Q. I have XX gigabytes of data to back up, surely that too much to backup on-line?
A. Hundreds of gigabytes of data can and are managed by Internet backup systems. What is important is the amount of data that changes each day. The first backup will always take time, it can take eight hours to upload one gigabyte on a domestic 2MB connection. Fortunately InterVault Lite uses a system called delta file encyption, this is the technology that makes Internet backup feasible. After the first backup a ten gigabyte account can take less than 10 minutes to backup.
Q. How long will the backup take?
As the first backup is a full backup it can take a day or more to complete, fortunately our software completely manages the process and you won't even know it is happening. On going backups complete in a matter of minutes.
Q. How do I restore files?
A. It could not be simpler. Click on the Restore Now button on InterVault Lite and enter your username and password. You will be presented with a conventional tree view folder window containing your backed up files. You may either drag and drop or right click and copy/paste the folders.
Q. I've forgotten my password, what can I do?
A. If you lose or forget your password you must contact us. We will disable your password immediately and issue a replacement once we have confirmation of your identity.
Q. What if I backup more data than my account can handle?
A. If a backup exceeds your account size, backups will run as usual and your data will be safe. We will contact you and request that you reduce your backup or upgrade your account.
Q. Can I backup multiple computers on one account?
A. Yes you can. In Options ensure Use Host ID in folder name is selected. Each computer will then backup into a separate folder under your main account.
Q. Am I opening my computer up to attack from the likes of hackers or viruses by using on-line backup?
A. No. We open a secure connection between your computer and our servers at the data centre, once your data has been uploaded the connection is terminated.
Q. What if my internet connection fails during a backup?
A. InterVault Lite is designed to cope with Internet service disruptions. However if the Internet is down for an extended period of time, approximately more than 5 hours, then a backup will fail. Any such failure will be reported in both the logs and the summary page.
Q. Do I need your software to restore my backups?
A. No, you may restore your backups from any web browser via the Restore link on our website, www.darkdata.co.uk.
Q. What is delta file encryption?
A. Delta algorithm compression is similar but much more efficient than conventional incremental backup methods as it works within files. An example would be how we handle the Outlook email client. Outlook stores all emails in one file (.pst) and so it is not uncommon for this file to be in excess of 1 gigabyte. If we had to transfer this each day Internet backup would not exist. As it is delta file algorithm only requires the changes within a file to be sent. This means we transfer kilobytes and not gigabytes.
The first backup is a full backup and it can take a day or more to complete fortunately our software completely manages the process and you won't even know it is happening. The on going backups complete in a matter of minutes.
