Overview

Features

IBM Cloud Backup features

Always-on applications

Implement and monitor backup policies from anywhere.

Global support

Choose an IBM data center or go outside the network.

Multivaulting capabilities

Recover backup data from more than one facility.

Web-based GUI

Simplify management with central administration.

Scheduled backups

Plan backups for daily, weekly or custom intervals.

Plug-in software support

Enable compatibility with many third-party software apps.

End-to-end encryption

End backdoor access to data with front-end encryption.

System image and granular recovery

Restore from a previous backup or various other recovery points.

DeltaPro Deduplication

Reduce your front-end and back-end deduplication.

Intelligent compression

Helps ensure backup process is adaptive to data types.

How customers use it

Reconstructing servers

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Reconstructing servers

Recover backup data from a known point in time.

Managing customer applications

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Managing customer applications

Manage responsive, critical customer applications.

Supporting global applications

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Supporting global applications

Roll out system maintenance using managed backups.

Securing trade secrets and regulatory compliance

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Securing trade secrets and regulatory compliance

Manage backups of intellectual property and compliance.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of applications can I back up with IBM Cloud Backup?

IBM Cloud Backup allows for backups of various applications. However, IBM Cloud offers software agents for some of the more common software systems that are backed up, which include: Bare metal restore, Microsoft SQL and Oracle. Each agent is available as an add-on to your IBM Cloud Backup service. To add an agent to your service, contact a member of the IBM Cloud sales team today. Note that the plug-ins listed here are only compatible with Windows servers.

How frequently can I back up my data with IBM Cloud Backup?

You can back up your data as frequently as you like. Within WebCC, backups can be made manually or can be scheduled as a single or recurring instance made daily, weekly, monthly or on a custom schedule. Schedules can be updated or canceled at any time.

 

How do the retention schemes work?

IBM Cloud Backup allows for data-retention depending on where you want to roll back to. Daily retention schemes hold data for seven days, while weekly schemes hold data for one month, and monthly schemes hold data for one year. At the end of each period, the oldest data set is rotated out and the first "delta backup" made becomes the oldest available restore point.

What is Delta Technology?

The first backup is a "seed" (a complete, full backup). The next and subsequent ones are "deltas" (changes only), and are equivalent to, and still considered a "full backup." You're able to restore all or individual files. This technology allows for "full backups" to be made each session but saves enormous amounts of space on the backup server and decreases the amount of time each subsequent backup takes to complete.

Are my backups secure?

By default, all encryption over the wire (OTW) is encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption. You can also choose to store data in encrypted format using AES 256-bit.

Note: You must remember your encryption password. Your data can't be restored without your password. If you lose your password, you won't be able to get your data back. Compression ratios allow for zero compression to a maximum ratios compression that, depending on file type, might be compressed anywhere from 20 percent to 30 percent.

What information is stored with system state backups?

The system state backups include, but aren't limited to, COM + class registration database, registry, boot files, system files and performance counter. It's all dependent on your system. System files vary by OS and service packs. Usually there are several thousand of them. MS Windows makes a dynamic list of these DLLs when you include them in the backup. Including the system files allows you to recover from corrupted system files, or if you accidentally uninstall some service packs, or want to recover with a bare metal restore. It allows you to return to the state of the backup without having to reinstall the OS from the installation kit, and then installing each service pack separately.

Note: No user data file is included in system state backup. A system state backup job should be configured as a standalone job. There should be no other data source included in a system state backup job.

What happens to open files?

By default, the base client has state-of-the-art technology to handle most open files running on the OS. In rare cases, if backups fail because of open file limitation, there are secondary plug-ins you can purchase to get improved open files handling. Generally, you don’t need the open-file plug-in unless you see errors in your backups for open files, in which case you can order the plug-ins.

Related products

IBM Cloud® Bare Metal Servers

High-performance cloud servers configurable in monthly and hourly options

IBM Cloud® Virtual Servers for Classic Infrastructure

Public, dedicated and transient virtual servers, on demand

IBM Cloud® Virtual Server for VPC

Designed to make IBM Cloud® VPC simple, powerful and secure