From: Chris McDonald STEWS-IM-CM-S (1/28/93) To: orvis%llnl.gov@wsmr-simtel20.ar, Mail*Link¨ SMTP Product Test 22 ******************************************************************************* PT-22 December 1990 ******************************************************************************* 1. Product Description: PC-FULLBAK is a utility program for backing up and restoring files between a fixed disk drive and a floppy disk drive on an IBM PC, XT, AT, or a PS/2 series 30,50,60, or 80. 2. Product Acquisition: PC-FULLBAK has usually been bundled with hard disks sold by CompuAddCorp and cannot now be bought separately. The commercial program which evolved from PC-FULLBAK, is PC-FullBak Plus, version 2.0. This program is available from Westlake Data Corp., P.O. Box 1711, Austin, TX 78767 (Area Code 512-328-1041). The list price is $99.00, but obviously cheaper prices can be found. 3. Product Testers: Chris Mc Donald, Computer Systems Analyst, Directorate of Information Management, White Sands Missile Range, NM 88002-5030, DSN: 258- 7548 or DDN: cmcdonal@wsmr-emh03.army.mil. 4. Product Test: a. I acquired Version 2.6 of PC-FULLBAK in October 1990 from an associate who had received it through "bundling" but who had never used it. During the test period I discovered that the utility was apparently a stripped down version of the commercially available product. Discussions with Westlake Data Corp. personnel confirmed that Version 2.6 is two releases below PC-FullBak Plus. At that point I debated whether to continue the test or to acquire an upgrade for an additional $45.00. I chose the former option. b. Product tests occurred on the following system: Unisys PC, Model 1337, MS-DOS 3.10, 512K, 32M hard drive, single 1.2M floppy drive. c. "Lean and mean" is how one reviewer has evaluated the utility. The menu-driven program has a minimum of options. The documentation, all twenty-seven pages, is likewise minimal. d. The main menu offers seven selections: Backup, Compare, Restore, Modify, List, Append and Quit. The use of arrow keys or typing the first letter of a command selects an option. (1) Backup = Backup from the hard disk to floppies (2) Compare = Confirm that the data on the floppy disk matches the data on the fixed disk after backup (3) Restore = Read a file from a floppy disk backup and write it to the fixed disk (4) Modify = Make changes to the default parameters (10 parameters) (5) List = Display the file names contained on the floppy disk backup to the screen or to a printer (6) Append = Add files starting with the last disk on a previously made floppy disk backup set (7) Quit = Exit back to DOS e. When one executes the Backup selection, the screen shows the parameters in effect for the operation, the name of the file being operated on, the elapsed time since the backup stared, and the amount of time PC-FULLBAK has waited for the user to supply it with disks. It was embarrassing to discover that I probably have the slowest hands in the West when it comes to removing and inserting disks. f. I tried all of the selections with the exception of Append, and found that they functioned as advertised. I only had to change one default parameter for the test system. 5. Product Advantages: a. A user does not have to know very much to successfully run the program. The default parameters facilitate ease of use. b. The bundling of the program with hardware makes for an attractive cost. But I am unaware that recent standard contracts have included PC-FULLBAK as an option for Army users. c. The speed of the program and of its commercially available upgrade has been verified by more than one reviewer. I have included appropriate citations in paragraph 7 below. d. PC-FULLBAK is a significant improvement over the MS-DOS Backup/Restore commands. It was a PC Magazine Editor's Choice in 1988. 6. Product Disadvantages: a. PC-FULLBAK uses a proprietary file format which means that DOS cannot read the backup disks. The proprietary format also interferes with viral scanning software, such as VIRUSCAN, which cannot read proprietary formatted disks. [Note: PC-FullBak Plus allows for the use of DOS formatted disks.] b. PC-FULLBAK does not provide for data compression of backup files. [Note: The feature is available on PC-FullBak Plus.] c. PC-FULLBAK only supports floppy disk backups. [Note: PC-FullBak Plus supports tape backup units.] 7. Comments: There is a certain irony in the fact that the user who gave me his copy of PC-FULLBAK had never used it. The importance of backing up essential operating and application software along with critical data is a cornerstone of any information system protection program. Yet the reality is that managers have difficulty in identifying this as a major concern. Even information system 2 security professionals have a tendency to ignore backup and continuity of operations in general as a "security" issue. The typical functional user, who probably has just enough training to be dangerous and who has been overwhelmed with statements as to how productive he or she will become through automation, needs to have an easy tool to perform backups in as painless a manner as possible. PC-FULLBAK may not be the long-term answer for many organizations. But, if there are unopened copies of the software lying around your organization, it would seem advantageous to open the cellophane and use the product. Since this was my first experience with a backup utility, I must confess that I relied on the following sources: a. "Software Safety Nets", PC Magazine, May 31, 1988. b. "Protecting Your Data from Fire, Flood, & Pestilence", by Stephen Satchell, INFOWORLD, September 5, 1988. c. "Backup Software", by Edward Mendelson, PC Magazine, August 1989. All these articles have common weighting factors in evaluating backup utilities. Performance factors include speed, capacity and reliability. The third citation is the most detailed. One final matter which may not be apparent from this test evaluation or from the identified sources above is the question as to whether one should simply buy a backup utility, or rather buy a utility in which backup is one of many programs. This is not a trivial question to ask when one's user community may be large and have myriad requirements. [The opinions expressed in this evaluation are those of the author, and should not be taken as representing official Department of Army positions or a commercial endorsement.] 3 ------------------ RFC822 Header Follows ------------------ Received: by internetqm.llnl.gov with SMTP;28 Jan 1993 18:52:10 U Received: from icdc.llnl.gov by icdc.llnl.gov (PMDF #12441) id <01GU29EQT9IOERWYVV@icdc.llnl.gov>; Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:51 PST Received: from pierce.llnl.gov by icdc.llnl.gov (PMDF #12441) id <01GU29EBLVOWERWYU2@icdc.llnl.gov>; Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:51 PST Received: by pierce.llnl.gov (4.1/LLNL-1.18/llnl.gov-05.92) id AA13702; Thu, 28 Jan 93 18:51:51 PST Received: from WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL by pierce.llnl.gov (4.1/LLNL-1.18/llnl.gov-05.92) id AA13686; Thu, 28 Jan 93 18:51:45 PST Received: from wsmr-emh03.army.mil by WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL with TCP; Thu, 28 Jan 1993 19:50:51 -0700 (MST) Resent-date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:51 PST Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 19:44:37 MST From: Chris McDonald STEWS-IM-CM-S Subject: Product Test 22 Resent-to: BILL_ORVIS@QUICKMAIL.llnl.GOV To: orvis%llnl.gov@wsmr-simtel20.army.MIL Resent-message-id: <01GU29EQT9IOERWYVV@icdc.llnl.gov> Message-id: <9301290251.AA13686@pierce.llnl.gov> X-Envelope-to: BILL_ORVIS@QUICKMAIL.llnl.gov X-VMS-To: IN%"orvis%llnl.gov@wsmr-simtel20.army.MIL" ======================================================================