Handy Backup

Handy Backup
Developer(s) Novosoft
Stable release
Handy Backup 7.8.5 / September 23, 2016 (2016-09-23)[1]
Development status Active
Operating system Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP SP3, 2012 Server, 2008 Server, 2003 Server, Linux [2]
Available in English, Spanish, French, Russian and other (7 total) [3]
Type Backup software
License Commercial proprietary
Website Handy Backup

Handy Backup is a backup and disk imaging software developed by Novosoft LLC. Handy Backup creates backup copies of data stored on computers working under Microsoft Windows OS or Unix-like systems like as Linux. With this software, a user can create backup, restoration and synchronization tasks through a graphical user interface. It is a unified backup solution allowing backing up files, folders, libraries, disk images, popular databases, virtual machines, FTP and cloud content and any other data existed, in a fully automated mode.

Overview

Introduced in 2002 by Novosoft, Handy Backup is a backup software targeted for use in home and small business environments. The program was originally designed for backing up individual files and data and settings of popular software applications. Modern versions of Handy Backup allow users saving and restoring copies of all types of information, including popular database formats, websites, servers, virtual machines and a content of different cloud accounts. All functions of the program are controlled via the comprehensible, intuitive graphical interface.

Features and options

Handy Backup has a Wizard driven interface and a task-based architecture which allows creating and scheduling three types of operations: backup, restore and synchronization. Program supports all known backup types and is suitable for heterogenous networks. It also allows notifying users, logging events or viewing in details any task attempted to run by the program.

Supported data types

Handy Backup can save any type of information in automated mode. For most data types, the program allows a “hot” backup functions (saving data without stopping an appropriate data-processing software). These are some most popular options among the data types processing by featured instruments of Handy Backup:

Supported storages

To store backups, users of Handy Backup can select among many options available:

Supported backup types and options

For any data backup, Handy Backup allows some options making the backup process fully controllable and allowing it to fit perfectly to the specific needs of any user:

Supported file systems

File systems supported by the software include NTFS, FAT16, FAT32, Ext2, Ext3, ReiserFS, Reiser4 and other. This variety is achieved through the use of disk imaging module which allows performing sector-based backup which does not query the file system. Though this feature is not primarily designed for hard disk cloning, it can also be used for this purpose.

The Native Storage Format

Preserving native data formats when backing up the information is a part of the philosophy making Handy Backup a unique solution among the different backup software available. Instead of a “backup-restore” cycle, using the conception of native format allows users of Handy Backup to copy, move or even process data just from backups, without a need for obligate restoration.

Thus, data stored in backups can be simply sorted, arranged, viewed or even restored manually, without a need to reverse the backup process totally. This feature can even be used for making perfect copies or mirrors of data sets by the place, where the term “data backup” will mean just “copy data to a selected destination in a fully automated mode”.

Handy Backup .HBI format

Handy Backup stores information about each backup task in index files of its own .HBI format. Each index file contains the list of files, their sizes, time of creation, time of last modification, file attributes, and other data. It also includes a reference to the previous index file and is renewed with each execution of the task, which enables doing incremental and differential backup and save only changes. In Handy Backup, incremental backup is made on file level and differential backup is made on byte level.

Available Editions

Handy Backup comes in three editions designed for individual PCs: Standard, Professional and Small Server. Also, there is an enterprise backup edition called Handy Backup Network Server which includes all features of Handy Backup Small Server and allows backing up data of networked workstations. The editions have different sets of features and are targeted at different market segments. All programs are distributed as shareware and have a full-featured 30 days trial period.

Reviews

Many reviews mention Handy Backup as the light, fast and unified solution for backing up, restoring or synchronizing data. For example, The Top Ten Reviews marks a Small Server edition as a good server-level solution.[5]

Another review by PCMag appreciates a Small Server edition as one of Best Small Business Apps for 2012, almost universal solution for backing up server-level business data[6]

Copyright ownership

An actual, stable and constantly developed branch of Handy Backup is owned by Novosoft LLC and available through the Web from an address handybackup.net.[7] All data described previously in this article, including features, references and links, belong to the Handy Backup software solution provided by Novosoft LLC. Novosoft LLC is a dynamic, constantly growing company providing newer versions and upgrades of Handy Backup. The ownership of copyright on Handy Backup held by Novosoft LLC is legally registered, as well as the trademark “Handy Backup” for Novosoft LLC in Europe.

handybackup.net vs handybackup.com

Novosoft LLC was partnering with Novosoft Inc. in the field of software development. In 2003 the companies decided to make their businesses independently. On May 29, 2003 the copyright of Handy Backup was transferred to Novosoft LLC. After that Novosoft Inc. re-registered a website handybackup.com on some unknown person. For now this website contains an obsolete version of Handy Backup that cannot operate under Windows 7 or newer systems, as well as lacks many actual features and technologies.[8] In May 2008, the Texas District Court acknowledged that the Handy Backup copyright had been transferred to Novosoft LLC, so it is illegal for Novosoft, Inc. to sell Handy Backup products. Users who want to acquire a legal and modern product must use the website http://handybackup.net.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Download Handy Backup".
  2. ↑ f"Handy Backup Datasheet" (PDF).
  3. ↑ http://www.handybackup.net/morelanguages.shtml
  4. ↑ "Handy Backup Cloud Storage - HBDrive".
  5. ↑ "Handy Backup Small Server review by Top Ten Reviews 2015".
  6. ↑ "Handy Backup Small Server Review by PCMag".
  7. ↑ "Updates of Handy Backup by Novosoft LLC".
  8. ↑ "Updates of Handy Backup by Novosoft Inc.".

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/9/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.