How Does the Cloud Backup Service Work
The first time cloud backup runs, the gateway performs a full cloud backup for the selected folders. Depending on the size of your data set, this might take a long time. Subsequent backups are performed incrementally and normally take much less time than the initial backup. Only data that has actually changed is uploaded.
CTERA uses data compression and data deduplication techniques to ensure that the backup happens as quickly and efficiently as possible.
In addition to backing up your files, when cloud backup runs the configuration of your gateway is automatically backed up to the CTERA Portal, from where it can be easily downloaded and used to restore your configuration settings, as needed.
Data Security
In addition to using AES encrypted TLS (Transport Level Security) connections, the same security mechanism used by banks, all of your data is encrypted using 256-bit AES encryption to ensure that your data is protected against eavesdroppers.
For even stronger security, you can use a secret passphrase. If you use a secret passphrase, your data will not be readable by anyone or any entity without knowledge of your secret passphrase.
Available Restore Options
The gateway enables you to restore files from backup in the following ways:
By restoring some or all files and folders to a previous version via the Cloud Backup Control Panel.By restoring individual files or folders using Microsoft Windows Shadow Copy.By restoring individual files or folders using the Virtual Cloud Drive.By downloading files from your CTERA Portal account.Controlling Which Files are Backed Up
The particular set of files that is backed up when the Cloud Backup service runs is controlled by a combination of selection mechanisms:
These are files directly selected for backup. You can select entire folders or specific files.
These are filters that you can define and enable which select files to include in the backup based on criteria of your choice, such as file type, location, modification date, and so on.
These are filters that you can define and enable which select files to exclude from the backup based on criteria of your choice.
These options can be used in combination.
When all options are used, the gateway determines the final set of files to include in a backup operation by performing the following checks for each file:
Checks whether the file is contained in an Exclude Set. If so, the file is skipped.Checks whether the file is contained in a Backup Set. If so, the file is backed up.Checks whether the file is contained in a folder that was selected for backup in the folder selection page. If so, the file is backed up.