Looking For DB-Based Backup Utility

I tried this on alt.backup-software, but no nibbles, so I am
re-posting here.

================================================== ============

Just blew fifty bucks on NovaBackup.

Fifty bucks down the drain, IMHO. And I even read a half-dozen
reviews!.... In retrospect, too many of the reviews' language smacked
of corporate press releases.

NovaBackup might be ok under the hood - I don't know enough to judge it.
But the UI is pathetic - borderline unusable, even.

Does anybody have some suggestions?

Musts:
- Database-based, not file-copy like SecondCopy or XCOPY.

- Decent UI. Yeah, a judgment call.... but if I give a name
to a backup routine, at least show the name in the various
lists....

- Individual files listed by backup time on the Restore dialog.
i.e. If file Wiz.bin has been backed up twelve times, I want
to see a list of Wiz.bins with twelve entries and dates so
I can pick the one I want. This is different from having
to bring up a list of each and every incremental backup to
see if Wiz.bin is in it.

- Ability to reach out over a LAN and back up files from
a NAS box.

- Ability to specify destination when restoring
a file from backup.


Wants:
- Reasonable price
- Decent performance (not a "Must" because it can run
in the wee hours of the morning)
- eMail notifications
--
Pete Cresswell

On 01/31/2014 10:21 AM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
I tried this on alt.backup-software, but no nibbles, so I am
re-posting here.

================================================== ============

Just blew fifty bucks on NovaBackup.

Fifty bucks down the drain, IMHO. And I even read a half-dozen
reviews!.... In retrospect, too many of the reviews' language smacked
of corporate press releases.

NoX


If I blew $50 on software, I'd force myself to learn how to use it.


I recall that when I first got my computer I paid $100 for an entire
year of dial-up.

The first time I went on-line I broke out into a cold sweat because it
all seemed totally beyond me.

Per philo*:
If I blew $50 on software, I'd force myself to learn how to use it.

FWIW, I've been trying to make it work for three days now. Probably
have at least 10 man hours in it.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree - but
I make a living developing short-deadline ad-hoc applications for small
workgroups in the financial industry, so the thought processes are
there...
--
Pete Cresswell

On 01/31/2014 12:16 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per philo :
If I blew $50 on software, I'd force myself to learn how to use it.

FWIW, I've been trying to make it work for three days now. Probably
have at least 10 man hours in it.

I'll be the first to admit I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree - but
I make a living developing short-deadline ad-hoc applications for small
workgroups in the financial industry, so the thought processes are
there...



Yes. Sometimes I wonder what the hell certain software designers were
thinking.

(PeteCresswell) wrote:
I tried this on alt.backup-software, but no nibbles, so I am
re-posting here.

================================================== ============

Just blew fifty bucks on NovaBackup.

Fifty bucks down the drain, IMHO. And I even read a half-dozen
reviews!.... In retrospect, too many of the reviews' language smacked
of corporate press releases.

NovaBackup might be ok under the hood - I don't know enough to judge it.
But the UI is pathetic - borderline unusable, even.

Does anybody have some suggestions?

Musts:
- Database-based, not file-copy like SecondCopy or XCOPY.

- Decent UI. Yeah, a judgment call.... but if I give a name
to a backup routine, at least show the name in the various
lists....

- Individual files listed by backup time on the Restore dialog.
i.e. If file Wiz.bin has been backed up twelve times, I want
to see a list of Wiz.bins with twelve entries and dates so
I can pick the one I want. This is different from having
to bring up a list of each and every incremental backup to
see if Wiz.bin is in it.

- Ability to reach out over a LAN and back up files from
a NAS box.

- Ability to specify destination when restoring
a file from backup.


Wants:
- Reasonable price
- Decent performance (not a "Must" because it can run
in the wee hours of the morning)
- eMail notifications

I see a green button labeled "30 day money back guarantee"
on the web site. Does that apply to you ? :-)

http://www.novastor.com/en/software/smb

There are also "trial" buttons at the bottom of that
page, so you don't have to buy it to try it out.

There's even a documents page, so a guy like me,
I don't even need to install it, to see how
bad it is.

http://www.novastor.com/en/documents

*******

Windows already has the "previous versions" capability,
which is sort of a muted version of what you're looking for.
Of course, it's not back-ported to Windows 98, so you can't
use the concept for any arbitrary PC shop. This is mainly
for personal consumption, by new computer users.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials...ndows-8-a.html

And you can see here, it's pretty hard to keep users happy.
The backup business is mature enough, that even naive users
have a "tick box shopping list" a mile long. And it means
the UI of the backup software, has to be offensively
complex, just to support all the tick boxes.

http://superuser.com/questions/7423/...st-for-windows

We had some wonderful backup software at work. I think our
IT guy bought it, so users would stop asking him "do you
have my clue.txt file from Tuesday Jan.12, 1953" type questions.
For trivial accidents, the users could help themselves, from
the comfort of their own desk, without allowing others to discover
they deleted something by accident. That software was: server
based (home directories only), took a snapshot every hour, you
couldn't even notice the snapshot being made (likely shadow based),
and there was a "parallel universe", where you could visit a copy of
your home directory from an hour a go, and snatch a file out of it.
Only problem is, I don't know what that software is called :-)
I wasn't "standing around" when it was installed.

When the server ran out of space for those snapshots, we had
a backup device with media stack on it, so the IT guy could
go home, while the backups ran all by themselves (over night).
If you needed a file from your home directory from a year ago,
that wouldn't be on the system (we were too cheap to have
that many disk drives). But it could be restored, just like any
other backup/restore system would. The IT guy could restore
the year-old home directories, you could go back to your desk,
peer into the parallel universe, locate the newly restored
home directory from a year ago, and pull out that clue.txt file :-)
It means minimal interaction with the IT guy, who was already
doing the work of five IT guys as it was. It meant the IT guy
didn't have to sit there and find C:\somepath\clue.txt with
time matching Tuesday Jan.12, 1953. And no IT guy wants
to do that, unless it's the primary job description of course.

Paul

In ,
Paul typed:
I see a green button labeled "30 day money back guarantee"
on the web site. Does that apply to you ? :-)

Ever tried getting your money back? It doesn't work! Same guarantee on
many products like from IBM, Microsoft, Paragon, Acronis, etc. They
either never respond to requests or give you some lame excuse why you
don't qualify. Like IBM gave me the excuse that only purchases made
through IBM themselves qualify. Those from a computer store don't count.
And the computer store won't take it back because you opened the
package.

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core2 Duo T5600 1.83GHz - 4GB - Windows XP SP2

Per Paul:
I see a green button labeled "30 day money back guarantee"
on the web site. Does that apply to you ? :-)

http://www.novastor.com/en/software/smb

There are also "trial" buttons at the bottom of that
page, so you don't have to buy it to try it out.

I don't see the button on my instance. Also I bought it from another
web page and the price was half what that page shows.

Maybe I got some sort of knockoff....

Seems like the only thing to do is download the trial and see how it
looks.

Thanks.
--
Pete Cresswell

Per Paul:
I see a green button labeled "30 day money back guarantee"
on the web site. Does that apply to you ? :-)

I found it.

Just fired off a note to .

BillW50: Stay tuned.... -)
--
Pete Cresswell

On 2/1/2014 3:43 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per Paul:
I see a green button labeled "30 day money back guarantee"
on the web site. Does that apply to you ? :-)

I found it.

Just fired off a note .

BillW50: Stay tuned.... -)

Good luck Pete! I hope it works out as it would be the first time in my
experience it was actually honored. ;-)

--
Bill
Dell Latitude Slate Tablet 128GB SSD ('12 era) - Thunderbird v12
Intel Atom Z670 1.5GHz - 2GB RAM - Windows 8 Pro

Per BillW50:
Good luck Pete! I hope it works out as it would be the first time in my
experience it was actually honored. ;-)

Maybe you brought me luck.... -)
================================================== =====
Dear Peter Cresswell,

Your cleverbridge reference number for this order is xxxxxxx.

To ensure the most prompt and efficient service, please always refer to
your reference number when contacting us.


REFUND INFORMATION

The amount of $44.95 will be applied to your credit card. As a general
rule, please allow up to 5 – 7 business days for the credit to be
visible to your online credit card statement.



YOUR REFUND CONFIRMATION

Attached to this email you will find the refund confirmation for your
order. Alternatively, you can download the refund confirmation at

https://store.novastor.com/243/p/xxxxxx?
================================================== =====
--
Pete Cresswell

On 2/7/2014 6:55 PM, (PeteCresswell) wrote:
Per BillW50:
Good luck Pete! I hope it works out as it would be the first time in my
experience it was actually honored. ;-)

Maybe you brought me luck.... -)
================================================== =====
Dear Peter Cresswell,
[snip]
YOUR REFUND CONFIRMATION

Good deal Pete! At least NovaBackup actually honors their guarantee. ;-)

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - Thunderbird v12
Centrino Core2 Duo T7400 2.16 GHz - 4GB - Windows 8 Pro w/Media Center

Per BillW50:

Good deal Pete! At least NovaBackup actually honors their guarantee. ;-)

Yeah, but they've left me doubting my own judgment.

I perceived their UI as soooooo bad - yet they seem to be a "real"
outfit with a real customer base.

And if it's so godawful bad, why hasn't it become legendary in the
badness-of-user-interfaces category..... so I still have to wonder if I
missed something.

OTOH, although I'm not the brightest bulb on the tree, I'm not stupid...
and I *do* make a living writing applications....
--
Pete Cresswell