Backup for Workgroups - Change History

A quick list of the new and improved features added to Backup for Workgroups by version number.

Backup for Workgroups Version 4.0.2 Patch Update:

• Restore Speed - Data restoration speeds have been improved with Version 4.0.2.  With previous versions, the interaction between Backup for Workgroups and the network card was sometimes negatively influenced by slow responses from Windows. As a result, the throughput was halted unnecessarily when Windows was slow to provide accurate network card status.  Version 4.0.2 bypasses this problem by actively interrogating the networking status directly. As a result, on fast computers, restore times have improved 5X to 10X. Slow computers did not exhibit the problem due to other factors that slowed the restoration process.
• Rotating Primary Storage - When the Primary Storage is rotated, the Backup Client would detect the change in most circumstances and properly re-sync its data with the then, current Data Repository Storage.  There was a case in which the Backup Client would not detect the change in the storage media and was not resyncing.  This is corrected in Version 4.0.2.

Backup for Workgroups Version 4.0.1 Patch Update:

• Scheduler - If two backups occur at the same time, and the option to detect skipped runs was set to OFF, then the second backup run gets skipped. For example, if one backup is running and another is scheduled to run while the first is still running, the second backup would not occur. This is fixed in Version 4.0.1. Now the backups run independently of the skipped backup run detection setting.
• Scheduler Icon - In previous versions, if you closed the Backup Client icon in the tray, it would shut down Backup for Workgroups and therefore scheduled backups would not run. A lot of people just wanted to remove the icon from the tray but keep the Backup for Workgroups program running, so we changed the right-click option menu on the scheduler icon so you can now hide the icon and keep the scheduler running. Note, if you close the scheduler icon, backup progress will not display on the screen when the backup occurs. In other words, the backup process still runs, but it is "quiet" in that you do not see anything on the screen.
• Mirror - We have fixed an issue in which the Mirror would not update if both the Mirror and the primary storage were stored at the root of a hard drive.
• Deleted Folders - When a folder exists and is backed up then that folder is deleted, the next backup would mark the folder deleted. If the folder was created again, the Backup Client software would not change the folder settings within the storage database to mark the folder as "now present." The folder was stuck in this deleted state as a result, if you needed to perform a restore in which deleted folders were not included, the folder being marked as deleted was not getting restored. This is now fixed in Version 4.0.1 - in which the folder state in the storage database accurately reflects the state on the original hard drive.
• Outlook 2007 - When the Backup Client software is set to shut down Outlook 2007 in order to perform a backup, previous versions of Backup for Workgroups were not automatically restarting Outlook 2007 once the backup process was complete. Version 4.0.1 fixes this and now Outlook 2007 automatically restarts after a backup.
• Debug Logs - The Backup Client software has been changed to generate two debug logs. One debug log is for the user interface (UI) and the second debug log is for the Service.
• Error Reporting - If there is a problem storing a file at the Data Repository Manager, in the past the Backup Client software would report a generic, unspecific error message. Now, the Backup Client reports a specific error stating that the Repository cannot store the file and the Repository has more information. The Data Repository Manager places more information in the Message Log about the specific error, making troubleshooting more straightforward.

Backup for Workgroups Version 4.0 Upgrade (Free Update):

• Vista Support - You can use a Vista machine to host your Data Repository and you can install the Backup Client software on a Vista machine to include these new computers in your backup plan. Version 4.0 is UAC compliant.
• Backup Network Shares - Now you can backup network shares by providing the path in UNC format and login information to this network share. In the past, the Backup Client required network shares to be accessed through a mapped drive letter. Now you do not need to be logged in at the time of the backup.
• Remote Desktop - The Backup Client now runs the backup process as a SERVICE. As a result, you can close a Remote Desktop Session without interfering with the backup process. You can also open a Remote Desktop Session and view the progress of a backup in mid-session without interfering with the backup process.
• Better File Change Detection - Now the Backup Client uses additional methods to detect when a file changes to avoid skipping files that do not change their file date/time stamp and/or their file size information. This fixes a problem detecting when a file changes on some SQL Servers.
• NAS Storage Rights - When you use a NAS or file share to store your Data Repository or Mirror, Version 4.0 can detect rights problems and inform you of corrective actions that you need to take when access rights are incorrect to the NAS or file share. Also, Version 4.0 takes additional actions to try to prevent file shares from closing the network share.

Backup for Workgroups Version 3.0 Premium Upgrade (Upgrade Fee Applies):

• Daily Backup Summary Report
  Backup for Workgroups can now send you a daily backup report that shows ALL of your Backup Clients and their backup results.  This color-coded, HTML email chart makes it easy to see who backed up successfully and who hasn't.  This is a great tool allowing you to quickly keep on top of your backup strategy without having to look through lots of individual email messages.  Click here for a sample.
• Ability to Customize Backup Related Email Reports
  Now Administrators can customize the Backup Summary Reports sent via e-mail to include client/computer specific information along with their results.  Variables that can be changed include: subject line, from address, and display name.  This allows you to quickly organize and read the backup results and sort messages by client.
• Email Authentication
  When Backup for Workgroups sends email, you can now specify login credentials to use with your SMTP email server.  Email authentication eliminates the problem of undelivered emails caused by anti-spam and anti-virus programs.
• 256-Bit AES Encryption
  Support for AES 256 bit encryption is available to customers residing in the US and US-export friendly countries.
• Storage Spanning Support - Stores Your Backup Data Across Multiple Devices
  Do you have a lot of data to backup? Concerned about filling up your Data Repository? Now you can use multiple devices as part of a storage group. Your backup data can span across these multiple hard drives, increasing your storage capacity.  The devices can be of any type, as long as Windows sees them as a hard drive.
• Mirror Spanning Support - Stores Your Mirror Data Across Multiple Devices
  When your Mirror storage is running low on disk space, you can add additional capacity by adding a new disk-based device to your Mirror storage group.  This allows the Mirror to grow as needed.  Use the Interlocked Mirror mode to correlate your Primary Storage devices to their own, individual Mirror counterparts.  And, the Mirror now supports blackout periods, to prevent the Mirror from consuming too much of your network resources during business hours.
• Auto Client Update
  Save time with the new Auto Client Update feature.  When you have updated your Backup for Workgroups Data Repository, the Auto Client Update feature will automatically update the Backup Client for you.  Eliminates the need to go to each Backup Client computer to install updates.  Please note: This feature is only activated AFTER you have updated all your Backup Clients to Version 3.0.  In other words, the feature's code needs to be there before you can use it!  But, this will be the last time you need to manually update all your Backup Clients.

Backup for Workgroups Version 3.0 Standard Upgrade (Free Update):

• New Client and Data Repository Manager User Interface with Stretchy Windows
  The new interface includes improved support for 256-color mode computers, which is compatible with most remote desktop software programs.   Screen width settings and location settings are also saved and used the next time the interface is launched.
• Simplified Process of Moving Data Repository Storage
  When it comes time to move your Data Repository to a larger storage device, let Backup for Workgroups do the work for you.  The new Storage panel provides a convenient way to move your Primary Storage location without interrupting ongoing backups.
• Supports Real-Time Mirroring
  Now the Backup for Workgroups Mirror feature runs in real-time and self-throttles, so the mirroring process does not interfere with the speed of the backup process.  And you can now receive emails letting you know when the Mirror storage device is offline or out of disk space.  And use the blackout period feature to prevent the Mirror from consuming too much bandwidth during business hours.
• E-Mail Delivery Queue Enhancement
  The Data Repository now queues up email messages for delivery.  So, if your email server is temporarily offline or inaccessible, your backup related email reports will queue up and will be delivered when the email server is back online.  If any messages cannot be delivered, the Data Repository will retry every 15 minutes for 3 days.  After that the message is deleted and logged as an error in the Data Repository Message Log.
• Open File Add-On Enhancements
  • Exchange Server backup through the Open File Add-On now purges the Exchange log files.  By purging the log files, the backup time is reduced along with the amount of backup data being stored at the Data Repository.
  • Improved Virtual Snapshot - After the Open File Add-On makes the snapshot of a backup set, if any files change after the snapshot they are not reported as errors and will simply be included in the snapshot of the next backup.
  • Fallback Cases - Some encryption programs are not Volume Shadow Server (VSS) aware and can cause the Open File Virtual Snapshot to disappear, which effectively causes the drive to disappear from the Backup for Workgroups' point of view.  The Open File Add-On now detects these encryption programs and will fall back to a non-Open File operational mode to backup the files that are accessible.  This fallback plan cannot backup files that are in-use or locked, but at least the drive is accessible and not hidden from the backup process by the third-party encryption program.
• Disaster Recovery & Restore Enhancements
  When a Disaster Recovery is in process, the scheduler is automatically stopped to prevent a backup from occurring while the computer is being restored.
• File Compression is Now an Optional Feature
  Administrators can now turn off compression to increase backup speed, but please note that without compression there will be significantly more storage space used at the Data Repository.
• Data Repository Manager Uninstall Options
  When the Data Repository Manager is uninstalled, Administrators can choose whether they would like to delete the data in the Data Repository as well, or just uninstall the software program.

Backup for Workgroups Version 2.6 Update (Free Update):

• Improved Scheduler Compatibility with Windows Terminal Services
  Any Windows 2003 Server Client now has the Scheduler installed under the Local System Account, which allows it to be displayed in the system tray.  Also, the Scheduler now writes to a file indicating when the next backup will occur, which eliminates the problem of a Client accessed through Terminal Services reporting that the Scheduler is not running.
• Improved File Retention Functionality
  The Data Repository will now purge files of any size based on user-defined Retention rules.  Previous versions of Backup for Workgroups would not purge a file greater than 4 GB.  After the 2.6 update is applied, the Data Repository will be scanned and any extra revisions (including those over the 4 GB file size) will automatically be deleted.
• Individual Client Disk Space Utilization Reporting
  The Data Repository now tracks and reports the storage space consumed by each Client.  Information includes the total bytes backed up, redundant bytes, and the net storage size (with compression and single file storage taken into account).
• Improved Support for Rotating Data Repository Hard Drives
  The new 2.6 version has added support for situations where the drive that is currently holding the Data Repository is removed and replaced with a new drive.  Backup for Workgroups will now automatically retain the Client list and preferences from the old drive.  The next backup performed by each Client will be a new baseline backup, and each Client will also retain their preferences.
  • When a Data Repository storage device is removed, the Administrator is presented with a dialog allowing them to specify the location of the new Data Repository storage device
  • Changing the location of the Data Repository while the service is running does not alter the Backup for Workgroups Client databases, which allows the Data Repository service to connect to the new storage device
  • Deleting the Data Repository storage location while the service is running will cause Backup for Workgroups to create a new Client database using the cached Client list and preferences from the past
• Improved Support for Exchange Server Backup
  The new 2.6 version has improved support for backing up Exchange Server (version 5.5, 2000 and 2003), whether the Client is using the Open File Add-On, the Exchange Server Add-On, or using the "Stop Services" method.
  • If an Exchange Server has more than one store, the Client will backup all of the stores instead of just the first one.
  • When deleting a Client that was backing up Exchange Server data, the Data Repository will completely delete any files corresponding to the Exchange Server backup.  This prevents the storage device from being consumed with files that are no longer needed by the Client.
  • When a user tries to perform a restore of the Exchange Server data to an alternate folder location, the user is warned that Exchange Server data cannot be restored to an alternate location and the restore process is aborted.  Users can repeat the restore of the Exchange Server data to the original (and usually active) Exchange Server location if they choose.  This also applies to Active Directory data restoration as well.
• Optional ACL / Stream Data Backup
  A Client can now select whether or not to backup ACL and Stream data (under Preferences > Backup Options).  By default, the ACL option is set to "on" for Windows server Clients and set to "off" for desktop Clients.  Accessing the ACL and Stream data information requires the Client to open the file twice, which slows down the backup process and also increases storage requirements.
• Improved Recovery from a Client "Line Drop"
  If the connection between the Client computer and the Data Repository computer is disrupted (i.e. "line drop"), the Client will try to reconnect.  If the the reconnect occurs within the time that the Data Repository detects the line drop, the the Client will continue at the exact same place it left off at, even if it was in the middle of backing up a file.
• Streamlined Client Backup Panel
  Backup Client main user interface now has only one "Backup Now" button that has the ability to choose which backup set to run.   If only a single backup set exists, that backup set will automatically run.
• Re-Sizeable (Stretchy) Windows
  Data Repository Manager interface has re-sizeable windows on all main panels.  Backup Clients also have re-sizeable windows throughout the restore dialogs, allowing for better viewing of restore data filenames and paths.
• Mapped Drive Prompts
  If a mapped drive in a backup set is not accessible, Backup for Workgroups now reports that the drive letter was not available.  Also, when mapped drives cannot be used in association with Windows services, the user is now prompted to switch to the acceptable UNC (\\) path.
• Storage Device Format Prompt
  If the Data Repository is going to be stored on a hard drive that is formatted FAT32, the installation is not stopped, but a prompt warns the user about general file size limitations with the FAT32 format.  (NTFS formatting is recommended.)
• Disaster Recovery Report Includes Service Pack Info
  Custom Client Disaster Recovery reports now include information instructing the user to install the appropriate Service Packs for XP, 2003 and 2000.  (Because all of these Service Packs change the Windows Registry, they must be re-installed before the Disaster Recovery is initiated.)

Backup for Workgroups Version 2.5.2 Update (Free Update):

• Improved support for Windows Terminal Services
  Backup for Workgroups is now compatible with Windows Terminal Services, allowing administrators to remotely access Backup Clients.
• Retroactive support for Client revision limits
  Changing a Client’s revision limit now applies to both actively changing files as well as older files that have remained dormant for a period of time.
• Client backup size information available at the Data Repository
  The Data Repository Clients panel now includes the time, status and data size (in bytes) of a Client’s last backup.
• Support for re-baselining Clients through the Data Repository
  Administrators can use the "Delete" and "Create" buttons on the Data Repository Manager to completely remove all of a Client’s past backup data from the Data Repository.  All Client configurations and settings remain intact for the subsequent re-baseline backup.
• Enhanced support for Data Repository storage devices
  Clients now retain all configuration settings when the Data Repository storage device is moved, rotated or changed.
• Throttling support for Mirror connections
  Administrators can now specify the amount of data written to the Mirror storage device on a per- second basis, which prevents Backup for Workgroups from consuming the entire amount of bandwidth available.