What files does HTC E2IT protect? HTC E2IT protects data on all selected servers, desktops and laptops. HTC E2IT has extensive OS support: Mac OS X, VMware, Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Novell NetWare, IBM AIX, SUN Solaris, HP-UX, HP-Tru64 UNIX, IBM iSeries OS-400, Red Hat Linux, Novell Suse Linux. HTC E2IT backs up the following email systems and databases: Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange Server & Outlook 2000, 2003, Oracle 8 & above, IBM DB2, MySQL, PostgreSQL, IBM Lotus Notes/Domino Server, Novell Groupwise.

How is the first backup done, given that there will be a lot of data?
For large data volumes, the initial backup may be done to a portable unit, backing up at LAN speeds to a large array of disks. When the full backup of your data is complete, the disks are transported back to the Data Center. Future backups, which are purely incremental, will be transmitted online and synchronized with your initial backup data at the Data Center.

What level of granularity is possible in setting up the backup, i.e. file level/individual database?
A backup set can include a whole server, share/volume, directory or even a single file. The backup set could even include just a registry, should you desire.

Can one machine be prioritized over another?
There are literally hundreds of different priority levels that can be assigned, ensuring maximum flexibility when organizing your backup schedules.

Can the software be set to stop backing up after a certain time has elapsed?
Yes, the software is designed to fit specific backup windows. Policies can be set to designate what time to stop at, for example at 8:00am when employees are starting to arrive, or maybe by 5:00am if there is an important batch process to run.

How does HTC E²IT access data without agents?
From the administration console when a new backup set is created you must provide a username and password to connect to a server or workstation. HTC E²IT fully integrates with NT domains, Trusts and Novell® NDS trees.

What is de-duplication?
De-duplication is one of the sophisticated ways that the HTC E²IT reduces the raw data from your network servers across all remote offices to a size that can be transmitted over the WAN. It ensures that the same data is never transmitted offsite more than twice, thereby saving the bandwidth to transmit only new, unique data. It achieves this simple elimination by generating a digital signature of each file as it is backed up and comparing it against the known details of all previous files. If the digital signature matches a previously backed up file, it must be a duplicate and only a shortcut need be transmitted up the line. Due to the way this technique is applied, it does not matter if the files are on different servers, at different offices or even have different filenames.

What is delta blocking? How does it work?
Delta blocking is an advanced logic that divides all files into blocks. When the file is detected to have changed, the digital signature of each block is compared against the last known digital signature for the same block of the same file (stored in the database on the DS-Client. Any blocks that are different are pulled out to be re-transmitted. These delta blocks will also be compressed and encrypted before transmission.

What happens if a server stops or crashes during backup or if the backup is interrupted for some other reason?
If the backup is stopped, for whatever reason, it will simply continue onto the next backup in its schedule. It will not revisit the failed backup set until the next time it is set to run, e.g. the following night, at which point it will pick up where it left off. If, however, the problem has been rectified, and backup window allows, the backup can be restarted manually, immediately.

How many versions of my backed up files are held offsite?
The number of versions is a parameter that the systems administrator sets during installation. Unlike a tape backup, where the routine is to rotate tapes in a cycle, HTC E²IT will only back up a new version of a file when it has changed, guaranteeing that the customer is not wasting space backing up exactly the same version more than once. For example, if a file only changes once a month, there will be 7 months worth of that file. The number of versions stored can be configured on an individual backup set basis. Each backup set can be configured down to include just one file if desired, giving you the ability to maximize the efficiency of the storage.

How and to what standard is the data encrypted?
The small files and delta blocks of data are first compressed and then encrypted up to AES 256, which is set by the customer during the installation of the DS-Client. Data remains encrypted in-flight and at-rest. The backup data is only unencrypted by the DS-Client at your site when it has retrieved the encrypted data from your Data Center for a restore.

What do you mean by compression? What happens?
Compression can be likened to letting the air out of a balloon. Although the air has gone, the structure still exists and it can be re-inflated easily. The advantage is that it takes less room. Files, especially databases, are often full of empty space, which can be removed to make the file smaller for transit, while making it very easy to recreate. A conservative compression to expect with HTC E²IT is 4:1.

Does all of the remote office/branch office data get transferred every day?
Only new and unique data will get backed up. Duplicate or unchanged files will not be transmitted.

What format is the data held in, i.e. on disk or tape?
The data is held on disk for rapid access times.

At what point is the data available for restore?
The data is available for restore immediately after it has been backed up and is held offsite.

Can an individual file or registry be restored?
Yes, you can restore an individual file or registry and also specify which version you want to restore.

Can HTC E²IT perform bare-metal restores?
Assuming that the machine in question has had a full backup of all files and registry, then a full disaster recovery of that machine is very simple.

Can data be restored to a different machine on our network?
Yes, the restore data can be redirected as desired. You are able to browse the network and provide connection credentials for the redirected restore, just as you do for creating the initial backup set.

How does HTC E²IT handle message level restores for emails?
The agentless Message Level Restore (MLR) module allows users to selectively back up and restore individual mailboxes and email messages for one user or for an entire network, depending on needs. Using selective filtering, administrators can save time, money and resources by restoring only selected mailboxes or emails, instead of having to restore the entire Exchange, Domino or GroupWise databases.

Can we prioritize which data is restored in the event of a disaster?
Yes, you can select easily which files/directories/servers you wish to restore. There is no need to restore non-essential data until a later time if desired.