We can safely conclude FD-ISR is over?

Hello-High Priest Easter

Never believed in conspiracy theories

 

This gives the story according to Horizon Data.
Unfortunately,the URL doesnt stay active,therefore a copy is shown.


"The genesis of FD-ISR was as a Server product. It was first built for the oil pipeline industry in Alaska. Servers run the pump stations 24/7 and any server crash creates a pipeline stoppage. Thus came FD-ISR - you could now switch to a different system image and immediately restart the server. Once the pumps were running again, you could do a careful job of fixing whatever made the server crash.
FD-ISR Server version has been implemented successfully all around the world.
A few “power users”, like you, began to use the multi-boot and archiving capabilities of FD-ISR on workstations. Thanks to this interest, the Developers came out with a workstation version. In addition, Rollback v8.0 archiving was a bit clumsy; so some people began to use FD-ISR Workstation, in conjunction with RB Rx, for it’s archiving.
As I mentioned, FD-ISR is a Server product and is very successful. The market for Workstation version, however, turned out to be quite small. Raxco tried to market it, but soon dropped it.
HDS was interested in FD-ISR Server for its Server clients. Seeing what a well-made product it was, and that some RB Rx users were using it, HDS decided to market FD-ISR Workstation, as well. Again the small size of the market was discouraging. In addition, RB Rx v8.1 improved archiving tremendously, which further shrank the market.
So, we now had 2 products that did substantially the same thing. This confused the marketplace, which did not help. Rollback Rx already had deep penetration in the workstation market; FD-ISR Workstation did not. The business case was self-evident. The Developers decided to retire the Work*station product altogether. No more copies will be sold, either by HDS or by anyone else. There won’t be any upgrades
HDS will not abandon our existing FD-ISR Workstation Users. You may use the current version of FD-ISR Workstation in perpetuity. You will continue to receive tech support till Dec. 2008.
HDS has decided to address the large market for a “simple” disaster recovery product by creating FD-ISR Rescue. FD-ISR Rescue is NOT an upgrade to FD-ISR Workstation – it is a much simpler follow-on product that uses the FD-ISR internal engine.
Meanwhile, the Server version FD-ISR will live on and become Rollback Rx Server. It will continue to be developed further. New features will come out on that product, but they will be the things that Server users demand. If, in the future, you find certain new features that you desire, you are welcome to buy the server version. Fair warning: it is more expensive.
That is all there is to the story of FD-ISR Server, FD-ISR Workstation and FD-ISR Rescue. It was an uncomplicated, “reality-based” business decision"

 

Hello Low Priest and Steer Harry Coo

Conspiracy you say? Seems more a market engagement transpired wouldn't you say as more close to the truth.

At any rate this line of obvious ommisions from reality are not results of engaging logical discussion but rather make for quick exit to some superlatives of speech in a vain attempt to cast doubt IMO, so rather than waste useful space in a echo chamber of empty dialogue of no substance, we'll just leave your speculations now to open review from your opinions.

FD-ISR is made HISTORY! And remains LEGENDARY! A pioneer of the first order of the best ISR ever conceived then implimented into public distributions.

And it's original version remains in it's current form eons ahead of anything else any other ISR is proven to date, irregardless of the product's latest transformation into more welcome hands of vastly craftier product developers.

 

I'm not emotional regarding softwares and that's why I'm not a fan of anything.
Why would I be a fan of FDISR ?
- FDISR has only one frozen snapshot = disadvantage, which is a daily problem for me.
- FDISR has no schedules on demand = disadvantage, which is a daily problem for me.
- FDISR has annoying copy/update processing screen, which is a daily problem for me.
- FDISR has no protection against low level harddisk changes = disadvantage, which is an accidental problem for me.

What do we have at this moment ?

1. Boot-to-restore solutions :
Baseline Shield, DeepFreeze, FirstDefense-ISR Rescue, PowerShadow, Returnil, ShadowDefender, ShadowUser, ... These are not a replacement for FDISR.
Any experienced FDISR-user knows that immediately by just reading the features of all these boot-to-restore solutions.
If you don't believe me, I can give you the proof by testing these softwares one-by-one.
The bottom line is that all these softwares are NOT an alternative for me as long FDISR is usable.

2. Multiple snapshots solutions :
BackOnTrack Suite, Rollback Rx, ... I tried to find others without success, except clones of Rollback Rx.

BackOnTrack Suite is nothing but a combination of ISR, File Backup and Image Backup and ONLY the ISR-part of BOTS is new and is LESS than FDISR.
I don't need File Backup and Image Backup of BOTS, because I have these already.
BOTS is nothing but the final result of an ISR-software from a company (Roxio), that has no experience at all in ISR. BOTS is just an attempt to make more money and money rules, while users are fooled.

RollbackRx is NOT the same as FDISR, it has a total different method than FDISR and requires another style of working from the user.
All snapshots are based on the baseline snapshot and that makes it very vulnerable, you don't bet on one card.
Each snapshot and each archive is another card in FDISR and that makes it robust and reliable.
RollbackRx is not robust, it's fragile and it requires rules regarding defragging and cleaning, if you don't follow these rules, RollbackRx goes down.
Average users are just blinded by the speed and less space of RBRx, even a kid can see that.

In other words all these ISR-softwares require Image Backup/Restore alot more than FDISR, because they are not as strong as FDISR or they have missing features. Image Backup is NOT Immediate System Recovery, because it's TOO SLOW and that makes it INCONVENIENT.

Believe me, if there was an alternative for FDISR, I would have ditched FDISR already and use that alternative, because I don't like softwares on my computer, that have no future anymore and FDISR is DEAD.
What's the point of praising FDISR in to heaven ? FDISR is history and can't be recommended anymore to users.
The forum of FDISR will die too, because there won't be new users anymore to assist them.

I keep on using FDISR, because it
- saves me alot of time
- is a real troubleshooter in deeds, instead of blablabla.
- is versatile and does more than ISR only
FDISR is brilliant and years ahead, but it needs users with a creative mind.
The rest is mediocre, average and too simple, that's why they created so many of them, because it has a bigger audience of average users.

I'm just waiting until I find a replacement and 5 years is a long time.

 

Little off topic, but that is how I felt when CA aquired Tiny Personal Firewall... just now is there begining to be anything that comes close.

Edit: Open Source would of sure been nice for FD-ISR, eh?

 

Unfortunately, I cannot evaluate softwares, like firewalls and anti-malware, because I hardly understand them. My knowledge of internet and malware is too poor, to evaluate this type of softwares. I can't even configure them.

Restoring my computer is something else, I studied FDISR very well from the beginning and compare FDISR constantly with the new versions of other ISR-softwares. As long they don't do any better, I keep FDISR.

 

Yes it would be nice, FDISR would be improved this way.
Money is a real quality killer, I've experienced that in my job.
When something isn't logical during my analysis, money is often the reason, why it isn't logical and users don't like to talk about it, because they make a profit of it themselves and then it becomes a secret for me.

 

No conspiracy..
No cult; just appreciation of a good tool. (well maybe a bit of a cult )

Accoring to HDS only a bunch of looney fringe conspiracy happy Wilders powerusers were able to appreciate FDSIR LOL
Heh Heh Heh That would be me. LOL

HDS apparently owns FDISR: they can do what they want.
RollBack is so similar people get confused :
Server rebadged with same name but utterly different machine
That wont be confusing....

AS per previous advice I assume RollBackServer and RollBackRx should not be installed anywhere together and remain friends: supposr they are different apps after all...that's ....hhmmm..FDSIR and FDISR server must have terrible conflicts..dont they..

There are so may logical inconsistencies in the 'justifications' and explanations posted in that thread @HDS.
To HDS credit they have taken time to respond. If they want to say go jump: their right.

The market for the current FDISR Rescue will be better ??

Good Luck to them; HDS: they have got a true success story in FDISR RollBackRx Server to onsell.
They have ditched the tricky, difficult, poorly selling, poorly understood FDISR.
Just how many paid for versions are out there hmm ?
If its so crap they could offer it for free

As Blue noted: market realities.
Like it or lump it.

Can always Get the server edition when current release no longer works.
HDS Could offer discount upgrades from Workstation to Server ??..
Re-enfranchise the above noted Wilders members :All 50 of us who paid for FDISR


Keep the humor good, speculate away and blaze on into the new year.

(Too much time on my hands: I'm working tonight and 2400 has just been and gone: fireworks good on the TV at work)

regards and Good Night.

Ps if RollBack gets better: I'll be in line to pay. It's just software right E-A.

 

We are not talking about the server version, we are talking about the workstation version. I don't need the server version to use the workstation version.

 

Exactly
Open sourcing FD-ISR Workstation would mean open sourcing the Server version too.

 

I think we have plenty of evidence now that the withdrawal of FD-ISR workstation was purely a commercial decision by HDS and that there was no great conspiracy.
It also seems that both Raxco & HDS couldn't make FD-ISR Workstation pay for itself and it would be interesting to know if the same were true for Peer-ISR and Boot Back as well....
Like many others I think FD-ISR Workstation (& Server) is light years ahead of the competion in its uses (and more importantly in its stability) but let's face it , it is a niche product in a market where most users don't even image their PC.
The stripped down FD-ISR Rescue may still be useful to some but faces a very crowded market and I suspect will disappear fairly quickly due to lack of sales at what is a fairly high price point for a pure boot to restore software with none of the flexibility of either FD-ISR Workstation, RollbackRx and its clones as well as Back on Track etc. etc.
FD-ISR Server /Rollback Server will continue to prosper but at its current price I cannot see it being an option for most of us home users.
However if the external disk archiving functionality was returned to FD-ISR Rescue by HDS it would make FD-ISR Rescue acceptable to most of us who use FD-ISR and would still make FD-ISR a simple boot to restore rescue system but with some flexibility for power users.
I wonder if HDS are brave enough to admit they might have stripped FD-ISR down a bit too far and return that functionality in the next build.
After all software development is meant to progress not regress....

Go on HDS I dare you...

Disclaimer: Vicar in the Church of FD-ISR and Associate Priest in the Church of Rollback Rx

 

Wow-you are hitting below the belt ,Easter

As James Bond would say-the name is Coo,Hairy Coo.

A steer is a lighter version of a bull with a few bits and pieces missing-not to be confused with a Coo-which is fully functional.

regards

Hairy

 

If archives continue in the server version, I agree they should also continue in the workstation version. It will be interesting to see how the server version evolves.

 

Hi

Don't know really but for me in the time it takes to make a cup of coffee and have a ciggy I can restore an image and be up and running without all the hassle of buying a boot to restore program.

I can run other ISR pograms but if I crash and burn I'm good to go in 12 mins (done it tonight )

We all use our PC's in different ways, but having looked at FD-ISR it just wasn't for me. I respect Erik Albert but a lot of the threads of his I read about working snapshot for this and archive snapshot for the other, just leaves my head reeling.

Surely it shouldn't be that complicated.

 

Old Monk - you just beat me to it. If I had to choose between an imaging program and FD-ISR imaging would win every time. Even so even the new version does have a place - just not the top spot that it is often given.

I have been playing with FD-ISR this evening on an old laptop with one primary and one secondary. Is this how the new version is ? If so it will do quite nicely for the purpose I have in mind. Nothing too fancy - just the ability to boot to one snap shot and to then copy from the second when the first needs correcting - a sort of Returnil/Deepfreeze on demand. Combined with an imaging program to replace archiving and it should work quite well.

 

Of course imaging to an external drive is necessary, and FDISR is just a luxury. The luxury is a 2 minutes restore versus a 20 minutes restore. On paper, it sounds trivial. In real life, it's the difference between an experiment that I actually did, because two minutes is nothing, and one that I didn't do because I'm too lazy or impatient.

Of course I can easily understand why few people were willing to pay for 2 minutes vs 20 minutes - not just the dollar price but also the disk space and the risks of incompatibilities.

 

Hi Longview

Sorry I don't know the answers there. I trialled FD-ISR a few months ago upon which my last post was based. I can't really give any informed view on what the current version has to offer but what you're suggesting sounds good to me (bear in mind I'm only 30 minutes into the New Year - all the best by the way)

For me Returnil, SafeSpace and Online Armor work very well and that 12 minute image restore is ATI V.8 but all that's OT I guess.

 

All depends I suppose Gary, on what that 2 and 20 mins means to each of us.

For me, a cup of coffee. But also, it matters what works time after time and what you're comfortable working with and taking the time to learn about

 

I'm not sure why its 2 versus 20 ? If C: is kept slim (5 gig or less will do) then even on an old p4 5 or 6 mins to restore is normal. On a more modern machine I can make an image in under a minute and restore in 3 or 4. Those who keep their data on the same drive or partition can hardly complain about the extra time taken to image or restore.

My point though was simply that for those without FD-ISR I don't think the new version looks so bad. If I am correct you get a primary and a secondary which combined with imaging should be enough for most. anyway no matter what any of use think FD-ISR is over.

 

My backup isn't complicated either, there is nothing so simple as doing a backup and a restore, but your 12 minuts is too slow for me.
If your backup takes 12 minuts already, I wonder how long your restore takes, because that's the most important one, you didn't mention that time.

Immediate System Recovery is not about backup, but about recovery and a fast recovery. I hardly use my Image Backup to recover my system, that is way too slow to be practical.

 

I guess there are three factors to consider;

Reliability
How long does the restore take and general speed
How often is it necessary to restore

The obvious alternatives to FDISR presently are Rollback current version-and Shadow Protect,dont know about others.

Rollback does require a reboot to restore, so this takes a few minutes .
I have always found it reliable and the current version especially so.
To say its fragile is not accurate at all.Its solid.

There are extra functionalities and advantages over FDISR and vice versa-but in the end it achieves the same purpose at a good speed for all functions.
It restores quickly.
To harken back to the market,its also agreed positively about RBx

Shadow Protect is able to backup lightning fast incrementals of minuscule sector based size, which take seconds to complete, scheduled as often as every 15 minutes-no more than 15 minutes of data etc can be lost.

The restore takes say 7 minutes for 18gb.

A full backup is only necessary for a base every month or week-its up to you.
This takes say 8 minutes

It has a reputation for being rock solid.

In fact its so versatile that I am no longer using RB,cant see the point.

Its rather eccentric that so much empathis is placed on the restore times.

How often does even a power user use the restore function.

For testing occasionally -for other causes,crashes etc very infrequently unless something is seriously wrong

So why the over riding concern with restore times-I really am not concerned whether the restore takes 1 minute-two minutes or 7 minutes