Common Questions about the Nexus Backup System

Who is this service aimed at?

The Nexus Backup System is a cost effective solution ensuring your important data is protected in the event that it is destroyed, corrupted or stolen. Whether you have one computer in your office or 20 computers, the Nexus Backup System is designed for any company that has vital information stored on their PC's, laptops or servers. If your computers contain any of the following, then you need the Nexus Backup System:

• Financial Information
• Client Database
• Customer Records and Files
• Documents, Letters and Quotations
• Designs, Plans
• Important information contained in saved emails

Do I need any technical knowledge to use the Nexus Backup System?

No! The Nexus System has been designed to ensure the task of backing up couldn't be any easier. The entire system is set up by our trained IT professionals. They will ask you what programs and files you use, and what files you would like to backup. They will also suggest some files you may not have considered as important to backup. Once the system is set up, it is fully automated so you never have to worry about the backup again. However you can at any stage add new backup tasks to the software yourself if you so desire. You have full control of your backups.

How can I be sure that the backups are happening after your Installers have left?

The Nexus Backup System is designed to continually monitor your backups. If our server does not receive one of your scheduled backups you will be notified by email. For peace of mind you will also be alerted to all successful backups, just so you know the data is being backed up.

How safe is my data once stored on your server?

Your data is very safe. In fact it is probably safer on our server than it is on your own computer. Please read our Data Security page for more information about how your data is prepared, transferred and stored.

How much does the Nexus Backup System Cost?

Nexus is an affordable option for businesses of all sizes. If you consider what it is already costing you to backup your data (staff hourly rates, blank CD's, time, use of the office computer) and risk, you will see that the system is worth every cent. The Nexus Backup System is more secure than other backup options and you remove the risk of losing all data (primary and backup) in the event of a complete failure or disaster.

How easy is it to access my backup data?

When the Nexus Backup System is installed on your computer you have access to software that allows you to browse your backup data on the Nexus Backup server. You simply select the files you wish to restore. The files will be securely transferred back to your computer from the backup server and saved in their original location, unless you specify a different one. It couldn't be any easier.

Why should I use the Nexus Backup System?

The system has been designed in order to correct the many vulnerabilities in common backup systems. Storing the data remotely ensures you will always have your data in the event the primary data is lost. Many companies perform a backup to CD, DVD or tape, then keep the disk in the office. What happens if the office burns down? What happens if it is stolen or destroyed? How safe is it to take the backup home and does somebody religiously stick to a firm schedule of doing the backup?

Because current systems of backing up data usually require manual intervention you run the risk of missing a backup, incorrect backup procedure or incorrect storage of data. Manual intervention costs your business time. Time is money, and your time is best spent doing what you do best, running your business.

So to sum up, you should use the Nexus Backup System to:

• Reduce Risk
• Save Money
• Save Time
• Have peace of mind

I have more than one computer, can I backup files from multiple PC's?

Yes, The Nexus Backup System can copy data across networks. Or, you can simply run separate instances of the Nexus Backup System for each PC, and save it all to the one account. In other words, it is no problem at all.

How much data can I back up?

A standard plan includes 10GB of storage. Because the data is compressed when backing up you can literally store up to 20 GB. Here is a quick example of just how much space common files use:

Qty	Type of Data	Average Size
3 x	MYOB Accounts Data File	10mb each
2000 x	Word Documents	270kb each
2000 x	Spreadsheet Documents	450kb each
2 x	Access Database Files	50mb each
1 x	Outlook Storage File (Emails)	1000mb
Total:		2.5GB

The above examples have been calculated on the the data in an uncompressed form. You can easily assume that in most cases once the data is compressed the actual total size will be about half of the original size and possibly less than a third of the original size.

Some files cannot be compressed because they are already compressed to begin with. For example MPEG, MP3 and JPG files cannot be compressed.

The storage space also needs to hold subsequent backups and deleted files for a set period, so you have the choice to restore files that may have been accidentally deleted from a previous backup. This is called 'Retention'. You can control the retention period and, if you are backing up small amounts, we suggest utilising the spare space and increase retention period.

How often does my data get backed up?

When the Nexus Backup System is installed onto your computer we set-up a schedule depending on your requirements. Some of our customers have several schedules EG: daily and weekly etc. We recommend that daily backups include the really important data, which changes daily, and the less important data, weekly.

What operating systems is the Nexus Backup System compatible with?

The Nexus Backup System supports most operating systems.

• Windows 95 / 98 / ME / NT / 2000(SP2) ¹ / XP(SP2) ¹ / 2003 / Vista
• Linux kernel 2.2 or above ²
• NetWare 5.1 or above
• UNIX
• Solaris 2.x or above
• AIX
• HP-UX
• FreeBSD
• Mac OS X 10.2 or above
• All other operating systems that supports Java2 Runtime Environment 1.3.1 or above

What about backing up a laptop / portable computer?

The Nexus Backup System includes a feature called 'Offline Backup'. This is designed for portable computers that do not always have access to the Internet. It automatically begins a backup after a set expiry time the next time the laptop connects to the Internet. It is all automatic, the user doesn't need to do a thing. Additionally, because all the backup tasks are monitored, your IT or system administrator should receive an email when your backups are overdue. This is added insurance against you forgetting to connect your laptop up to the Internet at least once a week.

I have a large amount of data to backup. What is the best way to do this?

There is virtually no limit to the amount of data that can be stored in a Nexus account. If your initial backup is very large, we 'seed' the data directly to our servers. When seeding the data, we copy it to a portable hard drive in an compressed and encrypted format. Our Installer takes the hard drive directly to our data centre and load the files onto your backup account directly. Any subsequent backups from that point onwards will only copy the new or changed data from that point on. Statistically only 2% of total data is changed daily, so your subsequent backups will transfer minimal amounts of data.

Does Nexus support my software?

Nexus supports virtually all software, databases and operating systems. We offer specific support for the following:

For all businesses

• MS SQL Database
• MySQL Database
• Oracle
• Lotus
• Exchange Server
• Small Business Server
• All File Systems

For the Medical Sector

• L.O.T.S Dispensary
• MedTech General Practice
• Toniq Dispensary

If you're not sure about support of your software, please submit a question below.

Who is currently using Nexus?

The Nexus Backup System is used widely throughout many industries, particularly the medical sector. The primary industries that use the Nexus Backup System include:

• Small Business (general)
• Medical & Health
• Corporate
• Government
• Manufacturing & Industry
• Business & Financial Services

Not sure if we can help you? Please contact our sales team for a free assessment of your requirements.

Do I need to buy any hardware?

The Nexus Backup System operates entirely from software that we install on your computer or network. Our monitoring ensures that it works correctly. Nexus eliminates the risk and cost of buying and maintaining expensive hardware and consumables.

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