FAQs
How does the ADS Online Backup Service work?
After you sign up for our online backup service we will download and then install the service onto your computer(s). Once our service is installed, it will remain in your system background. As part of our setup, we will create backup data sets that contain information on the files or folders that you want to backup and the days and times that you want to back them up. Backups will then occur automatically. When a backup begins, our software will search all of the folders and files that are contained in your backup set. All new files and all files that have changed since the last backup, will be compressed, encrypted and then sent to the Austin Data Storage datacenter. Your backups are monitored every day by our technical staff at no extra charge. You will be able to restore files at any time, by opening the software and selecting which files you want to restore. If you have a system failure, you will have the ability to reinstall the software and then restore all of your files.
How many different versions of the same file can I store?
You have the ability to save an unlimited number of versions of the same file. By default,our service is set up to save 10 versions. Our software includes a sophisticated wizard that allows you to manage how old versions are handled, giving you control over your backups and over your storage space.
Our technical support staff is always available to help you reconfigure your backup sets and/or manage how much data is stored on our servers (an hourly rate applies).
How do I know if my backups are working?
There are several ways. You can log in to the service running on any of your computers using your browser to see a report of all the backup activity. We can also configure our service to send you a daily or weekly email of your backup activity. Our technical staff also monitors your backups daily.
Can my data get a virus while it is backed up and stored on your servers?
Absolutely not. Besides running the latest anti-virus programs on our servers, your data is encrypted and compressed before it leaves your computer and a CRC (Cyclical Redundancy Check) is added so any changes to your data are immediately detected. ADS has never had a case of a virus infiltrating a data file AFTER it has been stored on our servers. That said, if a file on your computer is already infected with a virus it will be compressed and encrypted before being sent to our servers, thus the virus will not be able to even execute on our servers.
What are the minimum hardware and operating system requirements for your online backup service?
Our backup has a very small footprint and runs on a wide variety of operating systems: Windows, Linux, Mac or the FreeBSD operating system with 64 MB RAM and at least 1 GB of free disk space.
Is the amount of storage space that I use calculated on a compressed or uncompressed basis?
Our billing is always based on compressed data stored on our servers.
What are the steps to install your software?
Just give us a call and we are happy to install and configure it for you. We provide a free 30-day trial of our service so you will have a good chance to work with it. If you decide to continue we charge a one-time setup fee of $150 for up to 3 computers.
Will your service work if I have a firewall?
Absolutely though we may need to work with your IT service provider to open certain ports.
How easy is it to restore a file?
If you know how to use Windows File Explorer you'll be able to restore a data file (but feel free to call us and we'll take care of it for you). If you need to restore an Exchange or SQL Server database we recommend you call our technical support staff for assistance.
