AISBackup Minimum Program Requirements and version differences.

Operating Systems:

AISBackup works with the following Microsoft Operating System's:

32-Bit Windows

Windows 7 (All version), Windows Vista (all versions), Windows XP (all versions), Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows 2000 client and server, Windows NT4 client and server, Windows ME, Windows 98SE, Windows 98 and Windows 95 (Release 1 and 2). Some earlier versions of Microsoft Windows Operating system's do not support all the features in AISBackup.

64-Bit Windows - no additional software required

Windows XP (all versions), Windows Vista (all versions), Windows 7 (all versions), Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 (All versions).

Minimum AISBackup version 2.8 build 373.

Hardware:

The minimum PC specification we use for testing is a Pentium P166 MMX with 64MB RAM. This PC usually runs Windows 98 (first edition) but we also test using Windows 95 (first edition with some modification) on the same PC.

Disk Space Requirements:

• The size of AISBackup  program and initial data files on disk after installation is just over 7mb.
• AISBackup database files depend on the number of files and folders backed up as a rough guide:

  A backup of 120,000 files from a Windows XP Build

  • The backup contents database occupies 17.2 MB, this includes the Folder NTFS security settings (4.29 MB).
  • The size of the data to be backed up 23.59 GB occupies 14.1 GB on the backup media, however, 7.34 GB of the data could not be compressed. The compressible data compresses on average to about 60% saving on the original size, but this entirely depends on the type of file been backed up. Documents and spreadsheets only containing text and numbers will compress a lot, jpeg pictures, music and video do not compress.

  A mix of .doc and .xls from a files of type backup: 1190  files.

  • The backup contents database occupies 1.01 MB, there are no Folder NTFS security settings as the NTFS settings were not chosen to be backed up.
  • The size of the data to be backed up 87.2 MB occupies 35.9 MB on the backup media, a similar saving as the non-compressed files in the example above. 
• DVD and CD burning hard disk requirements:
  
  There are two styles of writing data to CD and DVD, one uses a third party product called a Packet Writer to write data directly to disc. The other method of burning discs is disc mastering, which some users find more reliable.
  
  The contents of a CD or DVD must be known prior to disc mastering so AISBackup must pre-stage the backup files to magnetic disk prior to burning to optical disc, the size of this disk based pre-stage area can be up to 800 MB for CD and 4.7 GB for DVD.

Application data (SQL Server / Exchange) :

AISBackup will backup SQL server and MS Exchange databases without additional add-on's, this is achieved by using the Windows built in Volume Copy Shadow Service (VSS) writers.

Windows 7 issues:

No know problems. Backs up opened exclusive files using Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Windows Vista issues:

No known problems. Backs up opened exclusive files using Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Windows XP and Server 2003 issues:

No known problems. Backs up opened exclusive files using Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS).

Windows Server 2008 issues:

No known problems. Backs up opened exclusive files using Microsoft's Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). System File Protection must be enabled on 64-bit Windows Server 2008 to enable backup of open exclusive files.

Windows 95 issues:

A new, non-updated installation of Windows 95, version 1, requires an update to the common dialog API, this is easily achieved by installing Internet Explorer 5 or higher. The update is also included in Windows 95 Service Pack 1. The same update also fixes a problem installing and using the Cue Card.

Some older CD writers may cause an error 0E in VXD APIX(03).

Windows 95 & NT4 issues:

Windows 95 and Windows NT4 do not support USB, therefore all AISBackup USB options will not work.

Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4 & 2000 (Client and Server) issues:

Using the internal DVD writer only one session can be written to a DVD-R and DVD+R (write once media). This is an operating system constraint and not a fault in AISBackup. When using the integrated disc writer we recommend using DVD RW media or any CD media. AISBackup supports Server 2000 Active Directory backup and restore.

NT4 & 2000 client and server issues:

Cannot backup opened exclusive from NTFS drives.