Support

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. What operating system does the system require?

A. The iDataBackup remote data backup software runs on Microsoft Windows (Windows 98/Me/NT4/ 2000/2003/XP). However, data can be backed up on machines running other operating systems by mapping a drive letter to the machine from a Windows machine running the data backup software. An additional machine license is required for each machine that will have data backed up.

Q. Will it work through our firewall?

A. The backup session is initiated by the client machine (i.e., your machine) so there is no inbound connection from our server, only your outbound connection on port 308. Thus special firewall configuration is typically not required.

Q. How much bandwidth does it take?

A. On the initial upload of data, the data is compressed and sent. Depending on the types of files, compression can reduce the size of the data by 30-90%. On subsequent backups, the backup software uses a sophisticated "difference" algorithm that identifies the incremental changes to the file. These changes are then compressed and sent to the Backup Server. This process produces substantially reduced files sizes and enables significant amounts of data to be transferred via internet connection during the data backup time horizon.

Q. Is remote file storage secure?

A. Your data is encrypted prior to transmission using your choice of encryption algorithms. The default is Secure Blowfish which uses a 448-bit encryption key for military-grade encryption. The system provides you with encrypted file storage on the remote Backup Server.

Q. How far back can I recover data files from?

A. The default is one month. What this means is that you could recover any of the different versions of files that have occurred during the month. You can specify a different time window at the time of your order, such as one day, one week or six months. The time window affects how much disk storage you use on the Backup Server.

Q. I have 5GB of data. How does pricing work?

A. Pricing is based on the amount of compressed disk storage you use on the Backup Server in increments of one gigabyte. With 5GB of data, the initial upload might use 2.5GB of space on the Backup Server. As incremental data is added each night, the disk usage grows, but only at a small fraction of the original size. Of course, a larger recovery time window such as three months will require more disk space than a two week window.

Q. Is there a contract minimum time period that I need to commit to?

A. You use our service on a month-to-month basis and can cancel at any time.

Q. How do I restore files?

A. The backup software enables you to restore data files whenever you need to.

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