Veeam – description of the free backup tool
A secure backup for home use. Just a few years ago, each of us had a stack of binders containing our most essential documents. Today, virtually every office and bank offers digital document signing. When shopping online, we receive bills and invoices electronically, and when making transfers, we can generate confirmations in...
Secure Backup for Home Use
Just a few years ago, everyone had a stack of binders containing their most essential documents. Today, virtually every office and bank offers digital document signing options. When shopping online, we receive bills and invoices electronically, and when making transfers, we can generate confirmations in PDF format. Therefore, binders are slowly becoming a thing of the past, being replaced by various types of portable drives.
How can we keep our data stored on our computers safe? Manually creating backups can be time-consuming and complicated, and it doesn't guarantee that everything was done correctly. What if a file we've been working on for a long time and was supposed to remain unchanged is accidentally overwritten? At this point, the possibility of recovering it is practically zero and will require the help of a data recovery specialist. This also takes time and money, and offers no guarantee that the lost data will be recovered. Furthermore, returning a drive with all our data on it deprives us of the ability to continue working.
Therefore, it's currently recommended to use programs that automate the backup process and perform incremental backups. This allows us to restore previous file versions using a simple wizard, often integrated with the program itself.
Which backup software should you choose?
When choosing a backup software, you should consider several aspects.
Pay attention to the business profile of the company responsible for the software.
It often happens that developers release a virtually identical product every year, replacing the old version, requiring a fee. This means that after a year of purchase, you lose any program updates that may fix bugs, security vulnerabilities, or ensure compatibility with the new operating system.
Make sure the program has the required functionality (such as the previously mentioned incremental backups) and supports the storage device you're using.
Sometimes, a given program doesn't allow you to save data to a network location or requires an additional fee because the free version only allows you to use local storage or doesn't offer incremental backups. Therefore, it's worth thoroughly reviewing the features offered by a given solution before installing it.
Do you really need paid software for home use?
There are many good, free solutions that are budget-friendly and offer the functionality we need. One example is Veeam Agent, a free program available for download directly from the manufacturer's website: https://www.veeam.com/agent-for-windows-community-edition.html
Configuring Veeam Agent for Windows
A sample configuration and backup method will be presented using the Veeam program mentioned above. Founded in 2006 in the United States, this company has been providing backup and recovery software for both on-premises and cloud-based solutions, as well as virtualization, for years. It is available for a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
Installing the program is straightforward. Simply download the installer, run it, and complete the installation process, which prompts you to specify the installation location. Immediately after installation, the program will prompt you to create recovery media, which is entirely optional. After completing the installation, the main window of the configured program will look like this:
From this level, after clicking on the three horizontal bars visible in the upper left part of the window, we can add a backup task.
After selecting "Add New Job...", you'll be taken to a new window with a new job wizard.
Here you can choose, among other things, what exactly should be backed up – whether it's the entire computer, a specific drive, or just a folder. Here you can also specify the backup location and the dates on which the backup should occur.
- Backup Mode: Choose whether you want to back up the entire computer (Entire computer), a specific disk (Volume-level backup), or specific files and folders (File-level backup).
- Destination: Specify the location for the backup. This can be a local disk, a network location (as shown in the image below), or a Veeam repository located on a server.
- Shared Folder: Allows you to enter credentials for network locations requiring a login and password, as well as select the data compression level. This is especially useful when you have large amounts of data that need to be transferred over the local network, which can cause slow performance or even connection interruptions.
- Schedule: This tab configures the backup frequency. Here, you can specify individual days for backups and edit them to suit your needs.
- Summary: A list of previously selected options will be displayed as a summary. Here, you can verify that the settings are correct.
After selecting the "Run the job when I click Finish" option, the first backup will be started. The time required to complete the job varies and depends on the amount of data, processor speed, hard drive type, backup media, and network card speed.
Recovering Data from a Previous Backup
Data can be recovered from a previously created backup in two ways. The first is from the main program window, after selecting "Restore Files" or "Restore Volumes." The second is located in the left-hand side menu beneath the three horizontal bars. Then, search for the job name and, as above, select one of the two options. The wizard shown below will open, allowing you to search for and recover your file.
As the example above shows, configuration shouldn't pose any major problems for someone familiar with computers, even at a basic level. A good backup policy is crucial not only for companies and businesses, but also for the average home user. Losing access to our data can be very unpleasant, whether it's vacation photos and videos, bills, or any other documents. Choosing the right program to back up our data will save us not only stress but also time, because after the initial configuration, it will work in the background, without interrupting our daily tasks.
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Why is it worth hiring an IT company rather than a freelance IT specialist?
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