Anyone hard of Backblaze?

I've been trying to find an online storage solution since I've started amassing a ton of important files. I've read the reviews on the usual contenders; Mozy, Carbonite, Spideroak, etc. I was just about set on Mozy until I saw a mention about Backblaze. I read about it and browsed the website and it seems really good, especially since it can back up external hard drives as long as you are sure to connect them at least once a month.

I just wanted to see if anyone has used it before or has heard anything about it before I decide to take the plunge.

 

Yeah, they were all in the blogosphere for making some ridiculously cheap custom storage unit. I took a look at their blog and they seem affordable. I haven' used their software yet though, which is the meat of any backup solution.

 

I've been using BackBlaze for about 2 months. Server storage is unlimited, per computer, and does include the ability to backup USB drives attached to your computer.

In my experience, upload speed is limited only by your connection. You do have the capacity to tune the speed. If you find BackBlaze is hogging your upstream bandwidth, you can prioritize network speed over backup speed. Similarly you can boost backup speed over network speed when you have a nice fat upstream pipe at your disposal. The default is a 50% balance between Faster Network and Faster Backups and works fine for me.

By default, most files on your computer are automatically backed up. BackBlaze uses an exception model, rather than an explicit inclusion model. The folder defaults exclude anything in the Program Files & Windows folders, for instance. The file defaults exclude files such as image files (ISO,VHD,VDI), executables (EXE,DLL) and most temp files (TMP,~TM). File size is limited to <4GB. Any of these settings may be changed to your needs.

Any USB harddrives attached when you install the software will automatically be added to the backup queue. You can exclude entire drives by letter or by folders on that drive. You can add additional USB drives later - you are not limited to the drives attached at install time.

The files are encrypted on your system then transmitted via HTTPS to the BackBlaze servers. You can provide your own encryption key, if you do not want to use the encryption key provided by BackBlaze. You can change your mind later, adding, changing or removing your personal key without needing to re-upload your files.

Files are continuously uploaded and monitored for changes. You can pause the backup process from the tray icon. The backup process will automatically resume about an hour later.

Restoring the files can be done via the web for free, or BackBlaze can express ship your files on DVD or a 400GB HDD, for a reasonable fee.

Files are versioned: versions of each file are updated daily for the preceding week and weekly versions are kept for a month.

I was able to upload my entire laptop's harddrive using the default settings, within the two-week trial window: my initial backup was about ~20GB. I have since added a WD Passport USB drive, which has extended my entire backup size to ~80GB.

I use the Backup Center in Windows 7 to image my system and make differential backups on a weekly basis. I use BackBlaze to keep me updated in between those backups. Additionally, I have access, via the web, to any file backed up in the event my laptop is stolen, crashes or otherwise is unavailable.

--L.

 

@lbohn

Seems to me like you really enjoy it. A lot of the info you listed is exactly what attracted me to it in the first place. Good to know that it's all true.