In this blog post, I describe the possibilities of backing up endpoints using BDRSuite.
First of all, why would you back up endpoints?
You often hear that there is no need to backup (data on) endpoints because (if all goes well) there is no data on local workstations. Most companies have a policy that no data may be stored locally or for example only in Onedrive (which in turn is synchronized to the Cloud).
But often users still need to have data and applications on their workstations and it is desirable that this is backed up. Think for example of people who are often on the road or use applications that store data locally. In that case, I advise making regular backups of these endpoints for several reasons. First of all, you don’t want to lose any data and it can also take a while before a laptop is reinstalled in case of a crash/malware/theft. Obviously, there are more reasons why you would want to use endpoint backups.
With BDRSuite it is possible to back up not only VMs running on a hypervisor (or physically) but also endpoints. The advantage of this solution is :
– 1 central solution for backup of servers and workstations
– Using a stable enterprise-grade solution
– Users are unburdened by this
– Clear insight into the backup reports, including email alerting and notifications
– In case of a crash, it is possible to restore to another device easily
– Data can be secured over the WAN/LAN
There are two types of backups possible, file-based and disk/volume based. The difference is that specific files and shares can be easily secured while a disk-based backup makes a full 1:1 copy of the entire hard disk and can therefore restore a whole disk while a file-based backup always requires a working OS to restore the files.
So if there is a problem with a device, you can easily and quickly restore the entire disk(s) to the same type of workstation (for drivers). You are then up and running again in no time and the user can continue working as he or she always did. Everything is exactly the same.
If you only want to restore one or more files, the quickest way is to use a file backup. You do not have to restore the entire disk but only the specific files. This can also be on another device (with different hardware if desired). My advice is to make a daily file backup and a weekly or monthly disk image backup.
BDRSuite supports both Windows and Mac users. In addition, you can choose to encrypt data traffic and backups. This can be specifically desired if you are going to back up over a WAN or a shared network. This way, you can be sure that data will always remain confidential.
Naturally, you have every opportunity to determine the bandwidth used during backup.
You can choose to have backups run every hour/day/week/month, or continuously. For example, if you reboot your laptop or temporarily have no network connection during a backup, the backup process will automatically pick up where it left off as soon as the connection is up again.
Another useful feature is that you can choose to save a certain number of versions of files. So if files have been overwritten or if you specifically want to restore a file from a certain date and time, this is possible.
As for the costs… up to 10 endpoints, it is free. After that, you pay $30 per year (subscription) or $75 (perpetual license) per endpoint.
I use it myself, and my personal experience is positive. I could easily add the agents to my endpoints (so that online backup can be made) and make the configuration changes in the management interface. The backups run fast, and I also find the interface clear and nice to work with.
For more information about BDRSuite and how to backup endpoints, check here or contact me!