StorageCraft ImageManager 7 with Enhanced Backup Testing

by | Apr 13, 2016 | Latest News

ImageManager 7
Users of ShadowProtect will already be aware of the ImageManager utility, but StorageCraft have just added some significant enhancements including regular live-boot backup testing and automated sub-folder creation for new hosts being managed. They have also removed the charges for a couple of key add-ons. The new image verification will boot-up a backup set in a virtual environment and you get emailed a screenshot of the login screen to prove that the backup set is restorable.

 

StorageCraft ImageManager 7 is free backup management software for IT administrators who use StorageCraft ShadowProtect or StorageCraft ShadowProtect SPX backup and recovery software. StorageCraft ImageManager provides continual backup image verification and local replication.

 

Additionally, this management software features consolidation and retention. If you’re an IT administrator who schedules continuous incremental backups, you need this software to effectively maintain and manage the accumulated backup image files and the storage space they use. StorageCraft ImageManager collapses the incremental files into daily, weekly, monthly, and “rolling” files, which reduces the length of the backup chain needed for a recovery.

 

 

What’s new in ImageManager 7?

 

  • NEW StorageCraft intelligentFTP now included without charge – Allows maximum flexibility, enabling you to transfer every ShadowProtect incremental file or just a single, collapsed daily file, to a remote destination.
  • NEW StorageCraft HeadStart Restore now also included without charge – Lets you recover in minutes in the event of an emergency by pre-staging your local backups in a virtual machine for standby failover.
  • NEW Advanced Image Verification – Sets desired backup images to automatically boot in a virtual environment through integration with VirtualBoot technology, providing email notification with an attached screenshot of the Login Screen. Configurable to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule as needed.
  • NEW Parent Folder Management – Allows you to configure a single managed image folder where all job settings will apply to the subfolders within the parent folder. Any new sub folders will automatically inherit the settings of the parent folder.
  • NEW Expandable Managed Folders – Expands managed folders to show detailed job information, such as replication jobs, HeadStart Restore, intelligentFTP, or ShadowStream jobs. In addition, you can now quickly and easily view the status of ongoing Verification and Consolidation activities at a glance.
  • NEW Managed Folder Filters – Filters only the folders you wish to manage based on jobs configured, folders by job type, folders with running tasks, synching folders, etc.

 

Upgrading

 

You do need to upgrade to version 7 for the free iFTP and HSR licenses to be included – it just installs over your existing ImageManager, you do not need to uninstall. Run the installation as a Windows administrator to prevent losing settings from previous installations. (Right click on the ImageManagerSetup.exe file then select Run as administrator.) In our own testing we found that after the upgrade the process had preserved all the retention and replication destination settings however it made one change in what was being transferred – it started uploading the consolidated files to our cloud storage rather than the incrementals. So after you upgrade, do check all settings.

 

Technical Overview

 

StorageCraft have recorded an internal webinar that runs through the new version including a live demo, and this can be viewed here.

 

More Resources

 

You can read more about the new ImageManager at this page on the StorageCraft website – you can also download a data sheet, user guide and the readme from that page.

 

Pricelist Changes

 

Effective immediately the intelligentFTP and HeadStart Restore prices have been removed from the pricelist, including maintenance renewal, and you no longer need to obtain license keys to use these features. For resellers who we are billing on a monthly MSP model, there will be no charge from your April invoice. ImageManager ShadowStream continues to be a chargeable option. Virtual Server Suite – which bundles ImageManager components – is also removed, and Virtual Server Suite customers will renew using regular virtual server pricing.

 

New Part Numbers

 

In another change this month, StorageCraft are changing their own part numbers for all remaining products so the Soft Solutions numbers will also change to make sure systems we send a price feed to get the new vendor part numbers loaded up. There will be a new pricelist once StorageCraft have sent us their finalized changes but it will just be new part numbers, license and renewal prices will be unchanged.

 

Upcoming Training

 

On a related front, StorageCraft are conducting full-day technical workshops next month – 6th May in Auckland, 11th May in Wellington and 17th May in Christchurch. There will be an introductory workshop on ShadowProtect SPX for Windows and Linux followed by an advanced workshop for experienced StorageCraft Technicians going deeper into the backup and recovery of complex servers such as Microsoft Active Directory, SQL and Exchange and the intricacies of ShadowControl.