Do you have branch offices or roaming users? BackupAssist includes tools for backing up data to a remote location, while also being able to restore their data, no matter where they are.
All you need to get started are two things:
- BackupAssist installed on the device you want to remotely back up.
- An internet connection.
- An rsync host to store the data on.
What Is Rsync / An Rsync Host?
Rsync is an open source protocol used to synchronize files and directories from one location to another. BackupAssist uses this technology to allow you to back up data across the internet.
Your data transfer is minimized with a remote backup because only the data that has changed since your last backup is transmitted. On top of that, all data packets are compressed. You also have the option to encrypt them for additional security.
Rsync backups can be accessed wherever you are through BackupAssist. For instructions on how to set up an rsync host, read our guide.
Remote Backup Considerations With Rsync
Rsync backups are incremental backups. The first time you perform a backup, there will be no data on the data host, so a full backup will be required. Due to practical reasons, we suggest not performing this first backup over the internet.
We also suggest running these remote backup jobs regularly. This will ensure the data transfer will be kept to a minimum and your data is always up-to-date.
Performing a Remote Backup With BackupAssist
Once you’ve set it up, performing an rsync backup is almost identical to performing a regular backup with BackupAssist. Below are the only two differences:
1. When selecting your backup destination, select Rsync. If you want to perform a backup to an online storage provider (Amazon S3 or the s3rsync.com service for instance), click S3Rsync instead.
2. When creating your remote backup job, you will be prompted to provide some details about the rsync destination. E.g. Server name / IP address, username, etc.
… And that’s it! The only real hurdle with remote backup is setting up the rsync host in the first place. Once that’s done, the backup process is pretty much set and forget.
Want a more comprehensive breakdown of performing a remote backup with BackupAssist? Read this handy guide.
Performing Remote Restores With BackupAssist
Restoring data that you backed up to an rsync server is exactly the same as restoring data normally. All you need is an internet connection.
Getting Offsite / Remote Backup For BackupAssist
Since BackupAssist is a modular software, you only pay for the tools you need, not the whole tool kit. Rsync remote backup and restore is included in the Offsite Backup add-on, which works in tandem with a base license of BackupAssist.
You can try both out as part of our fully featured 30-day trial and see if this solution meets your business needs. We also suggest reading up on all the other features BackupAssist has to offer for physical and Hyper-V servers.
