FarStone&'s RestoreIT Offers Secure Image-Based Backup

The threats to data clearly are numerous, ranging from viruses to hardware failure to malicious intent. Add to that the need to be aware of what happened at a particular point in time, and it&'s clear you have created the perfect environment in which data backup needs to become a primary tenant of any security strategy.

The trick is providing secure backup while ensuring data is readily available for forensic or restoration needs. The answer comes in the form of image-based backups.

FarStone Technology, Irvine, Calif., has answered the call to make imaging both easy to use and appropriate for security purposes in the form of its RestoreIT line.

CRN Test Center engineers examined a network version of the product, aptly named RestoreIT Network, which is priced at $599 for 10 users. The product is a client/server application, with the server component residing on network storage hardware, while the client component is pushed out to desktop systems.

The wizard-driven installation process is incredibly simple: The only configuration information needed is the IP address of the server and whether you&'re installing the client or server portion.

FarStone uses some unique technology to create backups—or restore points, as FarStone calls them. A portion of the local hard drive can be converted into a restore point area; in other words, the product re-partitions the hard drive and saves data to the newly created partition.

That partition is accessible from RestoreIT even if the operating system isn&'t loaded, which can prove infinitely valuable if an operating system crashes or is seriously infected.

Administrators also have the option of capturing all data on a hard drive to an alternate storage location. That option becomes important for forensic tasks, so an administrator can compare current data against a previous data set.

What&'s more, the product allows an administrator to burn images (or restore points) to DVD or CDR media, making a backup portable or suitable for long-term needs. This is helpful when it comes to tracking security or company policy violations or the introduction of spyware or viruses onto a system. Now, not only can an administrator quickly recover from a problem, he or she has complete access to information about what caused the problem in the first place.

If inclined, restore points can be saved to local hard drives to support remote workers or notebooks. Administrators can initiate the restore or backup process from the management console, without any end-user intervention.

The RestoreIT backup process can be automated and set to perform incremental backups. The process also can be password-protected, and data can be encrypted with a password. Moreover, the product can be installed in a stealth mode, which means the backup and monitoring activity can be hidden from end users.

In addition, administrators can remotely view log information, reboot machines and send SMS messages to the client PC, along with monitoring activity in realtime.

FarStone makes it easy to become a channel partner, although it splits its activities between retail and value-added channels and only 35 percent of its products flow through indirect sales. Partner requirements are minimal, and margins range from 15 percent to 30 percent depending upon the volume of products sold. The company does offer dedicated partner support and a partner-only Web portal. Training is free, as is access to marketing materials.

The company has more than 40 resellers and boasts a 95 percent partner retention rate.

Partners and the associated level of support they receive are divided into three categories: Standard, Silver and Gold. Silver and Gold partners have access to extended support, both Web-based and phone support. Standard-level partners do not have access to free phone support but can submit support requests via a Web portal.

With a little bit of aggressive commitment, partners generally can rise to a higher level. By doing so, they have the potential to earn better margins and access to more not-for-resale demo packs, along with live support. One commitment activity FarStone will look for is an active marketing program, which the vendor can help define.

Channel program gripes aside, RestoreIT offers an almost ideal method for small and midsize businesses to prepare for data backup, data protection and disaster recovery, with a little bit of archival and forensic support thrown in.

The product&'s ease of use is a boon for both large and small installations and to both solution providers and end users.