FAQ. How does the new Big Bend Backup (powered by Keepit) work?

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1 FAQ How does the new Big Bend Backup (powered by Keepit) work? Once you establish which of the folders on your hard drive you ll be backing up, you ll log into myaccount.bigbend.net and from your control panel, download and install Keepit on your computer. Next, you ll choose the folders you wish to backup every day. Document and photo folders are selected by default. Your files are encrypted and then transferred to our storage centers via a safe connection. Here we store all your backups in our state-of-the-art facilities. We even provide a second copy in a separate geographical location for double protection. How does the backup itself work? When creating a backup of your files the program observes changes to your files and folders. This means that if you create a backup of a 4GB sized folder, and then decide to rename this folder, the program will perceive the original 4GB data as having been deleted and new 4GB data added to your backup set. After uploading the new backup your quota usage would then have a total of 8GB.If you add another 2GB to your 4GB folder, increasing the size to 6GB, the quota is increased by 2GB giving a total of 10GB. This is called differential backup. Currently it is not possible to delete backup set, but the oldest backup sets should automatically be deleted after 30 days, as the program only saves a 30 day backup history of your files. Following the example above your 10GB quota would stay like that for 30 days, after which the initial 4GB would be deleted, and your quota would match the size of your current backup set. How long does it take to complete a backup? Depending on the speed of your internet connection and the amount of data you re including in your backup, the initial backup will always take longer to complete than subsequent backups. This is normal for online backup, since that all data must be uploaded during the initial backup. Subsequent backups will only require any new or changed data to be uploaded, decreasing the time to complete dramatically. 1

2 What happens if my backup or restore is interrupted? If the backup or restore is interrupted (e.g. because you lose connection or if you turn off your computer while the process is running) the process will simply be resumed at the next given opportunity. If the program loses connecting while doing a backup it will try to reconnect every 30 seconds. So losing connection will not compromise the backup, merely delay it. Notice that if more than 48 hours passes before the process is resumed it will be regarded as cancelled; thus it will need to be restarted manually. What happens if the user exceeds their quota? If the user exceeds their maximum backup storage quota his account will simply be locked out, preventing the user from both creating new backups and restoring existing backups. The program will display an error message informing the user of this. The user can then decide to upgrade their account, delete the existing backups or in some cases it might be possible to simply wait until one of the older backup versions is deleted by the automatic backup rotation. What sort of encryption is used by the program? The backup program uses two different kinds of encryptions during the backup process. When the backup process is initiated the program will compress and encrypt the data locally, using a 256 bit AES encryption. Next step is transferring the data to the backup server, which is done on a 128 bit AES encrypted connection. This means that the data double encrypted during the transferring process. What is an encryption Key? The encryption key is a unique key, created the first time you log in. The key (a long string of numbers and letters) is used for encrypting your files before they are shipped to the backup server. Having this key ensures that the user is the only one who can decrypt and view the content of the user s backup. We strongly recommend that you save it either electronically to an external drive (outside your computer) or print it out and save it somewhere because you will need that key if you ever have a computer failure and want to restore your files to a new computer. 2

3 What are the system requirements for using Big Bend Backup (powered by Keepit)? Before installing the program, you should make sure that the following requirements are met. Administrator Rights / Firewall & Security Settings - You must have administrator rights on the computer/server you are trying to install Keepit. It's also important that your firewall is set to allow traffic through TCP ports 8443 or 443. You must also be able to download.msi (Windows) /.dmg (Mac) installation files. Please notice that other security software, such as antivirus software and browser settings may prevent you from downloading and installing the program. Proxy Settings - Big Bend Backup-Keepit will not be able to work through proxy services as the data is being sent in an encrypted state, preventing the files from being manipulated / cached by the proxy service. Supported Platforms - Keepit supports the Windows and Mac OS X (Intel only) platform, and is compatible with the following versions of each: Microsoft Windows: Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 Windows 2000 Professional Windows Server 2000 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Mac OS X (Intel Only): Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) If you have any problems using the new Big Bend Backup, please see our technical support page located at: 3

4 Installing Big Bend Backup (powered by Keepit) for Windows & Mac You must download Keepit before continuing with this guide! Here is a quick overview of the process: - Log in at mybigbend.net - Download install package from your MyAccount Control Panel - Run Install and Agree to Terms and Conditions of the software - Enter username (your full account address used with MyAccount login) - Configure backup settings (pick folders or files, choose days of week to run) Please note: You must uninstall any previous backup software on your computer. 1. To download the install package go to MyAccount page and login. 2. Then select Download Big Bend Backup navigation link. 4

5 3. You can choose from Win32, Win64 or Mac installs. 5

6 4. It will take a few moments to download to your PC.. 6

7 To install Keepit on your computer, you do the following: 1. Locate the file icon that was downloaded from MyAccount page. 2. Launch the installation package. Below is a screenshot of what it looks like on a Windows PC. 3. Start the installation by clicking the Run button. 7

8 4. You must accept the Terms of License to proceed. Click "Install" to continue. 8

9 5. After clicking Install the program will automatically install Keepit on your computer. 9

10 6. Keepit is now installed. Click "Launch Program" to start Keepit. 10

11 7. Keepit will need to verify your credentials ( address and password). This is your account information that you use to log into MyAccount page above. 8. You are now finished with the install. 11

12 Setting up Keepit Now to setup this software that has just been installed on your computer. If you're not already logged in, you will need to log into the Keepit software, before continuing. You will access the software from your Start Menu or Icon on your desktop. Most likely the software is already running. 1. When logged in, click the "Settings" tab. The settings tab lets you select which files to include in your backup, and how often you want the backup done. By default, Keepit displays basic folders on your computer; however, you can choose exactly the folders you want to include by clicking "Advanced settings". 12

13 2. Clicking advanced view will load the full list of folders on your computer. Select the folders you want to include in your backup and click "Save". 3. After saving your settings, you are ready to begin backing up your files. 13

14 4. Click Backup Now button. That s it. Every day the software will automatically run a backup for you so just sit back and let it do it s job. 14