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Upgraded Backup Tool Restores to "Dissimilar" Hardware

Backup and restore software vendor UltraBac is shipping version 3 of its UBDR Gold package, adding the ability to restore files to a machine that is not physically identical to the one the backup was performed on.

Other additions in UBDR Gold v3, which is short for UltraBac Disaster Recovery, include expanded virtual machine restore support as well as an ability to perform restores using online indexes.

UBDR Gold v3 can now restore files onto a machine with a different hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and processor, or onto a multiprocessor system even when the backup was taken from a single processor computer, according to a statement by the Bellevue, Wash.-based firm.

This so-called "dissimilar hardware restore" capability can restore the image of a failed server or workstation onto a wide variety of drives and controllers, including SCSI, RAID, IDE, SATA, as well as PCI and EISA buses, the company claims.

The new release also integrates tightly with Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, enabling users to virtually restore a physical server. Restores can be 100 percent scripted or an administrator can boot from the universal UBDR Gold CD and run the recovery wizard. No special setup is necessary when recovering to a virtual environment.

Version 3.0 also supports restores from online indexes, letting administrators to search backup indexes either locally or remotely. Particularly when restoring from tape or other sequential media, the ability to use regular backup indexes aims to cut the time needed to locate disk partitions and/or individual files for disaster recovery.

UltraBac’s UBDR v3 starts at $995 per server.

About the Author

Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.

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