Backup software decides how fast and how completely you can recover. Features and pricing change often, so focus on the approach first.

Main categories

– Image-based backup of servers and virtual machines. Veeam is widely used for Hyper-V and VMware environments, with strong recovery options.

– All-in-one backup and protection. Acronis combines backup with security features and cloud storage.

– Cloud-native backup services. Subscription services back up directly to the vendor’s cloud, with little on-site equipment.

– Built-in tools. Windows and NAS backup tools suit very small setups but offer limited reporting and recovery features.

What to compare

1. What it protects: physical and virtual servers, workstations, Microsoft 365, SaaS apps, databases

2. Recovery options: full restore, individual files, bare-metal recovery, instant VM recovery

3. Ransomware protection: immutable storage, offline copies, and anomaly detection

4. Encryption: in transit and at rest

5. Storage targets: local disk, NAS, cloud, tape

6. Reporting and alerts: you need to know when a job fails

7. Licensing model: per workload, per user, or per terabyte

8. Data residency: where cloud copies are stored, important for Quebec’s Law 25

Test before you trust

Run a real restore of a server and of individual files. Time it, and compare it to your recovery time goal.

Keep the 3-2-1 rule in mind

Whatever software you choose, keep multiple copies, on different media, with one offsite and ideally immutable.

Monitor daily

A backup that silently fails is worse than none, because it creates false confidence.

DBR Soft supplies, configures, and monitors backup solutions. Ask for a backup health check. Contact us for more information.