When using cloud storage services, system administrators many times worry about losing data in the cloud because of a cloud provider outage. The answer is simple. You need to use multiple cloud computing services to mitigate this kind of risk. Microsoft’s SkyDrive, Apple’s iCloud, Amazon Cloud Drive, Drop Box etc are some of the best cloud services.

Today we are going to see one of the cloud backup services. Duplicati as it is called is a free software program which can be used to backup your files across a number of well-known free cloud services like Amazon S3, Microsoft Skydrive, Google Drive and more.

According to a study, it’s found that 86 percent of the companies use multiple cloud services. The increasing usage of cloud is due to the fact that it becomes simple to access your files on the go and without the use of your local computer.

Features of Duplicati – Software To Backup Files or Folder to the Cloud

Duplicati can be downloaded from the following link. The following are its features :

  1. It uses AES-256 encryption to encrypt all your data before upload.
  2. It supports incremental backups to save bandwidth
  3. It supports backup scheduling to automatically backup your data.
  4. It supports many targets like FTP, Cloudfiles, WebDAV, SSH (SFTP), Amazon S3 etc.
  5. It allows you to selectively filter which type of files or folders you want to upload.
  6. It can backup even in-use or locked files both in Windows and Linux.

The downloads are available for both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows. It also supports Linux and Mac OS. The installation of the client software is around 10 MB. After the software is installed, you can see an icon in the system tray (if it’s your OS is Windows). Using this icon you can create or restore a backup on the cloud.

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How to Backup to Cloud using Duplicati ?

To setup the backup, just select the option Setup a new backup and click Next. The backup wizard takes you through different screens collecting information about the new backup. You need to give the backup a name and optionally add it to a group. If you are a Windows user, you can select the files in your user profile (like My Documents, My Pictures etc.) or you can select a custom folder to backup. You can also protect your backup using a password and encryption (AES-256 or GPG).

Then you have to choose a cloud backup service like Amazon S3, Rockspace, Cloudfiles, Google Drive, Microsoft Skydrive, FTP server, File based (backup to local hard disk or portable USB disk), WebDAV and Secure FTP as a target location.

Cloud Backup Service - Duplicati

[Img Source : TrishTech.com]

That’s it! Major work is done. For some cloud services like Google Drive, you need to provide credentials in the form of username and password. You can instantly run the backup by checking the Run backup now option. Otherwise, the backup will run at scheduled times.

Scheduled Backup - Duplicati

The restore process of your backup from the cloud service is just as simple as creating one. You just have to run the Restore Wizard from the Duplicati icon in the system tray.

Conclusion:

The main advantage of cloud backup services is to protect your data against theft, hard disk failure, malware infection and many other unpredictable events. So using Duplicati you can store backup of your files or custom folder to the cloud service of your choice. It’s of experts opinion that backup should be saved away from the source, so in case of physical damage like fire, the backups stay safe and secure.

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Thus, the Duplicati program not only helps save your backup away from the source, but also backs up to different cloud storage services which makes it doubly sure of any accidental damage of your data.

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