Lockstep Systems this week released its new disk-based backup and disaster recovery software utility designed for the small and midsize businesses. Backup for Workgroups 1.0 delivers many of the same powerful backup and disaster recovery features commonly found in enterprise-class, tape-based backup software, only at a fraction of the cost.
Backup for Workgroups’ incremental backup process, combined with non-redundant storage techniques and compression, makes it possible for a 50-person workgroup to backup to a 100 GB hard drive and still have room to grow.
David G. Hill, Aberdeen Group vice president of storage research, said backup — and the ability to restore data and systems quickly — is a business necessity.”
“Small and midsize businesses (SMB) have a fiduciary responsibility as do much larger companies, but may not have the dedicated IT expertise, time, and money to use the same hardware/software process for backup and restore as these larger companies,” Hill said. “Enter Lockstep Systems. With its Backup for Workgroups optimized for disk backup, SMB companies now have a software tool that can use existing disk storage assets and take the mystery out of backup and restore — all at a wallet-pleasing price.”
Typical Small Office Setup
While Backup for Workgroups operates as client-server software, it does not require a dedicated server. All you need is a Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP computer with sufficient disk space to hold your backups and you can use that computer as your Backup Server. For example, a multi-purpose server, such as a print server, file server, or even an e-mail server could be used as a Backup Server. Keep in mind that this computer must have enough free hard disk space to hold the all your backup data.
The program is relatively easy to easy to install, use and maintain. Installation and configuration wizards walk users through the setup, backup and restoration procedures. Clients can immediately start to backup their computers without first having to create a specific backup definition, as required with most backup products.
Predefined restoration options give users the ability to restore a single file, a group of files, a recently deleted file, or an entire computer. Disk-based Backup for Workgroups can quickly locate data for restoration without the need to search through multiple tapes.
Bare Metal Restoration
The term “bare metal” refers to a computer that does not contain an operating system. When you purchase a brand new hard drive, it is completely empty, or it is nothing but bare metal. It does not have any files or even an operating system on it.
Bare metal restoration refers to the process of restoring data to a bare metal component, like when you need to replace a hard drive. The most common reason for replacing a hard drive is because it either fails or is full. The bottom line is that you have a blank hard drive and you need to restore your files to get back to business.
Backup for Workgroups simplifies the process of bare-metal restoration. It automatically includes the System Files, including the Windows Registry and configuration information, without requiring the purchase of a disaster recovery add-on. Because this information is included in the backup process, users can perform their own total system restoration by following the detailed steps outlined in their personalized Disaster Recovery Report produced by the Backup Server upon setup.
Pricing and System Requirements
Backup for Workgroups runs on Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP computers. The program requires 10 MB hard disk space and needs access to sufficient hard disk storage space to hold compressed backup client data.
Backup for Workgroups is available immediately from authorized Lockstep resellers and distributors or directly from Lockstep. The Backup for Workgroups base product includes a single server license plus three client licenses for $299. The five-client package is $399 and the ten-client package is $599. A fully functional 30-day trial version that supports three clients is available for download. Volume discounts are available upon request.
