A program for backing up files to the cloud. Backup the smart way. Choosing the right information backup program. Video tutorial about Yandex Disk backup

Tutorial

One of the most problematic tasks for the average user is backup under Windows, which would cover the following issues:

fast (ideal in the background);
would save both the current version of the files and the previous ones;
file storage would be inaccessible to viruses or natural disasters such as storage media destruction or theft;
the contents of the backup copy would be accessible only to the user, i.e. passworded.

There are many proposals for this, but none of them completely accomplish the task. Easy simple copying does not provide speed, quick saving does not provide reliability, copying to an external hard drive does not guarantee its theft.

However, tools to solve the problem have already existed for a long time. The main thing is to correctly use the Unix way and batch files. And the easiest option is to zip the files into one archive and send it to online storage using the command line. To speed up the work, the task is divided into 2 stages - first, a full archive is created and sent to online storage, then incremental archives are created as necessary, which gives speed. Archive encryption ensures data security.

What is required to solve the problem:

account in Yandex to gain access via webdav to the Yandex disk. The use of any other storage is not prohibited;
7z - console archiver, distributed free of charge;
curl is a console tool for working with the Internet, distributed free of charge.

For portability I put 7z.exe, 7z.dll And Curl.exe into one directory. Depending on how it was compiled Curl.exe, it may be necessary to put it nearby or add it to the library system libeay32.dll, libssh2.dll, msvcr100.dll, MSVCR110.dll.

Next, in this directory, it is advisable to create a directory in which you need to place files and directories for the future archive. I call it "backup" and in it I place hard links to files or directory links (the corresponding functionality is available in FAR using the Alt+F6 key combination). This way, without changing the structure of existing data, I can create a backup structure that is convenient for me.

Next directory - "temp". Designed to store a data archive before sending it to the server. At the same time, it will be an encrypted copy of the current data, which provides additional backup in case of a virus attack.

Then you need to create a fairly simple bat (cmd) file in the source directory "full.bat" the following content:

@echo off set filebkp=work set pathbkp=backup set srvbkp=https://user: [email protected]/backup/%filebkp% set pathtemp=temp set full=%filebkp%-full del /F /Q "%pathtemp%"\ 7z.exe a "%pathtemp%\%full%".7z -x!*.log ; -r -mx1 "%pathbkp%\*" -ppass_for_archive curl.exe -k -X DELETE "%srvbkp%" --verbose -o .\stdout curl.exe -k -X MKCOL "%srvbkp%" --verbose -o .\stdout curl.exe -k -T "%pathtemp%\%full%".7z "%srvbkp%"/ --progress-bar --verbose -o .\stdout

set filebkp=work- specifying the general name of the computer and the path on the server where the backup copy will be stored. Because There can be several computers, then this can be a backup copy of a work computer, a home computer, or a laptop; specifying an individual name will not allow the copies to be mixed with each other.
set pathbkp=backup- specifying the path to the directory where the backup data is stored, in this case the directory with hard links and directory links is specified, which you should have created earlier.
set srvbkp=https://user: [email protected]/backup/%filebkp%- specifying the directory on the server where the backup copy will be uploaded. user and password - passwords for your Yandex account;
set full=%filebkp%-full- specifying the name of the archive in advance.
del /F /Q "%pathtemp%"\- deleting (cleaning) the temporary directory
7z.exe a "%pathtemp%\%full%".7z -x!*.log; -r -mx1 "%pathbkp%\*" -p pass_for_archive - archiver startup line. pass_for_archive- Your password to the archive.
curl.exe -k -X DELETE "%srvbkp%" --verbose -o .\stdout- deleting the destination directory on the server.
curl.exe -k -X MKCOL "%srvbkp%" --verbose -o .\stdout- re-creation of the destination directory on the server.
curl.exe -k -T "%pathtemp%\%full%".7z "%srvbkp%"/ --progress-bar --verbose -o .\stdout- uploading the archive to the server using curl.

Thus, by running the script "full.bat", You will receive the full version of your files in an archive in the directory "temp" and hers in the catalog "backup/work" on the server, encrypted with your password. This may take some time and has its limitations in terms of archive size, but the most important and at the same time daily changing data should be archived in this way.

Why important and changing daily? Because the following script, "inc.bat", allows you to find and send to the server in an incremental archive changed data that differs from the full version:

@echo off set filebkp=work set pathbkp=..\backup set srvbkp=https://user: [email protected]/backup/%filebkp% set pathtemp=..\temp set full=%filebkp%-full set inc=%filebkp%-inc set h=%TIME:~0.2% set m=%TIME:~3.2 % set s=%TIME:~6.2% set ms=%TIME:~9.2% set curtime=%h%-%m%-%s% set dd=%DATE:~0.2% set mm =%DATE:~3.2% set yyyy=%DATE:~6.4% set curdate=%yyyy%-%mm%-%dd% set curdatetime=%curdate% %curtime% 7z.exe u "%pathtemp %\%full%".7z -x!*.log; -u- -up3q3r2x2y2z0w2!"%pathtemp%\%inc%".7z "%pathbkp%\*" -ppass_for_archive ren "%pathtemp%\%inc%".7z "%inc% %curdatetime%".7z curl. exe -k -T "%pathtemp%\%inc% %curdatetime%".7z "%srvbkp%"/ --progress-bar --verbose -o .\stdout
I think you can decrypt this file yourself - the script uses 7z to analyze what is already in the directory "temp" the complete archive and the source directory, finds the changed files, packs them into an incremental archive, named by the current date and time, and sends them to the server. Thus, if a complete archiving takes, say, 1 gigabyte and 3 minutes of time, then the changed files usually take 10-50 megabytes and fly to the server in a few seconds. By placing "inc.bat" in the Windows Task Scheduler, you will allow this process to occur on a schedule at a time convenient for you, which will allow you to forget about it.

When it seems to you that the time it takes to create incremental copies has become too long, you can run it again "full.bat"- this will clear all directories of full and incremental archives and create a fresh version of the full version.

Introduction to cloud backup. What is cloud backup?

Bacula Enterprise Edition 8.8 software not only connects to open (public) and closed (private) cloud storage (via S3 and Azure interfaces), but also offers a wide variety of tools that allow users to backup to the cloud, as well as save money when using cloud storage for data storage. Bacula Enterprise software was designed from the ground up to be a set of features that could offer users cost-effective and efficient solutions. Simply put, when you purchase Bacula Enterprise, you gain powerful, scalable backup and recovery solutions that can be used across cloud, virtual, and physical environments.

Cloud backup to keep costs in check

Bacula Enterprise Edition combines the benefits of an open source engine with the functionality of professional enterprise software. Moreover, Bacula Systems provides support and training for Bacula Enterprise Edition users around the world. The scalability of the product, realized thanks to the modular software architecture and a large number of configurable options, allows large data centers to make cloud backups of petabytes of data.

The variety of options offered by Bacula Enterprise now also includes a native solution for cloud platforms used as data storage, integration with which is carried out using the S3 or Azure interfaces. The functionality of the solution is characterized by the absence of any significant restrictions: the new cloud storage solution can be used in conjunction with any other functions of Bacula Enterprise software. This means that the user can use features such as bare metal system recovery, snapshot creation, single file recovery, single mailbox recovery (for Exchange), all dispatch functions, advanced encryption, compression, full compatibility (e.g. and Microsoft files), as well as creating backup copies of data at any level. The user can create cloud backups and restore data to a completely different level using a single user-friendly interface.

Bacula Enterprise's cloud backup software is another part of the software's modular architecture. Thanks to this cloud backup solution, the user will be able to create backup copies of virtual machines, databases, and other applications, or classic file backups, and write them directly to an open (public) or closed (private) cloud storage without the need to obtain and use any new knowledge. Backup to the Cloud from Bacula Systems allows the user to combine the benefits and simplicity of Bacula Enterprise's GUI and command line functionality.

Example of using cloud backup

However, how can this solution be applied in practice in order to make a backup to the cloud? Below are examples of two administrators working in two different companies who were tasked by the IT Director and the Executive Director to create backup systems in the cloud, since this solution seemed more profitable to management compared to creating an additional data center .

The first employee immediately switches to using cloud backup storage to maintain regularly created backups of corporate data. These backups can be used not only for emergency data recovery, but also for data recovery at the request of company employees in case of deletion or loss of necessary files.

Since the first employee does not see monthly bills for using cloud backup storage, he is unaware that data recovery costs are starting to increase (previously such costs were classified as sunk costs associated with the use of local backup storage infrastructure). As a result, after 6 months of using cloud backup storage, the IT director begins to question why the cost of data recovery is steadily rising. After all, it was assumed that using automatic backup to the cloud would cost the company less than local physical infrastructure. Once the manager realizes that the cost of restoring data from the cloud is more expensive than conventional locally stored backups, the decision is made to return to the local backup storage infrastructure. At the same time, at the time of making a decision, all company backups are stored exclusively in the cloud and do not have copies on physical media. Thus, the bill for moving data back to physical environments increases the bill even more. As a result, the wrong decision costs the company a lot of money, and the unlucky employee is blamed for the failure of the cloud backup strategy.

The second administrator first conducts research and finds that automatic backup to the cloud is suitable for disaster data recovery, but not for everyday recovery. He understands that cloud backup storage avoids the need to create a second company data center, but local backups are still needed for the normal functioning of the business and the correct assessment of costs. This company decides to implement a single Bacula Enterprise platform for creating physical, virtual and cloud backups and receives disproportionate benefits in the form of a small bill for using cloud services, because the company uses the local Bacula cache for daily data recovery. However, a year later, a company executive learns about a new, cheaper cloud storage provider and orders a switch to the new service. Since Bacula software stores local copies of all backups, the company does not have to spend large amounts of money moving data from one cloud storage to another. You can immediately refuse the services of the old provider and configure Bacula software for the new cloud backup provider.

Cloud backup architecture with Bacula Enterprise Edition

In addition to an application for storing data on file and tape storage devices, Bacula software currently also offers an application that allows you to organize data in the cloud. This server-based application, designed for Storage Daemon, allows the Bacula software user to store data backups in cloud storage and, at the same time, use all the functions and capabilities of the Bacula software.

Enterprise Edition 8.8 – Cloud backup architecture

Backup to cloud storage using Storage Daemon Bacula Enterprise utility

Organizing objects before writing to the cloud

When backing up to the cloud, the Storage Daemon (SD) Bacula Enterprise Edition utility behaves exactly the same as in the case of creating a backup or restoring data for a virtual or physical environment, both from the user’s perspective and from the File Daemon utility’s perspective. Instead of writing a continuous stream of data to volumes or reading data, the Bacula Enterprise Edition server application on the cloud backup storage side divides the data into “pools” that are cached locally and synchronized with the cloud storage service in the background.

Unique Pools Method (Bacula Cloud Volumes)

This special feature allows you to efficiently upload/download Bacula disk volumes and new cloud volumes. The storage contains all the parts of the files, which means smaller amounts of data can be managed. As a result, the user can have granular control over which data can be backed up and which data can be downloaded from the cloud, saving time and money. Simultaneous asynchronous upload and download of Bacula data “pools” allows for multiple connections to the cloud, providing additional operational flexibility and greater control.

Recovering data from the cloud

Cached portions of the data may be stored locally if necessary, or may be deleted to clear the local cache. During recovery, cached pools will be used and, if necessary, only necessary pools will be healed from the cloud storage. In most cases, using this solution can significantly reduce the costs of using the cloud environment. This method provides the ability to store all types of data using a cloud server application. In particular, the method supports the storage of client-encrypted or compressed backups, as well as data generated by the plugin, which avoids imposing any restrictions on existing backup scenarios.

BWeb from Bacula Systems is a powerful GUI web application built for Bacula Enterprise Edition. The figure below shows an example of the Data Recovery Wizard.

Recover cloud data using BWeb in four steps.

Once configured, SD Utility-enabled cloud storage can be used just like any other Bacula storage device. The flexibility of integration and configuration allows batch uploading of data and loading only those data that are actually necessary for the operation of the system. This provides significant cost savings for the cloud storage user.

Thanks to the configurable local cache, the speed of creating a backup is comparable to the speed of creating a backup on a local disk, and you can control the synchronization delay. Since the volume of such data plays a big role when storing data in the cloud, it is recommended to compress it.

Security issues when backing up to the cloud

Some users are concerned about the security of data storage in the cloud. Therefore, it is important to note that Bacula Enterprise Edition has a set of advanced features that guarantee the security of data storage. Some of the features are used directly in conjunction with the cloud environment, others are used in conjunction with the physical (virtual) environment:

Compatible Cloud Platforms

The cloud storage backend application for Storage Daemon uses S3, S3-IA, and Azure protocols, including transport layer encryption in transit across a wide range of public and private cloud services. This architecture involves the use of cloud platforms such as Amazon, Azure, Google and Rados. With the solution from Bacula Systems, you can backup to Amazon S3 AWS and backup to Azure. Bacula Systems recommends using its data encryption solutions when choosing an open (public) cloud platform. The architecture of Bacula Enterprise Edition 8.8 is shown in the figure below.

Tripwire is a trademark of Tripwire Inc.

A lot has been written about backup to external media in Windows 7 or 8.1. But what if you use multiple devices (for example, computer, tablet, Windows phone)? And you urgently need data, say, documents stored on a computer or some other device? In such a case, it is best to create a backup copy in the cloud. By the way, I would recommend placing your archives there too. For example, archives of the same documents. By the way, this is also very useful if you use an SSD solid-state drive in your laptop instead of a regular hard drive. In this article we will look at the main cloud storage systems - OneDrive from Microsoft, Google Drive, Dropbox and Yandex Drive.

Using OneDrive is quite beneficial if you are running Windows 8.1. In this case, the storage capacity can be 15 GB, and if you are also a happy owner of an Office 365 subscription, then the OneDrive storage capacity is not at all limited. New Google Drive users start with 15 GB. Dropbox starts out with only 2GB of free space, but most users quickly increase that to 5GB or more. A 1 TB subscription costs $10 per month or $100 annually.

All services allow you to specify which files and folders you want to synchronize with the cloud. This means you can keep some files and folders in your cloud drive only and upload them as needed. Let's take a closer look at how this is done.

To get started with Dropbox, you need to go to www.dropbox.com, register and select the appropriate subscription plan for personal use (see Screen 1). You will then be prompted to download the appropriate package for installation (see Screen 2).

Screen 1: Dropbox

Screen 2: Registering with Dropbox

I would like to immediately note that when registering with Dropbox, you are asked to provide a password only once, so you need to be more careful.

Selective synchronization when using Windows 7, 8 or 8.1 systems is as follows. To create selective synchronization rules, right-click on the Dropbox icon in the taskbar - the settings window will open (see Figure 3).

Screen 3: Account Settings

In fact, selective sync allows you to specify which folders you want to sync with Dropbox. This is certainly convenient if you have a netbook or computer with a small hard drive (and don’t have an external one with you). Please note that selective sync folders must be inside your Dropbox folder. Thus, for selective synchronization, you need to copy the files that you want to transfer (copy) to the Dropbox cloud storage to the appropriate folder on the disk.

If you unsync a shared folder through the Selective Sync menu in the Settings window, it will stop syncing only with your computer. In this case, the folder itself will remain in Dropbox and will be synchronized with the accounts of other users who have access to it. To stop using a shared folder, you can either leave it on the Dropbox website or (if you created it yourself) unshare it.

To download Google Disk, you'll need to sign in to your Google services account and then select the Google Disk service (see Figure 4).

You can configure the following settings.

Account

Disable Account. Sync your Google Drive folder with another Google account (not recommended).
Expand storage space. Buy extra space.

Synchronization options

Sync only some folders with this computer. Check the boxes next to folders in My Drive to enable synchronization. Uncheck the boxes next to folders that you don't want to sync.
Synchronize objects that I have access to. If you're using the new Drive experience, move files and folders from the Available section to the My Drive folder to sync them with your computer. If you're using classic Drive, add the folders and files in the Shared with Me section to the My Drive folder.

Advanced

Launch Google Drive automatically when you turn on your computer. Google Drive will launch and sync the folder on your computer with the My Drive section.
Send crash reports and usage statistics to Google. Send information to Google so that the service can be improved.
Proxy server. There are two functions available to you: “Direct Connection” and “Automatically Detect Proxy Server Settings.”
Other. Display file synchronization status icons.

Select files and folders to synchronize with your computer. All Google documents, sheets, presentations, forms, pictures, and pivot tables sync to a Google Drive folder on your computer. To turn off synchronization, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Google Drive icon.

On Mac computers, you can usually find it in the Menu bar at the top right of the screen.

2. Select Settings.

3. Uncheck "Sync only some folders with this computer."

4. Click the Apply Changes button.

“My Disk” section (all files or individual folders). All files and folders in My Drive are synced to the Google Drive folder on your computer. To set up synchronization of individual folders, follow these steps:

1. Move the files to the folders you plan to sync.

2. Click the Google Drive icon on your desktop.

On Mac computers, you can find it in the Menu bar at the top right of the screen.
On Windows computers, the icon is located in the taskbar in the lower right corner of the screen.

3. Select Settings.

4. Select the "Sync only some folders with this computer" checkbox.

5. Select the folders you want to sync with your Google Drive folder.

6. Click the Apply Changes button.

Working with OneDrive

If you're using the Windows 8.1 operating system, One Drive storage is provided to you by default. OneDrive is free online storage that comes with your Microsoft account. Getting started with OneDrive is easy. You can add files already saved on your computer to OneDrive by copying or moving them. You can save new files to OneDrive so you can use them from any device and share them with others. And if your computer has a built-in camera, you can automatically save copies of your photos to OneDrive so you always have a backup. Unlike previous storage options, you can save files directly to One Drive without saving them to your computer.

Desktop app features built into Windows

OneDrive syncs files when you sign in with a Microsoft account. If you install the desktop app on a computer running Windows 8.1, the installer does not appear. A component will be installed that will allow you to use Office to work with OneDrive documents at the same time as other users, but other components will not be installed. If you're running Windows 7 or 8, you can download the classic OneDrive management app at onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/download/.

For Windows 8.1 users, just do the following (see Figure 6):

Open OneDrive in Windows Explorer.
Right-click the file (folder) and select “Make available offline” or “Make available online only.”

As shown in Screen 8, to synchronize Yandex Disk, just copy the corresponding files to the Yandex.Disk folder. At first glance, this approach to synchronization is most reminiscent of Google Disk. This is partly true.

Using the Yandex.Disk web application, you can download the corresponding application for Windows. For selective synchronization, you need to enter the Yandex Disk settings panel and select the “Synchronization” tab. If you uncheck the corresponding folder, it will not be synchronized. To upload files to a folder where synchronization is disabled, you can simply drag the files into it in Explorer. Thus, in this case, the contents of the Yandex Disk root folder are always synchronized, and the contents of subfolders can be synchronized at your choice.

The main difference between Yandex Disk and Dropbox and Google Disk is that you can save files to Yandex.Disk directly from Microsoft Office.

Thus, using cloud storage, you can not only increase the free space on your hard drive, but also provide a backup copy of your most important files (documents, photos, etc.). If we compare the ease of using selective synchronization, the conclusion is clear. Both Dropbox and Google Disk configure selection at the folder level. Thus, you need to go to the “Settings” dialog of the corresponding service and manually specify which folders are synchronized and which are not. A solution that supports the context menu in Explorer and allows you to configure file synchronization and placement exists today only from Microsoft.

Cloud Backup (BaaS) is a cloud data backup service based on one of the market leading solutions - Veeam Backup & Replication with Cloud Connect technology. The service allows you to backup any physical or virtual servers and save backup copies in the LanCloud cloud. Backups will be located outside your office in a reliable data center certified by TIER-III Facility & Operation. The built-in backup encryption function on the client side allows you to be 100% confident in the confidentiality of information transmitted to the cloud.

Cloud Backup allows you to restore both individual files and entire physical or virtual servers, including the state of the operating system. In addition, the service supports backup and granular recovery of applications such as Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server and Oracle. In particular, you can restore individual AD users, Exchange mailboxes and individual letters, individual SharePoint items, and database transaction logs at a specific point in time. Restoration can be done either to the original location or to an alternative location.

Key benefits of LanCloud Cloud Backup:

Backup of physical servers running Windows or Linux with the possibility of full recovery to another hardware or virtual environment
Backup of any Hyper-V or VMware virtual servers with the ability to completely restore the state of the virtual machine or individual files
Granular application recovery: Active Directory, Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server and Oracle with the ability to recover individual objects and databases
Ability to encrypt data on the client side before transfer to the cloud
Storage of backup copies offsite in a reliable TIER-III Facility & Operation data center.
Ability to restore backups to the LanCloud cloud in the event of a complete failure of the local infrastructure
One of the most favorable prices on the market for data volume - 1 rub./month. for 1 GB
The first month of using the service is free.

Rates

Features and Features	Cloud Backup Workstation	Cloud Backup VM Standard	Cloud Backup VM Enterprise	Cloud Backup VM Enterprise Plus	Cloud Backup Server
Price for 1 virtual or physical server per month without VAT	440 ₽	440 ₽	800 ₽	1200 ₽	1200 ₽
VM ( Hyper-V or VMware) whole or individual files
Backup and restore the state of the physical server as a whole or individual files with the ability to restore to the original location or to another hardware
Backup and Restore Active Directory		Recovering single user and computer accounts	Restoring several objects simultaneously, containers, group policy objects, integrated with Active Directory DNS records
Backup and Restore ExchangeServer		Recovering individual objects (letters, mailboxes, notes, contacts) to .pst	Restoring objects to their original location
Backup and Restore SharePoint Server		Restoring individual objects to a file	Restore sites, collections, and objects to their original location
Backup and Restore SQL Server		Recovering an Entire SQL Database	Restore transaction log, databases and SQL objects (tables, stored procedures, views) to the original or another SQL Server
Backup and Restore Oracle
Deduplication and data compression
Ability to exclude individual files and folders from backup
WAN acceleration (acceleration of data transfer to the cloud up to 50 times)
Backup from storage hardware snapshots
Self-service file recovery portal for users

Over time, your computer or laptop accumulates enough a large number of files - 1000, 2000, or even 500,000. Their importance can be very high, especially if these are family photographs, videos, or work documents.

To reliably protect valuable files from viruses and damage As a result of a file system failure, each PC user needs to make a duplicate of their data at least once every 2-3 weeks - create backup copies. Having a “fresh” backup will help you restore information from it in case of loss.

Where to store backups: on an external HDD or trust the cloud?

When there were no “clouds” yet, backup copies were usually stored:

on local PC
external (removable) USB drive, flash drive or DVD
on a server on the local network
on a remote FTP server

Advanced users and system administrators also copied files to remote servers using FTP / SSH / WebDAV, etc. protocols. Now there is an additional opportunity - to store folders on the Internet, on a server from the Yandex company.

What is Yandex Disk?

I am index drive is a cloud service that allows you to store files on a server under your account. By default, you are provided with 10 GB of disk space free of charge and forever, with the possibility of further increase. Due to its accessibility and convenience, this service quickly gained popularity and, as of October 2018, it is already used by more than 16 million users.

Benefits of Cloud Storage

Storing files outside the office (outside the home) helps protect data from fire and viruses
High reliability, since folders are additionally backed up by Yandex, and transmission is carried out using a secure protocol
Availability of data from anywhere in the world
High trust, since the Yandex company has been working in the IT market for many years - it is a leader in the field of IT and Internet services in Russia and the CIS countries.

Flaws

The resource is limited to 10 GB, increasing the size is paid
Very secret (confidential) information that represents a trade secret is still not recommended to be stored in the clouds

Whether to store backups online or not is up to you. If you are an ordinary user who has not very sensitive data and its volume is about 3 - 6 GB (does not exceed 10 GB), then backup to Yandex.Disk is an excellent free solution for ensuring the safety of document files, photo and video backup! As a rule, the specified volume is sufficient to store several copies of the most important files.

Exiland Backup - a simple cloud backup tool

This concludes my brief overview of the opportunity. If you have any questions, I will be happy to help. Write to me via the feedback form.

Mikhail, Exiland Backup developer