Barracuda Backup

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Barracuda Backup?

The Barracuda Backup is an affordable, integrated local and offsite data backup and disaster recovery solution. The Barracuda Backup combines an onsite appliance with a flexible monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription that replicates data offsite. Combining local and offsite storage provides the best of both worlds – onsite backups for the fastest restore times and secure, offsite storage for disaster recovery.

Why do I need a backup solution?

Equipment storing information can fail. Backup, whether it is local or offsite, maintains a redundant copy of an organization’s valuable data in the event of a system failure or natural disaster as well as retains data to fulfill compliance requirements and litigation requests. With the additional copy of data, IT administrators gain the ability to easily restore important files. A backup solution for data restores is an integral part of an organization’s disaster recovery plan.

Why can't I use tape or an external hard drive for backups? What are the benefits of a combined local and offsite backup solution?

Tapes require the manual management of scheduling backups. Hard drives only create one instance of your data. Whether using tapes or hard drives, the stored data has no means to minimize file duplications and does not possess revision history to select the correct historical version to revert back to. Another burden is the need to regularly transport data offsite for a secondary copy in the event of a system failure or disaster.

In comparison, an integrated local and offsite backup solution is easy to manage with automatic backups based on a set time, as well as the secure transfer of data offsite for disaster recovery.

Why should I use a dedicated appliance for my backups?

There are several advantages to using an appliance to conduct automated data backups and offsite replication. An appliance created for backup, like the Barracuda Backup Server, is a purpose-built appliance that enables centralized management of backup connections to multiple devices and provides the local storage necessary to keep a primary backup copy onsite for fast recovery in the majority of data loss scenarios.

Software backup solutions need installation and management on every server they protect, plus requires the administration and support of additional hardware to provide recommended local storage of the backup data. Unlike many software solutions, the Barracuda Backup Server protects data using standard networking protocols from computers running a wide range of operating systems. Other benefits of using the appliance for backups include dedicated processing power for deduplication and compression to increase efficiency in storage and transmission, reduction of load on production servers by not having to run backup software and the creation of a dedicated restore device on your local network.

How is the Barracuda Backup different than other product offerings?

The Barracuda Backup creates a local copy of protected data and efficiently transfers the data offsite without additional burden to production servers. The offsite storage is monitored and managed by Barracuda Central as part of the monthly Barracuda Backup Subscription. With three secure copies of data and several different methods to restore an organization’s assets, the Barracuda Backup is a comprehensive, flexible and efficient solution to achieve your disaster recovery needs.

Is Barracuda Backup safe?

The Barracuda Backup utilizes an aggressive combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical encryption. The United States government recently approved 192-bit AES encryption as the preferred method for protecting top secret information. The Barracuda Backup starts with the even more secure 256-bit AES encryption level. Your data is secured by this aggressive encryption methodology both while being transferred offsite and during its storage at Barracuda Central.

Where is my data stored with the Barracuda Backup?

The Barracuda Backup is an affordable, integrated local and offsite data backup and disaster recovery solution. The Barracuda Backup combines an onsite appliance with a flexible monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription that replicates data offsite. Combining local and offsite storage provides the best of both worlds – onsite backups for the fastest restore times and secure, offsite storage for disaster recovery.

What are the ways to restore data from Barracuda Backup?

Data is easy to restore using any of the following methods, including:

1. Barracuda Backup Restore Browser
2. Barracuda Backup local Restore Browser
3. 24/7 Barracuda Technical Support restore assistance
4. Shipment of restored data from Barracuda Networks

Can the Barracuda Backup help achieve compliance with common regulations?

Yes. Barracuda Backup addresses the security requirements necessary to support compliance with a wide range of industry-specific regulations such as HIPAA for the healthcare industry, and Gramm-Leach-Bliley for financial organizations.

Does Barracuda Backup help retain and produce data for litigation requests?

Yes. Retention policies using Barracuda Backup assists organizations in preparing for discovery requests by simplifying the retention and reproduction of electronic data. The flexible data retention options with the Barracuda Backup allow you to enforce specific policies for your various types of data.