If you’re a user who takes his/her data security seriously, you must be backing up your data regularly. In this process, the first step of choosing a worthy data backup solution is the most crucial one. There are many professional and basic tools available that you can use to protect your data.
MSP360 Lab is a well-known name in the field of online backup and file management. They offer a variety of solutions which are integrated with about 20 cloud providers. Their CloudBerry Backup solution is the flagship offering which is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS. In this article, I’ll be taking a look at the Linux cloud backup version and sharing my experiences with you.
The minimum requirements for running MSP360 backup solution are 1.4GHz 64-bit processor, 512MB RAM, 100MB free disk space, working network adapter, and a supported operating system. MSP360 works on Ubuntu 12/14/16, Suse 11/12, Red Hat 6.x/7.x, Fedora 12/21, CentOS 6/7, Oracle Linux 6.x/7.x.
Note: For this review, I’m using Ubuntu 17.04 and MSP360 2.0.2. Amazon S3 was used for cloud storage.
Why choose MSP360 Backup for Linux? How To Use it?
The latest release of MSP360 Backup, i.e., MSP360 2.0 is a major feature release that comes with new functionality and better performance. This cross-platform backup solution aims to provide a cost-effective solution for both home and enterprise users.
MSP360 Backup for Linux is equipped with many worthy features. Its major features are:
- Scheduled backup
- Incremental backup
- Command line interface
- Compression
- 256-bit AES compression
- Retention policy
- Email notifications
- Local backup
- Network locations backup
In the steps mentioned ahead, I’ll be describing these features and showing you how to successfully run the backup.
MSP360 Linux Installation
First and foremost, you need to visit this link to download the required files. As I’m writing this review using an Ubuntu machine, I went for the first option.
After downloading the package, you need to install it by running a simple command. For that, open a terminal window and run the following command on your Ubuntu machine:
sudo dpkg -i /patg/package_name
If you’re running other Linux distros like Fedora, run the following command:
sudo rpm -i /patg/package_name
After doing so, you can search for MSP360 Backup in the list of installed applications and launch the first instance of the program. This will open the activation window; you can use the free version, choose 15 days trial of pro version, or simply use your license key to activate the product.
I found the process of installing and setting up MSP360 Backup solution very simple and straightforward. So, I don’t think you’ll be facing any difficulties while doing the same.
MSP360 Command Line Interface
Many Linux users find more comfort while working on Terminal. You can perform any action with Terminal. After installation, you can start the trial version of the product via console by running following command:
cbb activateLicense -e "email" -t
For activating the product via Terminal, run the following command:
cbb activateLicense -e "email" -k "license_key"
You can also perform the offline activation of the product as well from Terminal. For doing so, you need to generate a service key using the following command.
cbb activateLicense -e "email" -k "license_key" -or
You need to send the generated service key to [email protected] After receiving the activation key, you need to run the following command:
cbb activateLicense -e "email" -k "license_key" -oa "activationkey_received"
You can find the complete list of CLI commands on MSP360 website.
Backup data with cloud integrations with Amazon S3 etc.
After launching the MSP360 Backup application, you’ll see different options like Backup, Restore, Edit, Remove, etc. To create a backup, simply click on the Backup icon and it’ll open a new window that’ll let you choose your cloud storage service, including the likes of Amazon S3, Azure, Google Cloud, OpenStack, etc.
As you’ll select a service, you’ll be asked to add your backup name, different keys (access key, secret key, etc.). You’ll also need to create a bucket or container for storing your data.
The options to specify files and folder for backup are pretty simple and straightforward. You need to click on drives to expand into folders and files. Simply check the boxes and select the data that needs to be backed up.
CloudBerry backup also gives you options to choose/leave different file types.
Compression and Encryption
Often people avoid backing up their data using cloud services due to the high bandwidth consumptions. To make problem redundant, MSP360 Backup for Linux offers compression. It reduces data overhead, decreases storage costs, and increases the backup speed. While configuring a backup, you can turn on compression with a single tick.
Enter encryption, the most important aspect on an online backup. MSP360 lets you choose your encryption algorithm–AES 128, AES 192, AES 256, and add an extra layer of security. There’s also an option to enable server side encryption and use S3 Transfer Acceleration feature. As a result, all the data uploaded to the servers is encrypted using SSL protocol.
Please note that free version comes with a 200GB storage limit. It also doesn’t feature encryption and compression. The other options like retention and email notifications can also be configured easily using the backup wizard.
After you’re done configuring a backup, the MSP360 wizard shows you a quick summary of all the selected options. It allows you to perform a quick review. I personally liked this feature a lot.
Depending upon your backup schedule, the backup runs automatically. The home screen of the software shows you the last run time of the backup, its status, number of files uploaded, etc.
Just like the backup wizard, the restore wizard shows you different options in different steps. You are asked to choose your decryption password, restore location, files, etc. to make sure that your backup is successfully restored.
Get MSP360 Backup for Linux
Another plus point of MSP360’s offering is its perpetual license. Unlike many other backup options, it doesn’t offer a subscription plan and you only pay once for the license. As a result, you get every update free of cost. It goes without saying that CloudBerry doesn’t provide storage plans; you’ve to purchase it on your own.
You can download different versions of MSP360 for Linux as per your convenience. If you don’t wish to use security features like encryption, you can go with the free version that comes with 200GB backup limit. The Linux Pro version, which has 5TB limit and comes with compression and encryption, costs $29.99. The CloudBerry for Linux Ultimate costs $149.99. Please note that the paid versions also come with dedicated email support with a 48-hours response.
In my experience, MSP360 for Linux turned out to be a very simple to configure and use backup solution. If you aren’t a Linux expert, you don’t need to worry as the intuitive design of its backup and restore wizards let you start securing your data in no time.
Did you find MSP360 Backup for Linux interesting? Don’t forget to share your experiences with us.
Note: This article is brought to you by MSP360.
