hardhat

No technical knowledge required

Hardhat Backup is designed with ease of use in mind. All the nasty complicated stuff is hidden away so you don't have to worry. It only takes a few clicks to ensure that all the computers within your organisation are backed up automatically and transparently, everyday.

Hardhat’s simple interface makes setting up and maintaining your backup service child's play. The software is simple to install and configure, featuring straightforward instructions that can be followed by those without any prior technical knowledge. For those who would prefer to let someone else configure and maintain their online backup provision we offer a fully-managed backup service. See below for details.

All platforms and databases supported

Hardhat Backup supports all common operating systems and databases, including Windows, Linux, Mac, NetWare, UNIX, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Lotus Domino/Notes, Oracle and MySQL.

Furthermore, Hardhat provides modules specially designed for backing-up common database applications, including Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Lotus Notes/Domino, Oracle and MySQL. This allows you to backup all these databases to a professional level as recommended by the respective software vendors, without having to understand the background technicalities.

Hardhat Backup Managed Service

A smooth-running backup provision is essential for business continuity. For those who enjoy extra peace of mind we offer a fully-managed backup service to ensure your backups are always configured and operating correctly. We will monitor your service continually, notifying you of any issues and working quickly to rectify them. Managed clients will benefit from on-demand help and advice, with the Hardhat team being on-call to answer any questions you may have.

The service will also help to reduce the daily running costs of Hardhat by removing the need for staff members to monitor and maintain your backup service.

For just £10 per month you can rest assured that your Hardhat Backup service is as safe and productive as possible.

Intuitive web interface for remote management and recovery

Hardhat’s web interface is awesome. Not only can you completely manage your backup service online you can also recover backed-up files directly. This means you have access to your business critical data from anywhere in the world; particularly useful when you desperately need that document you accidentally left in the office.

Automatic backups and customisable schedules

Who is in charge of backing up the data at your company? What happens if they are taken ill and cannot conduct the backup? What happens if they forget to backup? With Hardhat there are no such concerns; once configured Hardhat conducts backups automatically according to the schedule specified. Highly customised schedules can be created easily thanks to the straightforward software. Should the need arise manual backups can be conducted whenever desired.

Furthermore, automatic backups save a massive amount of time, freeing up staff members to focus on other important tasks.

Totally transparent, never affects your work

Hardhat works transparently so that it never interrupts your work. It uses so few computer and internet resources that you won’t notice any change in your computing experience. The service is typically installed on company servers and scheduled for nightly backups, when offices are at their quietest. However configured, Hardhat will diligently and silently protect your data.

Detailed email reports

We like to keep our customers informed. We know that Hardhat will backup your data securely every time but also recognise the importance of keeping you updated. Hardhat sends detailed email reports after each backup giving a succinct overview of its success and a list of all the files uploaded. You’re never in the dark with Hardhat.

No humans, no problem

Roughly 29% of all data loss is due to human error^*. Conventional methods rely on humans to operate some portion of the backup, leaving the security of your data prone to negligence. Incorrect or incomplete data sets may be uploaded or forgetten about entirely! Disgruntled employees have also been known to purposefully upset company backups. Hardhat is password protected and fully automatic; only those with clearance can alter the backup details.

1. * David M. Smith, PhD. "The importance of investing in that ounce of prevention.” The Cost of Lost Data. 2003.
   

Backup 500GB in one night

Our Seed Load and In-File Delta technologies enable the backup of large volumes of data to be completed in a very short period of time. Our proprietary In-File Delta technology requires the original file to be backed up only once, via Seed Load. This occurs on the first backup job and typically involves backing-up large volumes of data to a local hard drive. During subsequent backups only the changes within the file are uploaded, which means the backup process is extremely fast.

For example, an initial Seed Load backup may be for a file as large as 500GB. This can be done simply using a removable local hard drive and then connecting directly to the backup server for upload. Since only changes in the file are uploaded in subsequent backups, normally less than 1% (5GB in this example), new data can be backed up easily to the server via the internet or intranet in one night. This means that the daily backup requirement is reduced from 500GB to 5GB.

All Hardhat's data is doubly encrypted

Hardhat Backup offers a field-leading data security solution. Your data is encrypted before leaving your computer and is then transmitted directly to our servers via Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL is a cryptographic communications protocol that encrypts the data communication from workstation to server. The data is then stored in its encrypted state. Shoul someone get hold of your data, the 256-bit military-grade encryption would render it useless to them.

Data is stored in two separate, remote data centres

Life is unpredictable; Hardhat protects your business against unforeseen events. In order to provide the best possible security to our clients' data, Hardhat Backup employs an additional level of security by replicating the data to a second secure data centre at a separate location. In the unlikely event that the primary data centre is offline, your data will be retrieved from the Replication Server.

Continuous Data Protection

Hardhat's advanced Continuous Data Protection (CDP) technology captures every version of a file that has been saved to your hard drive. With CDP, even if your hard drive fails completely and you haven't manually backed up your data, a saved copy of your working files will remain intact on the backup server. CDP provides a highly dependable means of automated, real-time, continuous data protection for servers, desktops and laptops. It's ef fortless, requiring no human intervention. Furthermore, backups only run when the computer is idle or when the CPU utilisation falls below a specified percentage, meaning the backup operation is completely transparent to users.

* While many of our competitors charge for this service, we offer it as a standard optional feature included with Hardhat Business

Data protection compliance

Hardhat safeguards your data by complying with UK regulation regarding the encryption and backup of critical files, such as that from the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Financial Services Authority (FSA). By closely following the detailed guidelines Hardhat is able to provide unmatched security and total peace of mind.

Advanced Server Backups

Hardhat knows a thing or two when it comes to server backups. When you need to backup and restore critical server data Hardhat has you covered. Our advanced software supports all major servers including SQL (2000/2005/2008), Exchange (2000/2003/2007), Windows (2000/2003/2008) and Linux (Ubuntu/SUSE/Debian/RedHat etc).

One of the most powerful tools is for Microsoft Exchange Server, which is the world's most popular business email server. Hardhat Backup’s built-in Microsoft Exchange Server Backup Module allows you to back up all critical data within Microsoft Exchange Server, including emails, calendars and contact lists. An optional extra allows the backup and restoration of individual mailboxes and files, allowing the quick and easy restoration of lost emails. Further information about this service can be found here.