Need new backup/imaging solution for client desktops

[drjones]

Hi guys.

I recommend to all my clients, including home users, that they have both an on and off-site backup, of course.

For home users on-site, I just get them a USB drive and setup Windows backup. I have gotten a lot of my home users onto GFI, with part of the pitch being that we can monitor their backups via GFI.

Well, we can monitor them, and Windows backup flat sucks. It fails almost constantly for some users and for vague unknown reasons, but worst of all it has ZERO space management capability; many times I've seen it totally fill up a drive and just stop working until you manually delete old backups.

I'm getting sick and tired of seeing all these failed backups...it's way too much for me to manage and it's not serving my clients well at all.

So, I'm looking for a better solution that I can sell to clients and will integrate with GFI.

Here are the features/functions I'd like:

- Full system image, with ability to restore to new hardware from an image in case of crash, virus, etc.

- Version control; tell the software to keep X images and not have it fill up a 2TB USB and just stop working.

- Incremental backups.

- Have a reasonably priced version for home use. Mom & dad generally aren't going to pay much more than $99 or so just for backup software.

Here's a list of the backup software that GFI supports as of now, which would be my best option?

- Acronis
- AppAssure Replay
- Backup Assist
- Brightstor ARCserv
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- VaultLogix Backup


There are a few others listed, but I intentionally left them out; obviously "Yosemite Server Backup" prob doesn't have a home edition and if it does it doesn't look like it will integrate with GFI.

Looking at the list, I'm thinking perhaps Acronis or StorageCraft would be the best option? Has anyone here successfully used GFI to monitor Acronis 2012/2013 backups?

Thanks!

 

[repairtechinc]

I've used acronis quite a few times and have liked it. I'd recommend checking out crashplan and mozy as well.

 

[JustInspired]

Hi guys.

I recommend to all my clients, including home users, that they have both an on and off-site backup, of course.

For home users on-site, I just get them a USB drive and setup Windows backup. I have gotten a lot of my home users onto GFI, with part of the pitch being that we can monitor their backups via GFI.

Well, we can monitor them, and Windows backup flat sucks. It fails almost constantly for some users and for vague unknown reasons, but worst of all it has ZERO space management capability; many times I've seen it totally fill up a drive and just stop working until you manually delete old backups.

I'm getting sick and tired of seeing all these failed backups...it's way too much for me to manage and it's not serving my clients well at all.

So, I'm looking for a better solution that I can sell to clients and will integrate with GFI.

Here are the features/functions I'd like:

- Full system image, with ability to restore to new hardware from an image in case of crash, virus, etc.

- Version control; tell the software to keep X images and not have it fill up a 2TB USB and just stop working.

- Incremental backups.

- Have a reasonably priced version for home use. Mom & dad generally aren't going to pay much more than $99 or so just for backup software.

Here's a list of the backup software that GFI supports as of now, which would be my best option?

- Acronis
- AppAssure Replay
- Backup Assist
- Brightstor ARCserv
- StorageCraft ShadowProtect
- VaultLogix Backup


There are a few others listed, but I intentionally left them out; obviously "Yosemite Server Backup" prob doesn't have a home edition and if it does it doesn't look like it will integrate with GFI.

Looking at the list, I'm thinking perhaps Acronis or StorageCraft would be the best option? Has anyone here successfully used GFI to monitor Acronis 2012/2013 backups?

Thanks!

We use Macrium Reflect (not the free version) for quite a few clients. It can email you if the backup fails or even if you want it to let you know it was successful.
I haven't tried integration with GFI Max yet but I think it will produce event log errors which can be monitored by GFI.

*makes mental note to check that out...

 

[PBComputer]

We use Macrium Reflect (not the free version) for quite a few clients. It can email you if the backup fails or even if you want it to let you know it was successful.
I haven't tried integration with GFI Max yet but I think it will produce event log errors which can be monitored by GFI.

*makes mental note to check that out...

+1 for macrium reflect use it personally, for my business and got it running for servral clients

Paul

 

[TenYardFight]

The key here is don't restrict yourself to solutions that GFI will manage.

 

[ComputerRepairTech]

i didnt think GFI worked on acronis true image, isnt it only the good version (backup & recovery)?

 

[FremontPC]

I'm shifting away from Acronis and towards Macrium for most folks. Too many bells and whistles that can go south on Acronis, UI changes that don't really make things any better, support issues, etc.

Haven't tried ShadowProtect. Macrium Pro is $60, anybody used them both and can give a short list of pros and cons?

 

[knc]

Storage Craft, Shadow Protect... Conversation is over!

Shadow protect is awesome... creates an image, yet you can mount the image and pull files off. Also allows dis-similar equipment restore, bare metal. And it is very fast.

 

[FremontPC]

Macrium does that too. You can browse a disk image in Explorer, bare metal restore, hardware agnostic restore (Pro version) and I understand that they have a utility to convert an image to VHD.

 

[Knightsman]

Storage Craft, Shadow Protect... Conversation is over!

Shadow protect is awesome... creates an image, yet you can mount the image and pull files off. Also allows dis-similar equipment restore, bare metal. And it is very fast.

Shadow protect failed multiple times to backup an image and apply it as a universal restore on a new server.

We always use Todo Backup, it works, and works well. Some don't like it, but ive been using it for years. We also use Crashplan Proe so we can backup our own clients, we can monitor it very easily, dont even need GFI.

The todo backup free edition should work great for your clients to backup images (home clients). We set it to backup once a week, every other week or monthly depending on what all the client does. Then we use our crashplan server to backup daily.

 

[16k_zx81]

Storage Craft, Shadow Protect... Conversation is over!

Shadow protect is awesome... creates an image, yet you can mount the image and pull files off. Also allows dis-similar equipment restore, bare metal. And it is very fast.

Yeah SP is an awesome product, but to be fair, just about every commercial-standard disk imaging product has the same features you list here.

 

[knc]

Yeah SP is an awesome product, but to be fair, just about every commercial-standard disk imaging product has the same features you list here.

Yes, quite possibly, but this product full filled the OP wish list. And I know it to be rock solid it has never failed me.

It is expensive though $100.00 desktop and almost 1k for Server.

 

[TenYardFight]

Yes, quite possibly, but this product full filled the OP wish list. And I know it to be rock solid it has never failed me.

It is expensive though $100.00 desktop and almost 1k for Server.

Don't forget great support. SBS version is 500. 400 for partners.