8.8

Symantec Backup Exec 12 Windows Servers

The ultimate backup software returns for server based environments in Symantec's Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers that is also a world first with the product being certified by Microsoft itself to provide the utmost quality assurance, adding to the professionalism of the product that Symantec is also known for.

Symantec have also upped the ante against their competitors by integrating the product with ThreatCon, Enterprise Vault and the Symantec Protection Network, making this one of the most definitive backup solutions to date.

It should also be noted that this review briefly touches the power of this software suite and we at impulsegamer hope that it will give the user a brief review on the power of this software package. For more details, we strongly suggest you visit the official Symantec webpage of this product.

The backup procedure of Backup Exec 12 for Windows Server has been optimized considerably for Windows based systems and we tested this with Microsoft Exchange and our SQL Server that was considerably faster than previous incarnations and similar products available on the market at the moment. The restore process has also been optimized for a faster end result, ensuring that the user or users have a flawless experience. We'll talk a little more about this later on our "network".

The installation for Windows Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers was a breeze and on our newly built server (ironically it crashed last month due to a hard drive failure), the product simply auto-installed with a bare minimum of user input. This of course is dependent on your network and software installed on your systems. For more experienced server administrators, the program offers a plethora of tweaks and settings, ensuring that your network is fully covered by this comprehensive software package.

The interface of Symantec Backup Exec 12 has been slightly modified since its predecessor and for those new to the world of system administration, they should have no issues whatsoever at using this program with a multitude of computers connected to it. There are also a variety of backup options for the user, even some basic wizards to assist with the overall process of the backing up.

My favourite aspect of Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers is the Granular Recovery technology which is easily allows you to restore "active users" through just a few clicks of the mouse, ensuring a faster result. The patented Granular Recovery technology from Symantec has been exclusively designed for Microsoft products that include Exchange, Active Director, SharePoint Server and SharePoint Services which allows for easy data recover of individual files, users or a mixture.

Simply by creating a recovery point, you can then open this recovery point and select the documents or emails that you wish to be recovered. It's virtually that simple with Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers. Granular Recovery Technology also reduces the amount of resources and server time for backups and supports a variety of backup media.

Symantec have also successfully incorporated their Endpoint Protection Integration into this product that allows user to receive almost "live" updates of security threats through the Symantec Backup Exec console and with Symantec ThreatCon, it provides the user with another level of data integrity and protection which assists in preventing "corrupted" information being backed up.

As online backups become more popular in both Australia and the globe, Symantec provide the user with a relatively inexpensive solution of storing your precious information. Through the Symantec Protection Network (SPN), it gives the user an easily managed "off-site" hard drive that is not only secure but also encrypted for maximum security.

This of course is dependent on your internet connection, however for larger businesses, this should be no issue whatsoever and does provide the user with a viable option when compared to local media. Definitely one that should be investigated,

Symantec's Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers not just supports the Windows family of operating systems but also the Macintosh O/S from 10.3 to 10.5, Linux, UNIX, including a wide plethora of media formats, networks and servers, ensuring that this program is the true definitive backup software available. Even those still using tape backups will be pleased to know that the software can easily be configured for this media.

The software was also tested on our small network that contained our trusty Microsoft Server 2008, four desktop PC's (3 Vista, 1 XP), two Macs (10.5) and three laptops (Windows XP). The tests included backing up entire network drives and also mailing settings. We noticed the speed improvement over its predecessor that made restoring an easy process. Although our network is quite simplistic, understand that this software can be used with quite large organizations and this review only briefly touches the power of the program. With granular technology, restoring user settings was a breeze.

In conclusion, Symantec Backup Exec 12 for Windows Servers is a very powerful program that contains a multitude of software options in the world of backups. The price is justified as it offers the user(s) everything they need to successfully backup their servers and connected network computers ensuring that this is one of the most powerful backup software programs ever made. Amazing!

Symantec Backup Exec requires at least one storage media drive and/or single-drive robotic library and the appropriate controller card. Removable storage devices and nonremovable hard drives can also be targeted for backups.

Note: Support for a single robotic library drive is available when you purchase Symantec Backup Exec. To enable support for additional robotic library drives, you must purchase Backup Exec Library Expansion Option.