, enter a password and login), "multi-volume with copying to a network drive", "multi-volume with copying to a CD" etc. The size of a single archive is limited to 4 GB; however, it is also possible to back up large amounts of information in multi-volume archives. In addition, the user can determine the degree of data compression, the principle of creating an archive (creating a new archive or updating an existing one). If an updated archive is formed, the maximum number of copies in the archive chain is indicated, which allows you to return to any of the previous states of files and folders, etc. Additionally, it is possible to encrypt reserved data using the AES algorithm with a key length of 256 bits.

The built-in backup wizard in Backup Plus allows you to automate the process of completing tasks - the latter can be performed, for example, when loading the program, in accordance with the calendar principle, when changing data being backed up, etc. Detailed reports on the results of the backup, which record the start and end times of the backup, the degree of data compression, the presence of errors, etc., are stored in log files that can be opened directly from the program and printed and / or automatically sent by e-mail . List of all possible errors redundancy is given in the attached detailed documentation. The step-by-step data recovery wizard allows you to restore both absolutely all data from an archive, and only folders and/or files specified by the user.

Backup to DVD/CD 5.1

Developer: Willow Creek Software

Distribution size: 3.8 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: $29.95

Work under control: Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003 Server

Backup to DVD/CD is a good inexpensive and compact solution for backing up important data, which is of interest to both home and small office users. The program has a simple and understandable interface, and its main advantage in comparison with analogues is the support for incremental backup technology, which can significantly reduce the time spent and the amount of disk space required to store archives. This is very reasonable, since a significant part of the backed up documents are updated infrequently and it is not worth regularly spending a lot of time and taking up valuable disk space in order to back up unchanged data.

Backup to DVD/CD is flexible in defining the folders and files to be backed up, and the backup wizard will help you quickly find any data you plan to back up on your computer. The program allows you to back up folders with or without subfolders, and files can be specified implicitly - using masks or based on the applications in which they were created, for example, you can tell the program that all files are subject to backup Microsoft documents word. If necessary, the archive can include the system Windows registry. Any, even the most complex selection of backup data can be saved as a so-called backup plan (Backup Plan), which allows you to further significantly speed up the process of creating tasks by selecting the desired plan from the list. Selected folders and files can be fully backed up with all archived data included in the archive, incremental backup, which will capture only the data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup, or synchronized with data on another hard drive or network disk. Backups can be made with or without one-to-one compression (in the case of a full backup), and backups can be stored on a wide range of external media: DVDs, CDs, floppy disks, Zip disks, network drives, etc.

Recoverable folders and files can have their original position on the hard disk at the time of backup or be saved in any folder specified by the user and on any supported external media, folders can be restored with inclusion or, conversely, with the exclusion of subfolders, it is possible to restore not all data, but only user-specified folders and files. The built-in scheduler allows for scheduled backups, automatic backups are possible when the computer is idle.

APBackUp 2.7

Developer: AVPSoft

Distribution size: 2.34 MB

Distribution method: shareware

Price: commercial license - 590 rubles, personal license - 490 rubles.

Work under control: Windows 98/NT/Me/2000/XP/2003

APBackup is a utility for backing up folders and files, including automatic scheduled backups. The program is compact in size and low in price, has an intuitive Russian-language interface and a detailed illustrated help system in Russian, and allows you to fine-tune the data backup process up to its full automation, which makes it interesting for a wide range of Russian users.

The list of all backup tasks available in the system is displayed in the main window of APBackup, where the current state of each of the tasks is fixed with the help of symbols and the sorting mode is supported for the convenience of managing them. Tasks can be executed both manually and according to a schedule, which can be drawn up according to the calendar principle (for example, make reservations every third week on Tuesdays and Thursdays) or in accordance with other criteria, for example, execute the task every time the OS is loaded, at the start of the program, or after detecting a change in the source files. The program provides for the possibility of determining the priority of the archiving thread (parallel execution of tasks).

Backup data is saved as standard zip archives, but if necessary, the program allows you to connect any other archiver or backup data without archiving. The archive location can be either local disk or CD-R, as well as another computer on the local network and an FTP server, it is possible to automatically duplicate backups to different media at the same time. To write archives to CDR/RW, you need specialized packages on your computer, for example: Ahead InCDT, Roxio DirectCDT, etc. The number of the most recent archives, as well as the number of duplicates created, the backup depth and many other parameters are user-defined. If necessary, you can set a password for access to the program and additionally protect the created archives with a password.

An additional plus of APBackup is the ability to archive files used by other applications, as well as ample opportunities to adjust the load on the processor, which allows archiving in parallel with other work.

At the moment, people are divided into two types: those who initially create backups, and those who began to do them. Pay attention to the word became. If a person has never experienced the loss of important documents due to any mistake, his own or systemic, then he will not understand humor. If faced, then such a user will be far from laughing.

Such an incident can be easily prevented by knowing what a backup is. This backup save certain files. Further details.

General information

A backup is a backup of system or any other files. This is done so that in the event of any failure or virus infection of the operating system, it is possible to restore the necessary documents.

The backup is done in manual mode and automatically with the help of special programs. In the second case, you should download a utility that will do everything for the user. In the first case, you can copy certain files that are of value to any storage. It should be noted that the utility is able to save even the entire operating system.

And what is it - a backup, if translated from English? This term is translated as stock. The word is borrowed from this language. In addition, among other meanings of the word, one can notice that it can also be translated as reserve or repeating. That is, using this term, you can describe the action in which information is rewritten to another medium.

It should be noted that even the ancestors knew what it is - a backup. However, it was not called that at the time. All manuscripts that were of value were copied several times. In ancient times, libraries were burned quite often, so it was very important to keep the chronicles in several copies. In addition, loan sharks have mastered backups. They kept lists that described who owed them, in several copies.

When to back up

It is necessary to indicate such an example for comparison. When any human organ is no longer working, it will be useless to take pills or any mineral supplements in order to improve its functioning. Accordingly, the same can be applied to the backup process. Documents must be saved at all times. Even if a person does not store the most important information on his computer, the operating system works smoothly and without any glitches, you still need to make copies of your documents.

If a person wants to download the program and try it, but he has not used it before, then you need to make a backup of the operating system. It happens that utilities damage system files or other important documents that affect system performance.

At the same time, you need to understand that before reinstalling the operating system, you should definitely transfer your music and movies to a spare hard drive. As a rule, the installation program now works as ideally as possible, preventing a person from deleting important information for him, but sometimes there are incidents. Moreover, it never hurts to play it safe once again.

Where can I save a backup

What is it - a backup, we already understood, then you should figure out where you can backup? As a rule, there are two most reliable methods that will allow you to save data as much as possible.

They must be transferred either to the cloud, or written to a USB flash drive, disk or other physical media. Consider both methods, considering all their pros and cons. Every person should know where backups are stored.

Recording to an external drive

As a rule, the capacity of any external drive is several terabytes, respectively, a large number of important files, huge archives can be written to it. The advantage of this method is also not only a large capacity, but also ease of use and transportation.

It should be noted that the only drawback this method creating backups is unstable to mechanical damage. That is why you should buy more expensive devices that are not only able to withstand any kind of shock, but are also immune to moisture.

Flash drive

If you need to save system files, then an ordinary flash drive will be quite enough for this. It is quite cheap, every year more and more options with maximum capacity appear on the market, and you do not need to install drivers to use it. The reliability of such a device will be on top. In addition, now modern models are able to withstand the influence of humidity.

Among the shortcomings, it should be noted that the flash drive can fail. At the same time, utilities that could recognize that a flash drive is no longer usable simply do not exist. The storage time of data on the device is not infinite, and the write speed is low. If you put a flash drive and safely forget about it, then, unfortunately, after about six months, the user, turning it on, will notice that the data on this device No. This problem is especially relevant for devices with a large volume, where manufacturers have not learned how to properly protect the device from information leakage.

CDs

Despite the fact that these devices have already gone out of fashion, they are still indispensable in some cases. No need to use the 700 MB options. A disk with almost 9 GB of memory may well be a good medium. However, it should be noted that these devices must be protected from temperature extremes, defects, and sunlight. If we talk about reliability and capacity, then you should choose DVD discs. Such blanks are quite reliable.

CDs are also good, but their maximum capacity is 700 MB. At the moment this is ridiculous. Blu-ray discs are very capacious. They are capable of holding more than 30 GB of information. However, drives to read and write to them are not installed in every device. Moreover, they are extremely sensitive to mechanical influences.

Cloud

Over the past few years, the cloud has become very popular. How to make a backup in this system? You just need to upload the necessary files to the cloud, and autosave will allow you not to worry about the security of the downloaded information. It should be noted that the cloud is a server third party company, which provides a certain volume or free space for a nominal fee or free of charge.

The most popular clouds now are Dropbox, Google and Yandex services. It should be noted that the second option gives the user 15 GB of free space, which will be the most enough for home use.

How to back up Windows

If a person has previously worked with Windows 98, then he remembers system failures very well. The operating system was, in principle, not bad, however, with the incompatibility of any utilities, it was always 100% clear that a system error would lead to a reinstallation of the operating system. However, in new versions, the manufacturer still provided a Windows backup. In Vista and versions 7 and 8 given function has been brought to almost perfect condition.

Using an example, consider creating a backup of the Windows 7 operating system. You can make it very simply. You should go to the control panel, there find the item "Backup and restore". You should click on the menu with the left mouse button and go to the "Image Creation" sub-item. A pop-up window will open again, in which you need to select any of the three options for creating a backup. You can do this on a blank, upload it to the network or use a hard drive. You should check the box next to the item where the person is going to backup. After that, you should save the settings. It should be noted that if the Internet connection is poor, as well as unstable, then an attempt to save the operating system to the network will fail.

All this can also be done using special utilities. The most famous backup programs are those created by Norton and Acronis. Often, users use utilities from Nero. It should be noted that although their functionality is excellent, not everyone is willing to pay for it. But if a person needs increased reliability and security, then you still have to pay attention to paid services. Ordinary users will be quite enough internal means of the system to create backups.

Mobile devices

How to make a backup on a computer, we have already painted. But what about mobile devices? These units now store a large amount of important information, and we are talking not only about phones, but also about tablets. At present, the most common is android system, that's what we'll talk about. How to make a backup of such a device?

It should be noted that we will not copy regular photos and video, but programs and their settings. It should be noted that if all this is lost, then not only will it take a lot of time to restore, there is also no chance that they will be completely restored. To begin with, we should note the excellent Titanium Backup utility.

What you need to back up

To get started, to make a backup, you need to do two things. Get root rights, that is, administrator rights. At the moment, you will hardly find phones that already have such rights when sold. Therefore, the user will have to suffer a little to get the administrator options. The second thing you need is the Titanium Backup utility. It works great and is of high quality. To create a copy, be sure to use it.

Most users have a maximum of useful and necessary information stored on their computer, which is often presented in a single copy, that is, it is only on this PC.

Therefore, as a result of a technical failure, human factor or unpredictable actions of any programs or such information may be lost forever.

To avoid this, backup programs are used to help copy information for further recovery if necessary.

Features of choice

What is the main principle of operation of such programs?

They create a backup recovery file - this is a file that contains all the information necessary for after a technical failure (for example, when the operating system crashes) or accidental manual deletion.

This file does not copy the information itself, but only the data for its recovery and search for leftovers on the PC, therefore such a file weighs relatively little.

The principles of operation of such programs are different.- some of them create files on their own automatically with a configured or set frequency. Others generate them forcibly or on demand, while others implement both of these methods.

Some programs work only with certain types of files, while others work with all data on the PC.

Thus, among all this diversity It is important to choose the program that suits you best.

Such a program will not slow down your work at the computer, take up a lot of memory, place a significant load on the processor and generate oversized backup files with information you don't need.

Specifications

For the simplest and fastest orientation among the variety of programs described in this TOP, below is a table with the main features of each of them.

These features can influence the final choice.

This TOP includes non-commercial software with different characteristics and designed for various purposes.

Among it, each user will find the most optimal for himself.

Aomei Backupper

An easy-to-manage free backup software that doesn't take up much space on your PC.

It features high efficiency, stability and functionality with minimum weight and high ease of operation.

Allows not only copying, but also saving, encrypting data, etc.

Simply select a disk and start creating a backup.

• Simple interface;
• Minimum weight;
• Several types of work with files.

• The inability to automatically start copying;
• Slightly narrowed functionality compared to other programs in this TOP;
• Too simplistic aesthetically unattractive design.

User reviews about this program are as follows: “Great program”, “The utility is great! No worse than Acronix, not complicated and works quickly. Files are restored easily, creates archives with adequate compression. I had to test it "in battle" - I was satisfied.

EASEUS Todo Backup Free

This free option commercial, distributed for a fee, EASEUS Todo Backup.

It can be described as a fairly good budget option for copying software with high stability.

Works in automatic or forced mode.

Creates copies of all information or only specific files, or information from specific locations, directories, sources.

• The presence of a paid deployed version with advanced functionality;
• Ability to both start manually and configure automatic creation copies;
• Generation of a total or selective copy, that is, with an indication of materials for preservation;
• The ability to limit the rate of copy generation to reduce the load on the hardware.

• The functionality of the free version of the software is slightly narrowed compared to the paid one;
• Lack of data encryption;
• Sufficiently significant load on the system when high speed copy records.

Here is what users say about this utility: “The utility is super - for generating copies for dummies! Creates backup files in two clicks. Not as fast as Acronis, but free and understandable. Almost anyone will be able to figure it out, even despite the lack of the Russian language.”

Redo Backup and Recovery

This is an application that needs to be written to a virtual or real disk.

To create a copy, you need to start from this disk, which is inconvenient.

Very functional software, at the same time, with a minimum load on the hardware of the device.

It even has its own browser "in the asset", which allows you to run it, for example, immediately after reinstalling the operating system.

• Does not take up space on the computer;
• Quite functional;
• Suitable for PC masters and tuners, as it can be launched without installation from any computer;
• Works quickly and minimally slows down the system.

• The need to write the image to disk, while the image is quite large (249 MB);
• Lack of automatic start of copying, it works exclusively by force;
• Pretty inconvenient to use.

And here is what people who already use this software say: “Many thanks to the developers. How many troubles did she save me from?

Cobian Backup

A very versatile and convenient copying tool that allows you to carry out a wide range of jobs.

Manual and automatic start of the process, differential or general copying of information is possible.

Has over 100 different customizable copy options.

• The ability to fine-tune absolutely any component;
• Ability to copy servers;
• The presence of filters for copying.

• The program has a very complex control due to the wide functionality and may be inconvenient for beginners;
• The installation file itself weighs a lot;
• With active work, such software puts a significant load on the hardware resources of the system.

What are the opinions of users about the program? “Used it for two years. I was very pleased: good functionality, ease of use.”

Macrium Reflect Free

This is another non-commercial version of a paid utility, which has a significantly narrowed functionality than that implemented in the paid version.

Allows the to be backed up from.

Well suited for a novice user and those who do not want to understand the program settings for a long time.

• Almost all the functionality of the program is available from the main interface, which is quite simple and visually pleasing;
• Very simple interface;
• Minimum load on hardware resources, both when stored on a PC and when the program is running.

• You must have a burned disk image to get started;
• The software is not capable of both differential and general copying;
• Cannot carry out encryption, copy password protection, etc.

The article provides an overview of the most popular systems backup and recovery of data both worldwide and in Russia. The products of the main manufacturers of data backup and recovery systems are considered, data on their main functions and differences are given. Particular emphasis is placed on products presented on the Russian market.

Introduction

Working with any data is always associated with the potential for loss. Data can be lost as a result of various factors: human error (both users and network administrators), physical theft, as a result of destructive actions malware, breakdown of data storage devices. If personal data was lost (for example, an archive with photographs), then the damage is subjective and will be expressed in the negative emotions of the user. And, in case of loss of service information, the damage can manifest itself in the economic sphere - in financial losses, loss of competitive advantages, failures or failure to fulfill contracts, and even ruin of the organization.

To protect against information loss, backup and data recovery systems (Backup & Recovery) are used. A data backup and recovery system is a software or software-hardware complex for creating copies of data at a certain frequency for their subsequent recovery. In addition to protecting against data loss, backup systems also allow you to ensure the continuity of work of employees by quickly restoring the operating system (if you have an image) or restoring data on another computer.

How data backup and recovery systems work

Creating a copy of the data is a fairly simple process, but the real needs of users are often very diverse and complex. For example, many users want to be able to backup from an arbitrary location or save very large amounts of data. For enterprises, the problem of managing a large amount of data, storing it and quickly recovering it is relevant. To solve each class of tasks, there are various systems for backing up and restoring data.

The main dividing lines between various data backup and recovery systems are in terms of their use - for personal needs, in small companies and "home offices" (SMB / SOHO / ROBO) or in medium-sized (Enterprise) and large companies (Large Enterprise). Depending on this, the price of data backup and recovery systems, the types of storage used, the types of platforms, the functions provided, etc. differ. Let's look at some of these criteria.

One of the main differences for backup and recovery systems is the type of storage media. Backups can be stored on tape, optical discs (CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, etc.), hard drives (HDD), solid state drives (SSD), network storage. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, storing data on tapes only at first glance seems to be an anachronism. Modern tape devices are quite cheap and guarantee long-term storage of data. But data recovery from such media can be very long. Therefore, they are more suitable for archiving data. "Hard" drives allow you to backup and restore fairly quickly, but they are expensive and do not have the longest life.

An alternative to "hard" drives is the use of "cloud" storage, in which the type of storage systems is hidden from users. Of course, they use some kind of disks as "iron", but the problem of the safety of disks falls on the service provider. But what about the price? Ensuring additional guarantees of safety requires a lot of money for the maintenance of the "cloud" infrastructure (data duplication, "hot" replacement of disks, RAID arrays can be supported). However, the efficiency of using disk space can be higher, because. The "cloud" can be used by several clients and the efficiency of its use will be higher than that of a data backup and recovery system installed directly in the company. As a result, the efficiency of a particular system is difficult to calculate a priori, so in each specific situation, the choice of a storage system should be preceded by an economic calculation.

Another difference is the type of platforms used. The data backup and recovery system can be implemented as software, software and hardware complex or as a service (software-as-a-service). The software costs less and requires separate storage systems. Therefore, these systems are suitable for personal use and small companies. For large companies, such systems can be used in conjunction with special data warehouses. For medium and large enterprises, backup and data recovery systems made in the form of software and hardware systems (PBBA, Purpose-Built Backup Appliance) are more suitable. These devices fall into two categories:

1. PBBA target systems (targetedsystems). The given complexes acts only as the target device for backup. Such a solution requires the use of additional software for automating, managing and consolidating backups, which, in turn, must be placed on additional server hardware with a deployed operating system to integrate all of the above components. These devices include EMC Data Domain, HP StoreOnce, etc.
2. PBBA integrated systems (integrated systems). This complete solutions that do not require additional components for full-fledged work. These include servers, disk arrays, and backup software. Such systems have more integration between hardware and software and may include additional networking tools (such as load balancing). These solutions require no additional investment in infrastructure, have lower deployment and integration costs, and are easier to maintain and administer. These devices include EMC Avamar, Symantec Appliance BE+NBU, etc.

Currently, a number of companies provide the use of backup as a service. In this case, the storage is most often located in the "cloud" and all management of such storage is carried out by the service provider, the user only uploads and restores data.

Data backup and recovery systems also differ in the features they provide. Conditional can be divided into "basic" and "advanced" functions. The basic functions include scheduling, compressing and encrypting backups. Additional features are more diverse:

1. Duplication allows simultaneous copying to multiple sources, which increases the reliability of data storage.
2. Deduplication allows you to analyze and compress duplicated data. As a result, the load on data transmission channels and data storage space is reduced.
3. Creation of system images. Periodic copying of not only data, but also system images allows you to quickly restore workplace employee even if the operating system or personal computer is damaged, which ensures the continuity of his work.
4. Load balancing. Allows you to optimize the load on multiple storages for the fastest performance of operations with backups.
5. Compatibility with software (operating systems and DBMS). Allows you to create "casts" of files and databases, which can change during the backup process, for their correct holistic transfer and recovery.
6. Various tools for remote administration. This is a fairly diverse set of functions that allow you to automate the work of the administrator. These may include remote installation agents on users' computers, checking created archives, manual or automatic merging of backups, etc.
7. Work with virtual devices.
8. Working with cloud storage.
9. Data recovery algorithms. In case of data loss, various algorithms are used to increase the speed of data recovery, allowing you to recover only the necessary data, eliminate duplication during recovery, etc.

Global market for data backup and recovery systems

The number of data backup and recovery systems in the world is rather limited. Gartner's Magic Square indicates that companies such as CommVault, EMC, IBM, and Symantec are leading the market.

Picture 1."Magic Square"Gartnerfor backup systems and data recovery

In 2013, the analytical company IDC released a detailed report (Worldwide Quarterly Purpose Built Backup Appliance Tracker) on the market for specialized backup devices (PBBA, Purpose Built Backup Appliance). According to its data, the revenue of companies in this segment for the second quarter of 2013 amounted to $720.2 million, which is 7.3% more than a year ago.

Table 1: Dedicated backup appliance manufacturers revenue (in millions of dollars)

The above table shows that more than half of the market is occupied by EMC (62.6%). The second position is occupied by Symantec (12.4%), the third place is occupied by IBM with a market share of 7.3%. Fourth and fifth places are occupied by HP (5.3%) and Quantum (2.5%), all other companies occupy less than 2% of the market and account for 10% of the market in total. Notable trends include a 40.4% decrease in IBM's market share and a 71.3% increase in Symantec's share.

The leaders in this category almost completely coincide with the market leaders for data backup and recovery systems in general, which indicates that it is specialized backup devices that largely form the company's revenue. The only major difference is CommVault, which releases predominantly software products and positions them as unified backup and archiving system.

Russian market of data backup and recovery systems

The main global players in the market of data backup and recovery systems are represented on the Russian market and promote their solutions through regional partners. The market includes products from EMC, IBM, HP, Symantec, Dell, NetApp, CA Technologies , which are mostly focused on large companies. CommVault is represented on the Russian market to a lesser extent; its solutions are mainly offered by CROC. Solutions from Russian manufacturers Acronis and Paragon Software Group are also popular. Their solutions are especially relevant in connection with the cost-saving policy of many companies that are beginning to pay special attention to "price / quality" indicators. To protect only virtual systems, solutions from the Russian company Veeam Software are used, but we will consider them in the next specialized article.

There are a lot of companies of various levels on the Russian market, so we will consider the largest and / or most popular of them. In doing so, we will focus on corporate solutions, since it is they who basically determine the market in this market segment.

EMC

EMC's main system is EMC Avamar. This is a comprehensive software and hardware solution for data backup and recovery, which allows you to work with both real and virtual devices. Variable length segment deduplication is supported and runs on the client device. Data transmission is being optimized when working with different types of networks. Recovery is done in one step. EMC Avamar can be configured to work with specific types of software (such as Oracle databases) and virtual appliances.

The optional EMC Data Protection Adviso software is used to optimize data management. It automates the monitoring and analysis of backups, provides notifications to administrators when various events occur, and allows you to create reports on the backup activity.

Data backup and recovery systems are quite "flexible" and, if necessary, can be scaled by increasing disk space. EMC Avamar can also integrate with EMC Data Domain storage systems. These systems are represented by a wide range of products from small devices (DD160, DD620) capable of storing several terabytes to very large storages(DD990) to several petabytes.

IBM

In the backup space, IBM is represented by the IBM Tivoli Storage Manager product. This is a software product that creates backups and manages storage devices. IBM Tivoli Storage Manager is compatible with a wide variety of storage systems. It provides work in local (LAN), wide area (WAN) networks and now emerging storage networks (SAN).

Tivoli Storage Manager includes tools for remote administration from anywhere on the network or over the Internet. Administrator can automate various stages operation of the data backup and recovery system by creating storage policies. The set of policies configured by the administrator allows not only to carry out regular operations, but also to quickly respond to the occurrence of various unplanned situations. By using hierarchical storage, a system managed by Tivoli Storage Manager can use different types of storage devices (such as tapes and hard disks).

Tivoli Storage Manager allows you to optimize stored data by compressing, consolidating, and using "incremental" backups. For corporate software (databases, e-mail) are used additional clients, optimizing work with a specific type of applications.

Symantec

Symantec provides two backup and recovery products, Symantec Backup Exe and Symantec NetBackup, which are designed for medium and large large networks. These applications include the entire set of functions necessary for backup (deduplication, automatic targeted replication, migration between computers, work with physical and virtual devices, work in a heterogeneous environment, etc.). These products can work with various storage systems.

Separately, it is worth mentioning additional technologies for working with virtual machines. Symantec V-Ray virtualization technology combines virtual and physical backups and gives users one-stop access to all backups, including VMware, Hyper-V, and physical devices, allowing you to quickly restore virtual machines, applications, databases, files, folders, and even individual elements of applications. Built-in bare metal recovery technology enables data recovery to non-original hardware and includes backup-to-virtual-machine (B2V) and conversion-to-virtual machine (P2V) functionality, giving users the ability to recover failed systems in a VMware or Hyper-V environment .

For the convenience of working with backup and data recovery systems, Symantec also launched Symantec Backup Exec 3600, Symantec NetBackup 5230 software and hardware devices. One of the advantages of using them is the minimum time for their deployment in the enterprise. It is alleged that the administrator will need 20-30 minutes for the devices to start working and fully perform their functions.

CommVault

CommVault offers a data management system designed as software and built in a modular fashion. Modules provide archiving, protection, backup and data management. A single management console is used to work with data.

Backup features in CommVault Simpana include deduplication, system imaging, backup automation, centralized backup management, reporting, self-service backups for users, hierarchical storage policies, load balancing, and more. CommVault Simpana provides deep virtual infrastructure integration for advanced data management for Microsoft Hyper-V, VMware vCenter, and VMware vCloud Director platforms.

CommVault supports most existing operating systems and applications (in particular, Oracle, Microsoft, PostgreSQL and MySQL, Documentum, SAP databases) in order to create backups in the process of running applications with minimal load on them.

HP

HP presents a wide range of different solutions on the market. HP Data Protector software is designed to provide automatic data backup and recovery, and centralized management of related policies and processes. It supports most known platforms and applications and allows you to perform the following functions:

• data deduplication in accordance with HP StoreOnce Federated Deduplication technology both on clients (source based), and on a separate dedicated server (backup server) or on data storage systems (target based);
• backup and recovery of virtual environments, including protection of both entire virtual machines and individual data inside them;
• integration with the functionality of disk arrays to create hardware snapshots (snapshots) for backup with zero downtime Zero Downtime Backup and instant recovery of information Instant Recovery (IR);
• possibility of recovery individual elements backup copy (for example, a separate file from a virtual machine backup).

Backups are stored using the HPStoreOnce line of deduplication disk libraries. The solution is based on the HP Proliant Gen8 server platform, models have capacities from 8TB to 2.2PB (up to 35PB including deduplication) and support backup speeds up to 139TB/hour. It can simultaneously work in VTL (Virtual Tape Library) mode, emulating tape drives, and act as a file storage with CIFS/NFS access.

Dell

Recently, Dell has grown its portfolio of backup and recovery solutions through the acquisition of Quest Software and AppAssure. For large enterprises and companies, Dell offers the NetVault solution for backing up the entire infrastructure, and for small and medium businesses, the simpler Appasure solution. The vRanger application is used to back up virtual machines. The Russian developers of the Dell division also present specialized Dell Software solutions for AD and Exchange granular recovery, as well as a unique automated recovery technology Active Directory when data is lost.

For example, consider the Dell PowerVault DL and DR series devices (the current models are DL4000 and Dell DR4100). Devices allow you to perform the following functions:

• optimization and simplification of backup operations, which allows you to get rid of the downtime associated with it;
• built-in end-to-end deduplication and block-level data compression, combined with backup size optimization to save backup space and reduce the need for WAN replication;
• point recovery with the ability to create snapshots every five minutes;
• work with virtual machines.

Devices may be running software from other manufacturers, such as EMC or Symantec.

Quantum

Quantum supplies backup and storage systems. Tape (SuperLoader; Scalar i40, i80, i500, i6000) and disk (DXi V1000, 4000, 6500, 6700, 8500) devices and backup devices for Quantum vmPRO 4000 virtual machines are supplied.

Devices vary in the amount of storage they use and support most additional features, found in enterprise-level backup systems. Quantum's original deduplication algorithms are used to optimize copying. StorageCare Vision software is used for centralized management and monitoring.

Netapp

NetApp backup and recovery systems allow you to work with both tape and disk arrays. SnapProtect is a comprehensive disk and tape backup management software for NetApp FAS systems. It allows you to perform snapshots and data replication, which significantly reduces the time to work with backups and their size. SnapProtect also allows you to manage the creation and recovery of copies using a single management console.

NetApp SnapVault is software solution for fast disk-to-disk backup and block-level data protection. Allows you to reduce the time of creating backups due to incremental copying at the data block level. Provides fast data recovery due to a large number of options and recovery points.

CA Technologies

For data backup and recovery, CA Technologies offers CA ARCserve Backup software . It allows you to perform a fairly large number of functions:

• duplication of data to reduce the amount of storage used;
• backup support for virtual machines running VMware, Microsoft Hyper-V™, and Citrix® XenServer;
• support for backup in the "cloud" for fast data transfer between physically remote objects;
• using snapshot-based backup (ARCserve D2D) in conjunction with a traditional file backup solution (CA ARCserve Backup). It uses a shared backup directory to speed up and simplify the recovery process;
• the ability to centrally manage the processes of copying and restoring data from a single console.

For the implementation of specialized tasks are used additional modules(CA ARCserve Central Reporting, CA ARCserve Replication , CA ARCserve High Availability) that extend the functionality of CA ARCserve Backup.

Acronis

Acronis provides a complete line of backup and recovery software. Acronis True Image is intended for home use, Acronis Backup & Recovery Server is used for small businesses for Windows, and for large enterprises - for Windows.

The most functional is the corporate product Acronis Backup & Recovery Advanced Server, which allows you to perform a large number of functions:

• file-based backup and image-based backup. You can create an image of the entire disk with the operating system for later recovery on the same or a similar computer;
• duplication of backups in several storages (for example, local and network);
• search in the storage and selective recovery of files;
• deduplication (separate module) allows you not to copy duplicate data. Moreover, the search for copies is performed not only on the computer of a particular user, but on all network users;
• the ability to restore workstations and servers to equipment other than the one from which the backup was made, or to a virtual machine (separate module);
• administration functions (remote installation, the ability to turn on computers before backup, the ability to execute commands before and after backup, determining the load on the disk and network during the backup, etc.);
• centralized management of backups;
• use of storage in the "cloud" (separate module).

The presence of such a set of functions enables Acronis products to be a real competitor to the products of world leaders in this field. The provided functionality allows Acronis products to qualify for all market segments.

Paragon

Another Russian company producing data backup and recovery systems. Its portfolio includes a range of products for backup and maintenance of hard drives - Paragon Hard Disk Manager 12 Suite, Professional, Business, Premium editions (for personal users and SMB); Paragon Protect and Restore 3 (for large companies); Drive Backup 11 Workstation; Drive Backup 11 Server, etc. In the spring of 2014, the release of Paragon Hard Disk Manager 14 is announced on the Russian market, which is already on sale in the west.

With the help of these products, you can organize a full-featured data backup and recovery process. System images are used to quickly migrate or recover a system after a failure. Moreover, they can also be installed on computers whose hardware differs from source computer. Implemented various schemes copying - incremental and differentiated, allowing to reduce the volume of copied data. It uses granular data recovery and a powerful set of filters that allows you to customize automatic data recovery. Supports work with both real and virtual devices. However, there is no full deduplication. Centralized backup management possible after installation additional application Paragon Remote Management.

Most of Paragon's products are designed for personal users and small and medium-sized companies. However, the company's latest products, such as Hard Disk Manager 12 Premium, go beyond SMB and provide additional tools for working in large companies.

The listed solutions are not completely limited to the market of data backup and recovery systems in Russia. There are less common products, such as Handy Backup Server Network (Novosoft company) or BakBone NetVault. However, their representation on the Russian market is small or cannot be accurately assessed, which is why they were not included in the list of solutions we are considering.

Our review did not include free systems for data backup and recovery, because, without data on sales volumes, it is difficult to assess their presence on the market. Of the most popular free programs for backup in the Russian market, we note the Clonezilla application. It allows you to create system images or copies of data on a local or remote computer. Corporate version Clonezilla Server allows you to manage backups on your company's local network.

conclusions

Data backup and recovery systems are a necessary element of the security of any workplace - both personal and corporate. The current level of this class of solutions allows you to make the backup process fast and user-friendly. Attention is also paid not only to the speed of creating backups, but also to the speed of their restoration. When using specialized algorithms, the data recovery time is significantly reduced. The algorithms used for this can significantly reduce data recovery time. The systems presented on the market are constantly evolving and include new technologies for working with data. So many systems offer the ability to store data in the cloud, use virtual machines, allow you to work with new types of protocols and storage devices. This indicates the mutual interest of manufacturers and consumers of this class of solutions. It is worth noting that in the future, backup and recovery systems will be increasingly integrated with backup storage solutions and solutions for sharing and remotely working with data in the cloud.

The market for data backup and recovery systems is quite mature. At the world level, a set of leaders in this field has been formed for a long time, who year after year strive to maintain a high level of their decisions. These are EMC, CommVault, Symantec, IBM, HP, Quantum, NetApp, CA Technologies. The products of all these leaders are presented on the Russian market. The specificity of the market is the presence of Russian players - Acronis and Paragon, whose products occupy their own niches and are in demand on the market.

In our future publications, we plan to consider the market for cloud backup and data recovery systems.