Carbonite Support > FAQ: What Is Cloud Backup?

FAQ: What Is Cloud Backup?

Summary:

What is cloud backup?

This article applies to:

Carbonite Plans Products Platforms
Basic, Plus, Prime, Core, Power and Ultimate (Not sure?) Safe, Safe Pro, and Carbonite Safe Server Backup (Not sure?) Windows and Mac

Solution:

Cloud backup (or online backup) is the primary service offered by all Carbonite products. Cloud backup refers to the act of copying your user-created data files from your computer safely and securely to our interconnected datacenters (i.e. "the cloud") using your internet connection.

Computer Modem Encrypted file Carbonite cloud

Hover over the items in the above image for short explanations of each.

A backup of a file is simply a copy of that file in its current state. File backups come in very handy if the original file is accidentally deleted or corrupted. Instead of losing a file forever, you can restore the original file from the backup copy and continue using it as though nothing ever happened.

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Cloud Backup vs Local Backup

A local backup describes when the backup files are kept in the same area as the original files, such as storing files on an external hard drive connected to your computer. Local backups are faster than cloud backups, since they don't require using the internet. However, there are some distinct and important advantages to backing up to the Carbonite cloud.

Advantages of Carbonite's Cloud Backup

  • Safety - With local backups, your backup files are vulnerable to the same environmental incidents as your original files. If there is a flood or power surge that physically damages your computer, it's unlikely that your local backups will remain intact.
    With Carbonite's cloud backup, your files are stored redundantly in secure datacenters throughout the country. They are also encrypted, so nobody else can see the contents. Additionally, Each datacenter is configured using RAID 6 technology. This means that the hardware components can be maintained and even replaced without ever losing data. Whenever you need your files back, you can use Carbonite to download them back to you.
  • Automatic Backup - Carbonite's service includes automatic backup of new and updated files based on the backup policy that you create. You tell Carbonite which files and folders you'd like backed up, and Carbonite will keep them backed up for you.
  • Automatic Versioning for Windows - On Windows computers, Carbonite will keep track of multiple different versions of your files. Every time you change a file, Carbonite will copy that change to a new version of the file in your backup. If you'd like to restore a file back to the way it was a few versions ago, you can.

For many more details about Carbonite's capabilities, you can browse through the information available on the Carbonite.com homepage.

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