14 DAY TRIAL // Computer backups can save you a lot of trouble and effort when a hardware component fails on you or when it is corrupted by malware and the data on the PC is compromised. With the enormous amounts of disk space provided these days and the low costs for the storage equipment, insuring your most important data should be a must and a priority for every user. Fortunately, there are plenty of apps ready to create your safety net and protect the information at the same time from the malware floating on the Internet.
For a single PC, the operation is quite easy to carry out as there are plenty of software solutions in this sense, but if you handle a network of several computers, the task gets a bit more complicated. Titan Backup Business Server is one easy way to ensure that all important files are neatly backed up and updated on a regular basis in order to avoid the aftermath of hardware failure. Although its name has a professional resonance, the price is low enough for every true network administrator to afford it. The minimum number of licenses is 3 for $29.95/license. If you find this too much, take advantage of the 30% discount if the product is purchased via Softpedia.
Testing version provides full functionality of the software with absolutely no restriction for a period of 15 days, more than enough to properly test the application.
This business version from NeoByte Solutions consists of two components, one to be installed on the server machine and one to be placed on the workstations you want to make backups from. Workstation version is nothing more than the home edition of Titan Backup enhanced with a Business server option that allows you to enter the server address and make the connection with the server, permitting remote control of the backups for files on the workstation.
Server component installs with the utmost ease and you don't have to be an expert to make all the settings. As the connection between server and workstation is via HTTP, the admin has to provide the host as well as the HTTP and HTTPS ports (defaults are 8080 and 8083 respectively) to be used for security reasons as well as a user name and password for accessing the web-based interface of the server.
Once each component is installed on the corresponding computer, you are good to go. The workstation component permits the user control over backups, but once the server is started, the admin can also create and schedule new tasks.
Web based interface comes with five menus for creating tasks and check them out, view online computers the admin can work with, verify the reports for completed operations, generate a setup file for easier connection of the workstations to the server or for setting up the server. All options are presented in a comprehensive manner making it very easy to the user to work with the application.
Creating new tasks is piece of cake, and even if you are not an expert in computers and networks, you'll carry out the job with no problems due to the built in wizard which guides your every step. From the start, you need to know that the web browser you're viewing the main console from needs to allow pop ups and that the same task can be assigned to multiple computers, given that the same locations are present on the workstations. For instance, you can create backups for My Documents folder for each machine connected to the server.
Each of the created tasks has a name and optionally you can provide a brief description for better identification. Adding a new computer to the job consists in simply providing the name or IP, or simply choose it from the available list of the workgroup. Selecting an entire group will assign the task to all computers registered with Business Server and if a new one is added, it will automatically be assigned the backup job. The flexibility of the application extends to the limit of providing an IP range to be taken into consideration for the task at hand.
Source options are flexile, offering the possibility of specifying exactly the files and folders to be backed up from each computer, provide just the format of the files allowing the saving of picture files, music files, video or financial (unfortunately, you have no say with regards to defining your own file types to be included in the backup job as the listed presets are the only options available), registry keys or program settings (predefined specific program settings).
Destination options for storing the backup job allow saving it either in a local folder on the workstation, in a LAN folder or on a remote location using FTP in which case you have to provide all credentials for the connection: hostname, username, password, initial directory, transfer method (you can use passive mode). When choosing LAN folder option the admin can also use a location on the Titan Backup server computer (if this has not been defined you can do it from this panel). Sub-folders will be created automatically and variables such as %WORKGROUP% or %COMPUTERNAME% are allowed.
The next step for creating a new task involves configuring the job for best protection as well as for saving space. Thus the application provides options for compressing the result to a ZIP, secure it with a password (self extracting archive is supported) as well as encrypt it with 256-bit AES algorithm. Supported backup types allow for incremental and differential jobs as well as stack backups (create different copies with version numbers) permitting the defining of the number of the last files to be saved.
For making it really easy on you, Titan Backup Business Server makes available scheduling options for programming the occurrence of the job and its frequency by days of the week and time. In case the computer is not turned on at the specified time, the task can be rescheduled. Scheduling includes running the backup at Windows startup or shutdown so that each backup is updated at all times.
Alerts section of wizard lets you enable notifications on errors, warnings or after completion of the task Visual, audio or via email appraisal options are available for all notifications. More than this, the admin can define specific actions to be executed before the task starts or at its ending. Preset activities include shutting down or log off computer when backup completes, or verification of the backup.
Checking all computers currently available for backing up is available under Computers tab of the web interface. The information detailed includes local IP address, registration status, online status, email contact (if available) as well as particulars on the last backup request date and the last run time of the backup. The application brings comprehensive info on the commands destined for the selected computers, as well, giving you the report on the tasks that have been assigned, server command status and creation date.
Reports section of the interface is a helluva a utility that helps you have a pervasive view over all tasks and computers involved in different actions. The filters available in this section allow the user fast finding of a certain log involving specific computers and actions that took place in a user defined time frame. Administrators have the possibility of viewing all the reports with no filters applied or they can break everything down into reports containing only warnings and errors or missed reports.
Tools tab provides a series of easy to use options for updating client side Titan Backup versions, generating a setup file (it is an XML file containing all the details for connecting a workstation to server side which can be stored in the installation folder of the workstation version of the software for effortlessly establishing the connection), browsing server folders (this section permits creating a new directory or a new file - TXT, HTML, HTM, CSS or TPL).
Configuration settings are a breeze, regardless of your computer skill level. The options available permit defining the client refresh rate, enable auto-approving new computers, typing in the administrator email address and set up local storage paths (you can add as many as you want, with no restriction whatsoever). This is also the place to change the password for accessing the administrator console of Titan Backup Business Server.
Titan Backup Business Server makes for a very convenient, both money-wise and effort-wise, solution for creating and handling backup jobs on multiple computers. It has almost anything an administrator needs and working with it is piece of cake. Communication between server and the workstations is encrypted for security reasons and server solution can run on any operating system as it is written in PHP and users can customize it to their own needs because the developer also makes available the source code.
The Good
As a business solution, Titan Backup makes for a very good administration console, easily configurable, flexible in what concerns the backup storage locations and the frequency of the jobs, equipped with job logging function.
The web-based interface is neatly designed and extremely easy to handle due to the tight organization of all the features, options and the built-in wizard for creating a new backup task for a workstation.
All tasks can be started whenever the administrator sees fit with, regardless of their schedule. The connection between the workstation and the server is easily achieved through the creating of the setup XML file and placing it in the installation folder of the Titan Business Workstation.
The developer makes available the source code so users can adapt the application for their own specific needs without having to fall short of anything.
Workstation counterpart can be used independently as a local solution for creating backups of important information.
The Bad
Preset file types on server solution are limiting the admin in choosing the types to be backed up because you cannot create your own set of files. The same goes for program settings section and if the program you need is not listed there is little you can do to make the process more comfortable as the manual way is the only option.
The Truth
Overlooking the above mentioned baddies that cripple the flexibility of the application, Titan Backup Business Server makes for a very good solution for securing important information off multiple workstations. It is an affordable result, easy to manage and set up, providing reports for any job.
It comes with an impressive list of features that can be customized by the administrator directly from the source code, so that the solution fits perfectly any need. Using Softpedia as intermediary for purchasing the application, you benefit from a 30% discount from the original pricing.
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
