Archive the Goods compresses and encrypts data before it is transmitted from the Client's office. Only the client knows the encryption "key." The key is not transmitted with the archive. Archive the Goods archives cannot be viewed, decrypted, or used in any way without the key.

The multi-encryption feature makes Archive the Goods the most secure backup software available.

Archive the Goods Clients can enter their own Encryption Key, or they can use the Key Generator. The Key Generator creates "statistically perfect" encryption keys that are much more secure than human users can create.

There is a built-in key escrow system that freaks some people out until they find out it's not a security risk. This system has saved clients who could not recover their data because of a corrupted Key disk, or because they forgot their encryption key.

This is the system that allows/asks/begs you to make a key disk upon installation, to be used to restore your data later. This same system allows the software manufacturer to possibly recover a lost encryption key. It is not a fun process. It will require the authorization of you, (the client) and us, (ATG), and is very expensive to do, with a minimum price of US$2,500.00 and no guarantee of success. After recovery, you just change the Encryption Key to a new one.

So, that said, it is much easier to print out the form when asked. It will contain your Username, Password, Account Group, and Encryption Key. Keep the Encryption Key Disk updated, and store both in a safe deposit box.

After initial installation Archive the Goods software asks if you want to make a Key Disk. The Key Disk contains all the setup information for the Client software. If you change something critical about the setup of the Client software later, it will ask you to update your Key Disk.

If the computer is destroyed and has to be completely reconfigured, you can simply install Archive the Goods software as you did on the failed system. On installation Archive the Goods asks "Is this a new installation or a Disaster Recovery?" You select "Disaster Recovery", you will be asked for the Key Disk. Just insert it, and the Archive the Goods software will set itself up like before, and will contact the Server to download the latest catalog.

You can set your software to rotate files. It can erase the oldest backup files by the length of time they have been on our Server. So, if you like, you can set the system to delete all files that are 30 days old. This would mean that our Server would automatically erase data as it hit 31 days old and the latest session is written to the disk, effectively keeping the most current 30 days of data online. (or 14 days, or 60 days - whatever) Or, you can keep all data.

Our powerful restore features can rebuild (in real-time at the time of restore) a full file set containing all the latest versions of files from multiple backup sets for Full, Incremental, and Differential backups.

You can also have the software set to keep files of which it has only one copy, regardless of how old it is. So, files of which you only have one backup copy are never erased.

All the controls for these features are on the Schedule screen in the Archive the Goods Client software, Administrator access is required.

Archive the Goods Client will back up any computer that the operating system can see as a mapped (shared) drive letter.

For example, if you have eight workstations and one server, you can back all eight computers up with one copy of the Archive the Goods Client.

Install the Client software on one of the workstations or server which has mapped drives to all the other computers. Archive the Goods will back up the data on the other computers.

You can back up data on ANY operating system that Windows can see as a mapped drive. This means that you can back up Unix data, Macintosh, AS400, virtually anything that the computer running the Archive the Goods Client can access as a shared drive.

**NOTE** Many competitors CANNOT back up from shared drives and other operating systems, or they require additional fees to perform the task.

Archive the Goods compresses most files on average 85%. This reduces the amount of data that is actually sent over the internet making the most of your upload speed.

The backup normally runs after normal business hours. This is the time your upload speed is the greatest due to lower internet activity.

Archive the Goods has the ability to select critical files that need to be backed up. If your backup files get really large, we can use our " Bit Backup "method to further reduce the amount of data transfered.

Transfer times are simply what the Internet requires. There's little any software can do, other than compress the files, to decrease the amount of data sent through your upload connection.

Local Backup: These backup sets are used for redundancy of your data. They are used for system failure, hardware and software failure, file corruption, virus infection, etc. This is the data that can be backed up locally to CD/DVD/Tape/Hard Drive and is used when a problem arises.

Offsite Backup: Is like an INSURANCE POLICY really. Archive the Goods is for when the unthinkable happens, when everything else has failed. When your place of business has suffered Catastrophic Events, be it natural, or man made. It’s for outright theft of your equipment, including your local backup sets. So, when you Archive the Goods, you can stay in business, when others go out.