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How does it work?
Crown Information Systems Offsite backup system is very easy to setup and keep
running. The time and effort is spent on monitoring and managing your backups to
make sure everything goes well.
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Once a tailored plan and contract is agreed upon, we will start the process by
installing a small software module on your server or workstation. This software
module is compatible with Windows based machines including Servers, Linux, MAC
OSX and FreeBSD based machines. Just about anything you have we can back it up.
For most customers, this module can be installed remotely by us. If necessary,
we will also schedule an onsite visit to install this module. Once installed,
the backups can begin. For customers having backup requirements nearing or over
100GB, a technician will need to do a local backup (or equipment will be shipped
to you for a fee) for the first backup. That backup will then be transferred to
our server and your offsite backups will begin.
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The level of encryption will be set when the initial backup is setup. Encryption
can be set from none all the way to 448 bit encryption. Crown Information
Systems does not recommend and will not recommend the use of no encryption! Keep
in mind that the higher the encryption level, the slower the backup will be in
most cases.
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All backups will be compressed unless the customer demands that their backups
are not compressed. Compression is normal and very safe. Using compression helps
in faster transfer rates and therefore shorter backups. It will also save the
customer money as the space occupied by their backups will be lower. On average,
compression runs on a 4 to 3 ratio. In most cases this will mean that 4GB of
storage space on your server will become 3GB of used space on our offsite backup
server.
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Following that initial backup, subsequent backups can be performed using several
methods. Instantaneous is the first option. With the instant backup, anytime a
file is changed, it is backed up to the offsite server. This method can consume
needed bandwidth during working hours and may slow system performance. We only
recommend this method in the most critical of applications.
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Even with an effective and functioning offsite backup system, Crown Information
Systems highly recommends that each customer have and maintain a local backup
system, such as an external USB drive, for added protection.
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The methods we recommend and use the most, are daily and weekly backups. These
backups will be set to start running at a certain time on set evenings when
files are not being used and your Internet is not being used. By doing the
backups during off hours, we can utilize the most Internet bandwidth for your
backup, while not slowing your connection during the times when you need it
most. Also, during off hours your files should not be in use allowing for better
and safer data backups.
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Our offsite backup service will only charge for the amount of storage space
being occupied on our servers by your data. Many other services charge based on
amount of data transferred over a given period of time. Some others even pair
the amount of data transferred with the amount of data stored to come up with a
fee. Crown will only charge you for the space you use. Charges will be based on
your average space occupied for each month. Not the peak amount as some others
do! Each customer will be billed monthly according to their contract.
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Initial Setup Information
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The initial transfer of your data to our offsite servers can take time. There
are many factors that determine the transfer rate, from the type of files you
have, to the speed of your computer systems to the upload speed of your Internet
service. Upload speed is the largest factor.
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IMPORTANT REMINDER:
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Per 24 hour period (day) we have seen upload amounts vary from 2GB up to 10.5GB.
For an initial transfer amount of 100GB, this could take 10 days or more.
Remember, until all files are transferred to our offsite backup server, we can
only restore files that have been backed up!
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You are always charged for the average amount of space used over any billing
period. This means that your first month’s bill may be much lower than
subsequent months as data is being transferred to our server.
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