To see how Res-Q has improved upon other backup methods, first you must look at what constitutes a reliable backup. There are many methods and mediums in use, but it is generally acknowledged that a combination of methods is the most effective in providing total recovery with minimum cost. In other words, there is no ONE perfect backup method. Let's take a look at the various common backup scenarios.
Full backups usually consist of making a copy of all files on the computer to a large-capacity medium such as tape. There are many variations in tapes and the drives that use them, and issues of reliability, speed and ease of use become common. Full backups allow restoration to the exact state that the computer was in at the time of backup. The drawback to full backups is that they take more time to complete and require a costly tape drive or other backup device.
Partial backups can take one of several forms. Sometimes called differential, incremental, or modified files backups, they rely on the identification and subsequent copying of changed files to a backup medium. Partial backups have the same hardware and software requirements as full backups, but are sometimes performed with less capable devices such as floppy disks/drives. Although faster than full backups, not all files are copied at once, so subsequent restoration becomes more difficult and may require a more skilled operator to perform an effective restoration. The major drawback of a partial backup is obvious. All partial backups must be restored in the order they were made, and without at least one full backup to start from, it is very likely that some files will still be missing after the restore.
Online backups can be either full or partial but generally, because of the relative low speed of communications, online methods are used only for partial backups. Online backups have the advantage of requiring less hardware and are therefore less costly. The drawbacks are that in the event a restore is required, a working system must be available before restoration can begin and that restoration can take a long time if the backup must be downloaded from a remote site.
These methods require knowledgable personnel to perform the backups, secure off-site storage for the backup media, and the time of one of your employees to set up and perform the process, transfer media back and forth, and monitor rotation of media. The Res-Q Backup Agent was developed with this in mind and is designed to work most efficiently as one of the most important links in the recovery chain. Res-Q overcomes the limitations of other online backup services by combining an on-site service, provided by a qualified Res-Q dealer, equipped with the latest in high-capacity, reliable, backup solutions. Your Res-Q dealer will perform at regular intervals, a full backup of all files which will then be stored safely off-site in a secure location. Res-Q dealers are qualified to perform these services and provide and monitor media-rotation services and other essential components of the backup process. Between on-site visits our automated software, the Res-Q Backup Agent, will perform backups of any changed files via modem. By combining the on-site and automated backups, Res-Q provides a complete solution that allows total recovery of all files in the event of a disaster. In cases where users wish to have the on-site portion of the backup process performed by their own qualified personnel, Res-Q is also available in component form to facilitate this.