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Micro Mart

July 26, 2007

by Mark Pickavance

Acronis^® True Image Echo^™ Workstation

Rating: 9/10

I've seen many applications that pertain to back your system up; some can to a degree and others are just convenient tools to copy documents away. The problem that dogs most of them is how you secure a running OS, from within a running OS!

Not many solve, or even approach the problem. However, Acronis^® True Image Echo^™ Workstation not only tackles that difficult issue, but also delivers a comprehensive system duplication and restoration tool.

To be accurate, it's a suite of applications, but they snap together in a seamless fashion to deliver a complete solution. At its simplest level, Acronis^® True Image Echo^™ Workstation can secure files or folders on any 32 or 64-bit version of Windows (except Vista), using local hard drives, writable media (including tapes) or remotely networked computers. But it can also replicate entire partitions, or systems if needed, in a Norton Ghost 'clone' type operation.

One aspect of this ability which was new to me was the ability to create a secure partition, the Acronis Secure Zone^®, isolating it from modification by a rogue application or OS. It uses this special location to protect the back-up data, and then restore it when necessary. To facilitate restoration when the OS is damaged, Acronis included a tool to create a bootable rescue disk, which enables the system to be returned to operational status as rapidly as possible.

This is an ideal tool for the business environment, where workstations can be secured against whatever catastrophe the users unleash on them. A management console and Group Server components allows IT staff to manage deployments and the status of all PC's using True Image, making each PC part of a bigger back-up strategy and mechanism.

These features elevate it from a nice-to-have home status, to the absolutely invaluable level for corporate networks. And, I've only scratched the surface of what this tool can do. One of the amazing tricks it can perform is to boot from a back-up image, and use that to provide services white that same image is being recovered.

I only have one complaint, and it's minor one. To do a bare metal restore, to a system that's eaten its hard drive, for example, requires an additional module 'Universal Restore', for which the developer wants another £20. I'd like to have seen that in the standard package, because it's not an unusual situation. But even at a combined cost of about £75, it still represents exceptional value for money.

To my mind, backing up is only worth doing if you're confident you can restore the system in the event of a problem. Acronis^® True Image Echo^™ Workstation makes that job less of a chore, and a genuinely worthwhile exercise in the event of disaster.

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