File Replication FAQ

Can I backup to non-NTFS devices?

Yes you can. However, if you do so, you will lose NTFS security information, extended attributes and alternative data streams.

So what does this mean? Well, very few applications actually use NTFS extended attributes - in fact, we're unaware of any applications at all that use this feature. Alternative data streams are mainly used by viruses, Trojans and malware - so it's probably a good thing that these are not backed up. So the main disadvantage of backing up to a non-NTFS device is losing security information. However, if these rules are documented (eg. the "Accounting" folder is only accessible to the company management) then they should be easy to reproduce.

How does the Single Instance Store work?

An detailed explanation is provided here:
http://www.backupassist.com/blog/support/file-replication-single-instance-store-how-it-works/

Does this support tape drive?

No, file replication (due to its technology) requires random access devices - so only disk based technology.

However, for tape drives, you have two options:

1. NTBackup - on Server 2000, Server 2003 and XP
2. BackupAssist's own tape drive backup engine, which is currently in development.