To use ARCserve, the systems administrators completed a 40-hour training session. With amerivault, they installed the amerivault agent software on their workstation or laptop and on each server. They can see which files have changes, and how much data was compressed. If the backup fails the first time, they'll get e-mail message immediately. HP Hood's backups take anywhere from five minutes to 20 minutes the most, rather than several hours.
Employees can use the servers as they are being backed up.
Moulton says a server can take a slight performance hit during the backup. To transmit the backup to amerivault's DS3 line, HP Hood uses its full T1 Internet connection, which goes to a port outside of the company's firewall. Encryption methods range from 128 Blowfish to the federal government's Tempest. Previously, HP Hood's systems administrators would have to search ARCserve's backup log to locate the tape, then load the tape in the DAT device, and then go back and find the file and restore it. To restore files with amerivault, systems administrators select the files, directories, or entire drives they want to restore from, and then they answer a couple of questions about where to place the data.