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System configuration problems — caused by hardware or software conflicts, Registry errors, faulty drivers, deleted or corrupted system files — continue to plague help desks, consistently ranking among the top 10 sources of IT help desk calls.
To aid overburdened tech support personnel, imagine LAN of Nashua, N.H., has announced RecoverySafe, a so-called eRecovery product to provide administrators with a centrally managed console to safeguard and restore the Registry and system configuration files on Windows servers, networked Windows clients, occasionally-connected mobile clients and Internet-connected users.
imagine LAN asserts that RecoverySafe offers fast and managed system restorations — for individual clients, groups or even the entire base of networked systems — all from a central console. System integrity is preserved since the recovery process restores only the components necessary for system operation. In comparison, a standard re-imaging process can take as much as 30 minutes or more, and can potentially result in the loss of critical data and applications.
RecoverySafe purportedly enables restorations from within Windows and Safe mode, and even on non-booting PCs. For inoperable or non-booting systems, the “SOS” feature provides local system recovery from Command Prompt modes or from a recovery disk or CD. Command Prompt restorations are supported for all boot drive formats — FAT, FAT32, and NTFS — and simple scripted recovery is provided from Recovery Console on Windows 2000 systems. RecoverySafe also provides a method for creating a recovery disk or CD that transfers centrally stored client Snapshots to CD or disk, should they be needed for local client SOS restorations. This feature is especially useful for
mobile or remote users, providing them with a self-service solution to restore a severely troubled system without losing recent data that may be critical for impending client meetings or other mission-critical tasks.
Management features include the ability to enable administrators to add/update client system information, define groups, and perform scheduled or on-demand Snapshots and restorations for client systems. Built-in Alert features dispatch alert notifications from client systems for successful/unsuccessful Snapshots or restores and if new installations are detected. Reporting capabilities let administrators generate change reports between Snapshots, or even between a Snapshot and the current system configuration. Reports can be created and saved in text, XML or database formats, for export into other systems/network management or monitoring solutions.
The product utilizes a Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) architecture that takes advantage of the built-in security provided through standards using RPC and DCOM. The solution provides user ID and password encryption and firewall support, enabling administrators to define non-standard ports to be used for data exchange. For Internet-connected users, RecoverySafe offers DHCP support for connections to clients with dynamic IP addresses.
RecoverySafe will be available for purchase directly from imagine LAN and from authorized resellers. Pricing starts at $500 dollars (U.S.) for a 25-system package, which includes 25 client licenses and one manager. A 500-system package costs $6,500 and a 5,000-system package sells for $50,000, with a variety of package configurations available. Each package includes one year of support and updates, and annual maintenance/support agreements for subsequent years can also be purchased.
The beta software currently supports Windows 2000 and Windows NT. Support for other Windows platforms will be added at a later date. RecoverySafe is expected to be released next month.
This story first appeared on CrossNodes, an internet.com site.
