Looking for snapshot software with the following criteria?

I have never been big on snapshot software until now. I'm using Rollback RX, and I also am running a trial version of FirstDefense-ISR to see the differences in the two. I'm already aware that FirstDefense-ISR project is dead. Just using it for ideals on what to look for. Here is what I have found. Rollback RX has a handy on-demand feature that allows the user to take quick snap shots. First-Defense ISR makes the user have to use a scheduler to create a schedule for taking snapshots which i don't like because I want to decide on when to take a snapshot without the use of a scheduler. First Defense-ISR allows you to use an external drive to save your snapshots to so you don't have to use up your system drive space. This would also be more reliable in the event of complete system failure. So what snapshot software is available that allows you to store your snapshots to an external drive, and allows you to easily take snapshots on demand without having to use a scheduler?

 

you can try Drive snapshot.. I am using it for a very long time and it has yet to let me down

 

Hi C_E,
Have you tried our Multi-Snapshot utility yet?

http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/returnil-labs

Mike

 

Can you store your snapshots to an external drive, and take snapshots on demand without having to use a scheduler with Drive Snapshot?

 

No I have not tried Returnil's Multi-Snapshot Utility. I did not know they had one. It sounds like what i'm looking for if I can store the snap shots on an external drive so I don't use up all my system drive space. I will give it a try. Thanks!

 

Mike,

Thanks. Can the partition be imaged and the image restored to a new HD in the event of failure of the primary HD? Will the snapshots be present in the restored HD?

 

It is not an image in that sense. Think of it as an extremely fast alternative to Volume Shadow Copy that uses RVS virtualization tech rather than the Windows approach. For example, on a bare-bones Windows 7 32 bit VM in VMWare, it can create the snapshot within a few seconds. Restoring takes longer.

One of the current enhancements in testing is to support automated restoration to the most recent snapshot at computer restart.

The snapshots can be done by schedule (once an hour - later builds will have other time periods available), but the current GUI is set up to work as C_E was looking for in his original post. So you can take an uber fast snapshot whenever you need one and move along with whatever you are working on without having to wait for an image to be created or you can take a series of snapshots and decide on whether to force the most recent or select an alternate snap taken manually or automatically as described.

Mike

 

Mike,

I guess I wasn't clear. Using a dedicated imaging app, can the OS partition be imaged and restored to a different HD and still have the Returnil snapshots operational on the new HD?

By dedicated imaging app I mean an app in addition to Returnil.

 

yes IME you can..and you dont need to schedule you can do it on-demand

 

Yes, as long as the RMS Utility is installed within the image the snapshots are also within the image so when you restore they should be available once you open the RMSU.

Mike

 

C_E, there seems to be some confusion here. Please understand that Rollback Rx is an 'instant' backup/restore system whereas Drive Snapshot is a disk-imaging solution (which takes a snapshot at the rate of about a minute/GB). Therefore the 'snapshots' these two programs produce are conceptually quite different.

As a user of both programs I find that each one complements the other. You are quite correct in that Rollback Rx's snapshots are stored on the C-drive (and you can not elect to store them on any other drive). However, you can use Drive Snapshot to image your C-drive (partition) along with all Rollback Rx snapshots to an external hard drive!

Aaron

 

Mike,

Using Returnil Multi-Snapshot, after restoring the system to a previous state (snapshot), do you lose all subsequent snapshots? To clarify, suppose I have snapshots A, B, C and D. If I restore B, will I lose C and D?

Aaron

 

I use the same strategy as above. I use rollback rx to take instant snapshots and then i use acronis trueimage to make a backup of them on an external drive.

 

farmerlee,

When you restore an Acronis TI image, is Rollback still operational or does it have to be re-activated? Are the Rollback snapshots still operational? Just curious.

 

Brian,

As I have used ATI, I can assure you that it works the same way as Drive Snapshot (and other disk-imaging programs) in that if you want to capture RB with all snapshots the image must be created from outside Windows*, using ATI's Linux Boot Disk and its sector-by-sector option.

Aaron

* Fwiw, I just recalled that markymoo had accomplished a complete backup of RB and its snapshots from within Windows by using Image For Windows with Phylock. However, in order to restore the entire system (with RB), he had to restore the MBR from a separate backup.

 

Aaron,

Thanks for that. It's clear now.

 

Brian, that's an excellent question. I need to know that as well since I have not rolled back my drive with ATI since installing Rollback RX on the same machine. I would think that if Rollback RX does not create a separate partition isolated from the OS then you would loss what snap shots were created after your ATI image was created. If it creates a separate partition for storing it's snap shots then it would be possible to keep all your snap shots. That is if you did not use the sector by sector restore option that ATI has as an option. I don't see a separate partition on my disk anywhere created by Rollback RX so unless it is hidden I believe you would loss those snap shots. Is my analogy correct?

 

Cutting_Edgetech,

I'm not a Rollback user, just an interested observer. I did some tests recently but haven't gone any further. Especially in view or Aaron's information.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=289829

 

You must mean ATI's sector-by-sector backup option. If you don't use that option as I described in post #15, there are two other possible outcomes, neither of which will restore all of RB's snapshots!

If you use create the ATI image from within Windows you will wind-up only capturing your current RB snapshot; all other RB snapshots will be lost (in the image file). If you create the image using ATI's boot disk without using the sector-by-sector option, you will wind-up capturing RB's baseline snapshot and all other RB snapshots will be lost. Furthermore, upon restoring the image in either of these two scenarios, RB would have to be reinstalled.

Aaron

 

Yes everything is operational as far as i know. I don't remember having any problems last time i did it. The only downside to this method is the sector by sector backup is larger and therefore takes more time to backup and restore. But for me thats a lot less painful than the alternative.

 

I'll drink to that...

 

if you don't mind losing your snapshot uninstalling and re-installing RX only takes minutes.

less time than doing a sector by sector image.
not to mention the size of a full blown sector by sector image.

of course, the main thing thing is: if you don't mind losing you snapshots...

 

I was just saying that you would loss any snap shots made after the sector by sector image was created. If you restore with a sector by sector image it will overwrite the entire drive there for losing any snap shots made after the restore image had been created.

 

You will loose the others in the current generation of the tool.

Mike

 

Running Drive Snapshot on my PCs in maintenance-mode (sector by sector), a backup only takes 15% to 30% more time and space than a 'normal' image-backup. The actual difference depends on the number (and size) of RB snapshots on my C-drive at the time of backup.

So with my configuration, uninstalling and reinstalling RB (before/after doing a normal image-backup) is more time consuming than doing a sector by sector backup (and of course, there goes your RB snapshots)!

Aaron