Zmanda releases update, Quest offers free backups!
Zmanda, from Sunnyvale Ca, released a major upgrade to their suite of backup products. Big points include support for Exchange 2010 and VMWare backups. A really interesting feature is the option to replicate the backup server itself, making portability for disaster recovery easier. They claim to do all this at 1/10 the cost of standard backup options. Check out the release.
Quest, an ISP/Phone provider for many, has joined the fray and is offering backup servicesfor free to home users. @ GB for free, $5 per month for 50 GB. Pretty decent an realistic rates. They do have a captive audience, and they do control the network, so it could be a growth option for them. For home users, this might be a good alternative to Mozy and the like, although I haven’t seen the software (at this point, for all i know it could be a rebranded version of Mozy).
iTunes: Backing up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch software
From http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1414:
Backing up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Your device is backed up by iTunes each time you:
- Sync with iTunes (automatically on the first sync, every time you connect it to the computer)
- Update in iTunes (occurs automatically without prompting)
- Restore in iTunes (prompts you to create a backup before the restore process begins)
Although iTunes backs up most of your device’s settings, downloaded applications, your audio, video, and photo content are not included in the backup.
If restoring from an iTunes backup, your device settings, downloaded applications, audio, video, and photo contents will re-sync to the device because the “Sync” option under the respective tabs will be checked in iTunes when restoring from a backup. If you choose to restore your device as a new user, downloaded applications, audio, video, and photo content will not be synced until you select the “Sync” option in iTunes under each tab.
You can manually back up or restore your iPhone or iPod touch from a backup. To do so, Control-click or right-click the iPhone or iPod touch icon on the left side of the iTunes window and choose Back Up or Restore from Backup*:
iTunes will not offer the option to restore from backup if no backups have been performed prior to accessing this option. For a list of content that iTunes backs up, as well as more information about backups, see iPhone and iPod touch: About backups and iPad: About backups.
For restoring and updating instructions, see apple’s support guide: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1414
Syncing is not Backup
Dave Greenbaum points out, quite well, that syncing is not the same as backing up.
http://theappleblog.com/2010/03/26/syncing-does-not-a-backup-make/
It is a really great post, which notes the distinction between making something available in multiple places and actually backing up. MobileMe, DropBox, and Sugarsync, for example, are not online backup services, they are sync services, and while they offer some potential to use file versioning to retrieve files, there is no guarantee! Of course, Mozy doesn’t guarantee anything either. But some folks do, like The Backup Plan 
iPad backup considerations
My guess is that Apple will sell 1 or 2 iPads this weekend. If they do, then there will be quite a few folks out there taking pictures loading pictures, storing music, books, files, apps, etc. So, remember, this is not an item that is approved for end-user service. So, if your device dies, or the screen cracks, or the battery dies, then you may end up sending the iPad in to Apple for warranty “repair” – depending on your service options. Apple has already stated that for battery issues, they will be sending out REPLACEMENT iPads, and it seems likely that the same may be true for most depot service orders for the iPad.
SO??? So, make sure you sync it with iTunes often. That is the only current backup method for the iPad, and doing so will make you feel much better if or when you do have to swap it out for a replacement.
Free, Faster, Better Disk Image backups
Dennis O’Reilly has a write upcomparing the built-in disk imager of windows 7 to a free 3rd party tool: Easeus Todo Backup
The write-up is thorough and the Easus Todo Backup product comes out on top, mainly because it is faster and it uses a nifty wizard to guide the end user through the process.
Disk Imaging is likely to become a pretty hot topic in the coming months, as various companies implement the API from Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2, which supports leveraging Volume Shadow Copies to create disk images. Managed backup service provider The Backup Plan (sponsor of this site) is even in on the game, offering full offsite backup of images in Vista and windows 7 and Server 2008.
Disk Imaging is important because it allows full point-in-time recovery of a partition. This is often known as bare-metal restore, and saves recovery time because the machine can be deployed exactly as it was at the time of the image, so all programs are installed, computer identity is intact, etc.