In today’s digital age, data protection has become a fundamental need for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). The rising threats of data breaches and ransomware make having a reliable backup and recovery solution indispensable. Nakivo Backup & Replication (NBR) 11 presents itself as an all-encompassing data backup solution, offering substantial support across various host platforms. But the question remains: is it the ideal choice for SMB data protection?
Versatility and Compatibility
Broad Platform Support
Nakivo Backup & Replication 11 stands out because it supports a wide range of platforms, addressing the heterogeneous IT environments that many SMBs operate. The compatibility list includes Windows, Linux, VMware, Nutanix, AWS EC2, and NAS appliances such as QNAP and Synology, along with generic ARM-based models. This extensive compatibility means businesses don’t need multiple backup solutions for different platforms, simplifying the backup process and ensuring data integrity across various systems. Moreover, this broad platform support facilitates seamless integration into existing IT infrastructures, making it an attractive choice for SMBs with complex data protection needs.
This versatility ensures that SMBs with diverse IT environments can rely on a single comprehensive solution to meet their backup requirements. Whether a business relies on on-premises servers, virtual environments, or cloud-based services, NBR 11 can cater to all these scenarios effectively. Nonetheless, it is important to note that while NBR 11 excels in protecting Windows and Linux systems, macOS support is currently not available. However, for most SMBs, the strong emphasis on commonly used platforms like Windows, Linux, VMware, and Nutanix provides sufficient coverage.
Focus on SMBs
Designed specifically with SMBs in mind, NBR 11 brings feature-rich applications and support options that align well with the unique needs of smaller organizations. This includes protection for Windows and Linux servers and workstations, Hyper-V hosts, critical business applications like Exchange and SQL Server, and most recently, extended protection for Microsoft 365 (MS365) components. The latest version of NBR 11 also incorporates security measures to safeguard MS365 accounts protected by Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), enhancing the security framework of businesses using this widespread service. This ensures that SMBs not only have their data backed up but are also protected from potential threats through comprehensive security measures.
This targeted design enables SMBs to manage their data protection with more ease and flexibility, giving them access to enterprise-level features without the overwhelming complexity or cost often associated with solutions geared towards larger enterprises. While the absence of macOS support may limit its use in environments relying heavily on Apple hardware, the expansive functionality offered for Windows and Linux platforms largely compensates. This makes NBR 11 highly relevant for most SMBs looking for a dependable and robust backup and recovery solution.
Advanced Features
Real-Time Replication and Agentless Backup
One of the standout features of NBR 11 is its real-time replication capability for VMware vSphere 8 virtual machines, which is currently in beta testing. This feature is poised to significantly elevate data protection for virtual environments, ensuring that businesses have up-to-date copies of their critical data at all times. Real-time replication minimizes downtime and data loss in the event of a failure, offering businesses a reliable way to maintain operations seamlessly. This functionality can be particularly beneficial for SMBs that rely on virtual machines for day-to-day activities.
Another advanced feature is the agentless backup for ProxMox Virtual Environment (VE). By eliminating the need for guest OS agents, this feature simplifies the backup process and reduces overhead, making it easier to manage and maintain. With agentless backup, businesses can protect their virtual environments more efficiently, without the need to install and manage additional software on each virtual machine. This not only streamlines operations but also enhances the overall security posture by reducing potential points of failure.
Enhanced Data Security
NBR 11 incorporates several robust security features to safeguard data, both in transit and at rest. Source-side backup encryption ensures that data is encrypted before it leaves the source machine, providing an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access. This means that even if data is intercepted during transmission, it remains secure and unreadable to unauthorized parties. NBR also offers ransomware protection by allowing users to enable encryption and immutable recovery points during backup job creation. Engaging these features ensures that recovery points cannot be deleted or altered for a predetermined period, adding an extra safeguard against ransomware attacks that attempt to tamper with backup data.
In addition to these measures, NBR offers malware scanning capabilities via a separate server hosting antivirus solutions like Microsoft Windows Defender, ESET, Sophos Intercept X, or Clam AV. This additional layer of security ensures that backed-up data is free from malicious threats, providing comprehensive protection for SMBs. By integrating these advanced security features, NBR 11 not only protects data from loss but also ensures its integrity against modern threats, making it a formidable solution for SMBs concerned about data security.
Installation and Setup
Installing on Synology NAS
For our evaluation, we chose to install NBR on a Synology DS1823xs+ desktop NAS appliance running DSM 7.2. While the latest version of NBR was not yet available in the DSM Package Center due to ongoing Synology verification procedures, Nakivo provided a robust online tutorial for upgrading to the latest version using the Command Line Interface (CLI). This step-by-step guide made the installation process straightforward and accessible, even for users who may not be familiar with CLI commands. This ease of installation is crucial for SMBs that may not have dedicated IT staff, ensuring they can deploy and benefit from the solution quickly.
The initial setup was smooth, thanks to the detailed instructions provided. The installation package automatically created a repository on our Synology NAS, streamlining the process of setting up backup storage. This automated setup reduces the time and effort required to get started with NBR, allowing SMBs to focus on protecting their data rather than navigating complex installation procedures. However, users also have the flexibility to select from a variety of storage options, including local folders, CIFS/NFS network shares, and cloud storage solutions from providers like Amazon EC2 and S3, Microsoft Azure Blob, Wasabi, and Backblaze B2. This flexibility ensures that SMBs can choose the storage options that best fit their needs and budget.
Core Service Components
NBR comprises three core service components: the Director for browser-based management, Transporters for managing backup, replication, and recovery operations, and Repositories for storing backups. This modular approach ensures that each component is specialized and optimized for its specific function, enhancing overall system performance and reliability. The Director provides a user-friendly interface for configuring and managing the entire backup solution, making it easy to set up and monitor backup jobs, replication tasks, and recovery operations. This centralized management simplifies oversight and helps ensure that all data protection activities are properly coordinated.
Transporters handle the heavy lifting of backup, replication, and recovery operations, ensuring that data is efficiently and securely processed. By distributing these tasks across multiple Transporters, NBR can scale to handle larger workloads and complex environments, making it suitable for growing SMBs. The Repositories component is responsible for storing all backup data, providing a secure and organized location for retained information. While an initial repository was automatically created on our Synology NAS, users have the option to create additional repositories or select external storage solutions, offering flexibility and customization to meet specific business needs.
User Experience
Web Console and Inventory Management
The NBR web console is designed to be user-friendly and efficient, streamlining the process of adding systems to be protected into the NBR inventory. The interface allows users to easily navigate through the various options and settings, making it accessible even for those with limited technical expertise. For example, adding physical Windows servers and Hyper-V hosts to the inventory is a breeze, as the Transporter service is automatically installed on these systems. This automation reduces setup time and ensures that critical systems are protected without requiring extensive manual intervention.
Adding a VMware vSphere host to the system is equally straightforward, requiring only the admin credentials to authenticate and integrate it into the inventory. Once added, all virtual machines (VMs) on the host are presented for agentless backup, simplifying the management of virtual environments. This streamlined approach ensures that all systems, whether physical or virtual, are included in the backup plan without the need for complex configurations or extensive technical knowledge. The intuitive design of the web console enhances the overall user experience, making it easy for SMBs to manage their data protection efforts effectively.
Organizing Backup Jobs
The organization of backup jobs in NBR is handled through a new Data Protection tab in the web console. This feature consolidates all essential protection options into a single, easily accessible location, making it simple for users to manage their backup tasks. Within this tab, users can select systems from the inventory, choose a repository for storing backups, apply a schedule to automate the process, and set the number of recovery points to retain. Additionally, users can determine the immutability period for recovery points, ensuring that they cannot be deleted or modified for a specified duration, enhancing data security.
The Data Protection tab also allows users to enable network and backup encryption, further safeguarding their data against unauthorized access. This comprehensive approach ensures that all aspects of data protection are covered, from the initial backup to long-term retention and security. Users can create a variety of backup jobs, including backup copies for additional redundancy, replication tasks for VMware, Hyper-V, or Amazon EC2 environments, and the new real-time VMware replication feature. This flexibility allows SMBs to tailor their data protection strategy to meet their specific needs, ensuring that all critical data is effectively safeguarded.
Comprehensive Restore Features
File and Application Recovery
Nakivo Backup & Replication 11 offers a comprehensive suite of restore features, providing businesses with the flexibility to recover data in various scenarios. For files and folders, users can select a recovery point and specify the data they wish to restore, ensuring that they can quickly recover individual items without having to restore an entire system. This granular approach saves time and resources, making it easier for SMBs to maintain continuity in the event of data loss. The intuitive interface guides users through the recovery process, ensuring that even those with limited technical expertise can effectively restore their data.
Application-aware backups further enhance the restore capabilities of NBR 11 by integrating seamlessly with critical business applications such as Active Directory (AD), SQL Server, and Exchange. This integration ensures that not only the data but also the application metadata and configurations are backed up, enabling full recovery of these systems. Users can restore AD objects, SQL databases, and Exchange items with ease, minimizing downtime and ensuring that business operations can continue uninterrupted. The ability to recover specific application components rather than entire systems provides businesses with the flexibility to address various recovery scenarios effectively.
MS365 Granular Recovery
Microsoft 365 (MS365) granular recovery is another powerful feature of NBR 11, allowing businesses to restore individual components to their original location or to other users. This level of granularity ensures that critical data in MS365 environments can be recovered precisely as needed, without restoring unnecessary data. To leverage this feature, NBR requires a specialized SaaS repository. During our evaluation, we successfully created this repository on a Synology NAS using a designated share path, demonstrating the ease of setup and integration with existing storage solutions. The straightforward MS365 authentication process involves just three steps, allowing for the creation of scheduled jobs that protect all MS365 components efficiently.
This granular recovery capability is particularly valuable for SMBs using MS365, as it provides a fine-tuned approach to data restoration. Whether it involves recovering individual emails, contacts, calendar items, or entire mailboxes, NBR 11 ensures that businesses can quickly and accurately restore their data as needed. This flexibility enhances the overall data protection strategy, enabling businesses to address various recovery scenarios with ease and confidence.
Disaster Recovery and Malware Protection
VM Replication and Flash VM Boot
Disaster recovery features in Nakivo Backup & Replication 11 are robust, providing businesses with the tools they need to quickly recover from data loss incidents. One of the key features is VM replication, which replicates virtual machines as clones, ensuring that businesses have a ready-to-deploy copy of their critical systems. This replication process minimizes downtime and ensures that operations can continue with minimal disruption in the event of a failure. Additionally, the Flash VM Boot recovery feature allows businesses to create new virtual machines directly from the backup repository, speeding up the recovery process.
This combination of VM replication and Flash VM Boot provides a comprehensive disaster recovery solution, enabling businesses to recover quickly and maintain operational continuity. By creating near-instantaneous VMs from backups, businesses can ensure that their critical applications and services are back online with minimal delay. These features are particularly valuable for SMBs that rely heavily on virtual environments, as they provide a reliable and efficient way to recover from unexpected data loss events. The integration of these advanced disaster recovery capabilities into NBR 11 enhances its appeal as a comprehensive data protection solution for SMBs.
Malware Scanning
In our current digital landscape, safeguarding data has become an essential priority for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs). The increasing incidence of data breaches and ransomware attacks underlines the necessity for effective backup and recovery solutions. Nakivo Backup & Replication (NBR) 11 emerges as a comprehensive data backup solution, providing extensive support across a wide range of host platforms.
To secure sensitive information and ensure business continuity, SMBs must adopt robust measures against cyber threats. Reliable data backup is no longer optional; it is imperative for survival in an era where data integrity is frequently compromised. As these threats continue to evolve, businesses must stay ahead with cutting-edge technology like NBR 11. With its broad features and support, NBR 11 could be the right choice, but it’s essential for each SMB to assess whether it fits their specific requirements. Thus, while NBR 11 offers promising solutions, the real question is if it aligns with the unique demands and operational frameworks of individual SMBs striving for optimal data protection.
