Latest ARCserve Backup Eases Disaster-Recovery Implementation

The technology behind ARCserve has been around for some time, evolving through upgrades to add features and additional platform support. But those enhancements often bogged down the popular backup utility, making it complex and difficult to use.

CRN Test Center engineers put the latest iteration of ARCserve through a series of backup functionality tests and were impressed with the across-the-board improvements to all aspects of the product.

ARCserve 9 offers a wizard-based installation program driven by simple forms that automate most installation tasks. The wizard can install the product locally or remotely and can be used to build an automated response file to ease installation to client systems.

During a local install, the installation wizard queries the target system to help identify what options should be installed. During the last phases of the installation process, a configuration wizard will launch to finalize most configuration needs, allowing the product to be used immediately after a system reboot.

Backup software that is difficult to configure and utilize often goes unused, leaving data unprotected. ARCserve solves that problem with an HTML-based management console called the Backup Manager. Test Center engineers found the Backup Manager quite easy to master. The application offers access to the various software components of ARCserve, including a variety of wizards to perform backup and restore tasks, along with managing logs and notifications.

Most solution providers will find Backup Manager's intuitive design and integrated context-sensitive help more than enough to get up to speed without having to refer to any other documentation. ARCserve also integrates with Microsoft's Management Console (MMC) to meet the needs of administrators who have chosen MMC as a primary management platform.

ARCserve includes a plethora of add-ons, options and features. Many of those elements are extra-cost options driven by the needs of the environment being backed up. CRN Test Center engineers installed the product on a Hewlett-Packard file server running Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Exchange 2000 and SQL Server 2000.

During the installation process, several optional agents were selected to meet the needs of the test environment. Installed ARCserve components included agents for Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange and Open File support.

ARCserve offers extensive tape-drive support, ranging from stand-alone drives to high-end tape libraries. Solution providers also have the option to back up data to rewritable CD and DVD media, as well as backing up to alternate hard drives or NAS devices.

Test Center engineers selected a new-to-market Quantum SDLT 320 external tape drive as the backup medium. ARCserve was able to automatically recognize the SDLT 320 drive as a valid backup unit, easing configuration tasks.

Test backups reached speeds of more than 700 Mbytes per minute, showing that ARCserve is able to leverage high-speed backup technology.

Solution providers will want to take advantage of several features found in ARCserve. For disaster-recovery scenarios, CRN Test Center engineers found that the image-backup technology, coupled with the ability to create disaster-recovery media kits, offered one of the quickest ways to restore a failed server.

Another feature is integrated virus scanning, which offers virus scanning on both backup and restore functions, allowing those performing a restore to validate that data is virus-free during a restore, preventing infestations during recovery from a virus attack.

For the growing enterprise, ARCserve offers the ability to add backup agents as needed. Most environments can be readily backed up, ranging from Lotus Notes databases to Linux servers and Novell networks.

All things considered, ARCserve offers the features and ease of use sought by both small and large business, while solution providers will be well-served by the breadth of disaster-recovery features offered with the latest iteration of ARCserve.

> NAME: CA Brightstor ARCserve Backup for Windows version 9
> PRICE: $695 per ARCserve server; prices vary for other components
> DISTRIBUTORS/INTEGRATORS: Arrow, Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex
> COMPANY: Computer Associates International
(800) 225-5224
www.ca.com