Answers to some of your questions.

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• Why can I not backup a renamed cluster shared volume folder?

  Answer: If you have renamed a cluster shared volume folder, e.g. changed "c:\ClusterStorage\Volume1" to "c:\ClusterStorage\MyCustomerFolder01" then it is likely that backups will fail. There seems to be a limitation on how CSV folders can be renamed. So far we have determined that if the renamed folder is seven characters or less in length (e.g. Folder1, Vol1) then backups should work fine. If the folder name is greater than seven characters it is highly likely that the backup will fail. So far we have only been able to resolve this problem by renaming the folder.

• I get an error when I try to activate Hyperoo.

  Answer: Hyperoo requires .Net Runtime 3.5. Make sure this is installed before you run Hyperoo. One-click activation is possible if your server can access the internet. Manual activation may be used otherwise. As of version 1.3, you will get an error when attempting manual activation if you do not have .Net Runtime 3.5 installed.

• Is Windows Server Core supported?

  Answer: At the minute its supported by running the following commands: dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64 dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore-WOW64 This allows the client application to run. Caveats with the 1.3 version are that the file/folder browse buttons do not function - just enter your paths manually in the text box and hit the OK button to get round this. This will be fully updated in the next version.

• What about the builtin Windows firewall?

  Answer: Don't worry we add exceptions for our application to the windows firewall - upon uninstall these rules are then deleted.

• What is an 'Array'?

  Answer: An Array is a storage location on the Hyperoo Server machine. It's a folder designated for storing files backed up using Hyperoo. This will help when organising backups on a server which is accepting connections from multiple Hyperoo clients.

• Does the remote server address need to be an IP address?

  Answer: No, an IP address or host name will work just fine. Remember to test the connection using the "Test network connection" function on the "Status" tab of the client.

• How should I populate my initial 'seed' or first run backup for maximum performance?

  Answer: Remember Hyperoo works by backing up only modified data, this means that the first backup will need to transmit the entire file. This can be cumbersome with very large files depending on your infrastructure. If it is not feasible to make this initial file transmission across the network using Hyperoo you can transport a physical copy of the Hyper-V file to the destination machine and drop it into the storage array folder configured on the Hyperoo Server. Hyperoo will use this as the initial seed for subsequent backup requests. If this isn't an option, your first backup should preferably be run with both machines on the same high speed LAN.

• How do I qualify for a free Hyperoo license?

  Answer: Give us useful feedback and critique during your trial period. Let us know of any issues you encounter or suggest a good improvement. If we find your feedback useful in the future development of Hyperoo then a free license will be winging it's way to you.

• I have 5 physical Hyper-V servers running many guest virtual machines and want to back them all up - how many Hyperoo licenses do I need to purchase?

  Answer: Just five. A license is per physical server. You must purchase additional licenses for each machine that you install the Hyperoo client on.

• I have a single physical Hyper-V server running 12 guest virtual machines and want to back them all up, how many Hyperoo licenses do I need to purchase?

  Answer: Just one. A license is per physical server. You can back up as many Hyper-V files as is feasible given your hardware.

• What does the "overwrite existing files" option on the client do and why is it dangerous?

  Answer: The "overwrite existing files" option instructs the Hyperoo server to overwrite the existing backup file during a backup. If the backup should fail, you will lose the entire backed up file and will be without a recoverable file until the next successful backup. Use only if disk space is an issue as without it we need to temporarily store 2 copies of your Hyper-V data. If used and your Hyperoo server component is running on a windows 2003/2008 OS, think about initiating a volume shadow copy just prior to your backup schedule. That way you will always have a "history" of previous backups that you can revert back to.

• What does the BW limit do on the client?

  Answer: It restricts the bandwidth usage on data being transmitted to the Hyperoo Server. Useful to ensure that your backups do not impact the network performance of your Hyper-V servers, or indeed the incoming bandwidth of your internet connection.

• How much data is transferred during a backup?

  Answer: On the first Hyper-V backup - all of it. Subsequent backups only transfer modified data. The Hyperoo server will maintain a current complete copy of the Hyper-V file as of the last successful backup.

• Is it resource intensive?

  Answer: No. There will be network utilization during Hyper-V backups which can be limited using the Hyperoo Client Config utility. Each backup cycle requires source and destination files to be read in their entirety which is no more intensive than standard backups.

• Will this work with my firewall and if so, what ports do I need to open?

  Answer: You need to publish 1 port (configurable via the Hyperoo server GUI) on the machine running the Hyperoo server. The Hyperoo client will need outgoing access on its configured port if traversing a firewall. The default port is set to TCP 873.

• What happens if my backup fails midway through due to an error or loss of network connection?

  Answer: If the client is not using the "overwrite existing files" option, no changes will be made to your server's prior backed up file. Also you will see this failure via a notification email if configured. You have now missed a backup cycle and must wait until the next one to get a full backup. If the client is using the "overwrite existing files" option, your backup will more than likely be corrupted. Subsequent backups may need to transfer slightly more data (as we've missed a backup cycle), but you certainly will not need to transfer the entire file again. Users using the "inplace" option please see the various FAQ sections dealing with the volume shadow copy service.

• Is the backup data secure when moving over the internet?

  Answer: Yes, you have the option to encrypt the traffic using password protected AES encryption.

• Will this work across a slow cable/DSL type connection over the internet?

  Answer: Yes it will. Hyper-V backups will take longer so they will be less frequent, but it will work just fine. Bear in mind the initial backup, during which the entire Hyper-V file needs to be transmitted, could take a long time - see our FAQ question on initial seeding.

• Does Hyperoo currently support Hyper-V environments running on Microsofts CSV (cluster shared volume)?

  Answer: This is now fully supported in our 1.3 release!

• Can I run the Hyperoo server and client applications on the same machine?

  Answer: Yes, if you want. Server A can be running some Hyper-V instances whilst at the same time providing a backup facility for server B. If server A fails, it's backed up data can be recovered from server B. If it is purely a single server environment you can backup your Hyper-V file to another part of the disk while it is still running.

• So how does it work?

  Answer: Hyperoo provides on site/off site backup by streaming your critical Hyper-V files across the LAN/WAN to a Hyperoo backup server. Your data can be protected during transmission using AES encryption. There are two components, the Hyperoo Client and the Hyperoo Server. Once you have installed both you simply configure the Hyperoo Server to listen for incoming backup requests. You can select where backup files are stored on the host machine by configuring up to four storage array locations. You can specify the port to which backup requests should be made (don't forget to configure your firewal). Configuring the client is as simple as selecting the Hyper V files you wish to back up, then specifying the IP address or host name of the Hyperoo Server and setting the backup schedule. There are additional options for encrypting data sent across the network, and setting passwords for the storage arrays on the server.