How Do I Choose the Best Open Source Backup Server?

An open source backup server, like any backup server, is used to archive your computer system and hard drive so your computer can be restored through the server if the computer crashes. How well an open source backup server compresses computer memory is usually an important aspect when choosing a server, because good compression makes better use of server space. Management options, such as choosing what to backup and when, also may be helpful, especially if there are some parts of your hard drive that you do not want backed up. The backup server is made to restore a computer if it crashes, so the speed and efficiency of the restoration should be considered. Open source programs may be buggy or have update issues, and it may be important to check for these issues.

When an open source backup server archives information, it typically compresses the memory. For example, if 100 gigabytes (GB) is saved, then it normally is compressed and takes up about 20 GB to 50 GB. If you have a large system or want to make frequent backups, then this compression rate may be important. The higher the compression, the less memory the backup server will need.

Managing your backups may be important, especially if you only want to backup certain sections of the computer. For example, if you want to exclude a directory from being backed up, either because it is unneeded or you have the information stored somewhere else, then management features with the open source backup server will allow you to exclude the directory. Another management feature that may be important is being able to schedule backups, so the entire process is automated.

Aside from backing up information, an open source backup server also is made to restore a computer if it crashes, so restoration efficiency is usually important. For example, if the restore feature only backs up most of your data but not all of it, then this may lead to problems later. The speed of the restoration also may be important, especially if you use your computer for work.

While many open source programs are free of problems and bugs, they tend to have a higher chance of these errors when compared to closed source programs. To ensure the features work correctly, it may be helpful to check the open source backup server for bugs or other problems. Updates also may be a problem; there may be no updates, or the updates may end up damaging the backup server program if the programmer incorrectly codes them.