Features at a glance

Local drives Local storage devices of all major classes are supported - fixed, removable and emulated.



Their exact type and properties are detected automatically and used to adapt the copying pipeline for maximum performance. Device tracking Backups can be pinned to specific removable devices so that they will run only when these devices are present.



They can also be set to run on device arrival. Network shares Remote storage devices accessible via the SMB protocol are supported just as well.



This includes anything from home routers with USB sticks to proper NAS devices to enterprise-grade storage filers. Share monitoring Shares are automatically connected as soon as they become accessible. Shares going offline are also detected and handled accordingly.



Share credentials can be configured if needed.

Copying

Asynchronous I/O With its ultra-low-overhead fully parallel data transfer the program can extract every bit of performance from participating devices. Delta copying Delta copying is a method of updating existing files that skips over any unmodified parts and copies over only blocks that actually change.



It helps dramatically cutting down processing time of very large, but slowly-changing files like VM images, encrypted file containers and even raw photos.



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With its ultra-low-overhead fully parallel data transfer the program can extract every bit of performance from participating devices.Delta copying is a method of updating existing files that skips over any unmodified parts and copies over only blocks that actually change.It helps dramatically cutting down processing time of very large, but slowly-changing files like VM images, encrypted file containers and even raw photos. Shadow copying Files locked for exclusive use by other running programs can be copied using Windows native shadow copying service. Abort and error recovery For file updates that are interrupted part-way through the program will automatically check the file on the next run, recover as much of its data as possible and continue the copying.



That is, file copying is resumable. Timestamps, etc. Timestamps, attributes, security information (Owner, Group, DACL, SACL) and alternate data streams can be copied as well if needed.

Scheduling

Real-time backups Source location can be monitored continuously and backups executed as soon as any changes are detected. Serialized or concurrent Backups can be organized to run one at a time or they can run in parallel with each other, just as soon as they are due. Periodic backups Backups can also be set to run periodically, at fixed intervals. It's also possible to set them to not run during certain times. Manual and simulated Any backup can be run manually at any time. Simulated "dry" runs are also fully supported.

Scanning

Automatic file system testing File system volumes are tested to detect their capabilities and effective timestamp resolution.



Knowing the resolution is essential for accurate detection of modified files residing on different file system volumes. File index caching Once the file index is compiled, it can be saved and reused on subsequent runs, eliminating the need for re-scanning the backup. Fast parallel scanning When building a list of files at a location, the program processes multiple folders at once.



This makes for a little miracle when scanning ultra fast local drives and remote shares over slow networks. Long paths All file system operations are carried out using long path notation, which supports paths of up to 32,767 characters in length.

Planning

Logical and predictable Every backup run comprises three distinct phases - scanning, planning and executing.



No action is taken until the program has a complete list of everything it plans to do. Move/rename detection The backup planner can recognize less obvious changes, such as renames and moves, for what they are and replicate them accordingly. Archival of deleted items Backup copies of items that are deleted at source can be moved to a special folder and deleted from there after a grace period.



They can also be retained there indefinitely. Archival of modified files It's also possible to archive backup copies of files that are modified at source, effectively maintaining an archive of past file versions. * Similar to the Safety Net feature of the Carbon Copy Cloner Backup copies of items that are deleted at source can be moved to a special folder and deleted from there after a grace period.They can also be retained there indefinitely.It's also possible to archive backup copies of files that areat source, effectively maintaining an archive of past file versions.

Management

Run as a service The program can be switched to run as a system service so that the backups would continue running even if no one is logged in. Command-line control Backups can be controlled and their status queried through the command line. Comprehensive logging Detailed logs are maintained for all backups and the program itself, including full support for both size and age-based log rotation. Email reports and alerts Email alerts can be dispatched upon backup's completion, including the run summary, logs or just a list of errors. Pre/post-backup scripting Custom commands of arbitrary nature can be executed before and after each backup run. Software updates Built-in mechanism for checking and optionally installing updates, including "stable", "newest" and custom channels for managed site installs.

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