TouchPoint A-Z

A

Apple

TouchPoint supports the Apple platform - OSX/desktop, laptop and server.

Application

TouchPoint will backup application servers, such as Exchange and SQL.

Automatic

Once a backup schedule has been set, backups are automatic - no manual intervention to start backups, or change tapes and disks is required at any time.

Availability

All information stored on the TPLS is available for restore 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

B

Backup

Creating a duplicate record of servers, applications, PCs and laptops, for restoration should failure ever occur.

Bandwidth

Backups between the TPLS and Smartways data centre will take different lengths of time, depending on the size of the backup, and the size of connection.

Block

Data is created in blocks - TouchPoint only backs up blocks that have changed, which is known as incremental backup.

C

Capacity

This is the volume of data you have the ability to store on the TouchPoint servers at Smartways.

Client Lite

TP-Client Lite is client software that is loaded on to laptops to enable backups to occur whenever the laptop is connected to the internet.

Clientless

The TouchPoint software is only loaded onto the master, or TP-System machine. There is no need to load it onto any other server or pc, meaning the software is agentless.

Compression

All data sent to Smartways via the TPLS is compressed prior to sending. This ensures that backup packets are as small as possible, often compression reduces the size by as much as 50-60%.

Continuity

TouchPoint offers complete business continuity when used in conjunction with WANSyncHA for high availability automatic failover on servers.

Continuous

TouchPoint runs continuously, making sure that should you need to restore your data, the most recent changes are backed up.

D

Data

The information that is backed up using TouchPoint.

Database

TouchPoint application offers clientless support for database servers such as Microsoft SQL and Exchange. A database is a series of tables that holds all the data for the application it runs.

Decryption

Decryption, or the un-encoding and reading of data held on Smartways servers cannot be done by anyone other than the holder of the encryption key. This makes it incredibly secure.

E

Encryption

TouchPoint uses 256-bit encryption - this is ultra secure 'scrambling' of the data that makes sure no-one other than the key holder can decrypt and read the data.

Enterprise

TouchPoint Enterprise will backup servers and desktop PCs within any size business.

Exchange

Exchange is the Microsoft mail application server. TouchPoint Application will backup all data held on the Exchange server, and can offer single message restore.

F

Failover

This is the automatic switching over from a master server which has failed or needs maintenance, to an identical replica server. WANSyncHA offers automatic failover, which requires no manual intervention in order for failover to occur.

G

GroupWise

This is software from Novell that offers email, calendars, instant messaging and document management. It is used by many public bodies and authorities as an alternative to Microsoft products. TouchPoint Application will support the GroupWise application.

H

High Availability

A service that is available and online 24x7, such as WANSyncHA, is said to offer High Availability. Through constant communication between a master server and its replica, WANSyncHA ensures that should the master fail for any reason, automatic failover to the replica should happen almost immediately.

HP Hewlett-Packard

The company have their own operating system based on the UNIX system. TouchPoint offers clientless platform support for both HP-UX and HP-Tru64 UNIX.

I

IBM

TouchPoint offers clientless platform support for the IBM OS/400 and IBM AIX operating systems.

Incremental

Following the first major synchronisation of the TPLS to Smartways, incremental backups are performed, both from the individual machines to the TPLS and the TPLS to Smartways. These backups only contain the changes that have been made since the last backup was completed. Incremental backups reduce the size of the backup packet considerably.

Intelligent

TouchPoint is an intelligent system in the way that it works - only one piece of client software is ever installed onto one machine - the TP-Client. The TP-Client then goes and talks to all the servers and PCs on the backup schedule.

Internet

TouchPoint backups are compressed and encrypted by the TPLS prior to being sent over the Internet to Smartways secure data centre in Northampton.

J

K

Key

When a TouchPoint Backup and Restore account is opened, the user creates a key for encrypting and decrypting their data. No-one else has access to this key, so another layer of security is added to an already secure system.

L

LAN

A LAN is a Local Area Network. This is a collection of computers and servers belonging to the same business or enterprise that are all linked together to a central point. A prime example of a LAN is within a school.

Linux

Linux is an operating system based on UNIX. TouchPoint offers clientless platform support for SUSE and Red Hat Linux.

Lotus Notes

Lotus Notes is a workflow and groupware software package. TouchPoint offers clientless application support for servers running Lotus Notes.

M

Manageable

The TP-Client offers a simple management portal for the organisation and monitoring of backup schedules. It is this manageability that makes TouchPoint stand out from other backup methods.

N

Novell

Novell are a developer and supplier of a range of open source solutions, including Linux, SUSE and GroupWise, all three of which are supported by TouchPoint.

O

Offsite

TouchPoint backups are saved both onsite, on the TPLS, and offsite, at Smartways, for complete security and recoverability.

Online

TouchPoint backups are sent across the internet to the secure data centre at Smartways. This online backup method is automatic, and requires little user input.

Oracle

TouchPoint offers clientless application support for Oracle version 8 and over. Oracle is a database system developed in the USA in the late 1970's.

Outlook

Microsoft Outlook is a market leading email application. When run on an Exchange server, TouchPoint will run backups that will allow message-level restores.

P

Precaution

Because no-one knows if or when they may loose their data, TouchPoint is a precautionary measure that could save thousands of pounds in the retrieval and re-inputting of data.

Prevention

TouchPoint will not prevent your data being lost from PCs, but it will offer the security that if data does get erased from a local hard drive, it can be retrieved if the hard drive was on the backup schedule.

Protection

TouchPoint will protect your data against equipment failure or loss, and also against any attempts to hack into it whilst the data is in transit to Smartways secure data centre.

Q

R

Recovery

Should a server or PC break, be stolen or be destroyed in any other way, TouchPoint will give the option of complete recovery to a new machine, meaning that the operating system and applications can be recreated along with the data.

Regular

TouchPoint backups are run as regularly as they need to be - so accounts machines are can be backed up every hour, management computers every three hours, and all other computers once a day.

Reliable

TouchPoint is an extremely reliable service for the backup and restoration of valuable data.

Remote

TouchPoint offers remote storage of valuable business information. Having data stored offsite is of huge benefit, should the business site be closed down unexpectedly, for example following a fire or flood.

Replicate

WANSyncHA is used to replicate data on a master server held onsite to a replica held at a geographically different location.

Restore

TouchPoint does not just offer a secure backup service, it also will perform complete working restorations of data, large and small.

S

SBS

SBS is Microsoft's Small Business Server. SBS comes pre-loaded with a range of applications, including Exchange and SQL server. With 5 client access licences, SBS really is for small businesses. TouchPoint offers clientless support for SBS.

Schedule

With TouchPoint backups can be scheduled to happen at any time. Each single PC can have their own backup schedule, or they can be grouped together for ease of management.

Secure

Data that is held on the TPLS and at Smartways is incredibly secure, safe from the threat of loss or interception, even in transit the data is protected from interception, because of the strong 256-bit encryption used.

Servers

A server is a computer that holds and shares resources such as applications and files with other computers on a network. TouchPoint supports the majority of servers and operating systems.

Solaris

Solaris is the operating system used by SUN systems. TouchPoint offers clientless platform support for SUN Solaris.

SQL

SQL is a computer language that provides an interface to relational database systems. SQL servers often host CRM and accountancy software, because of their ability to easily run queries on the data held in the database tables. TouchPoint offers clientless application support for Microsoft SQL servers, as well as MySQL and PostGresSQL.

Strategy

Backup is just a part of an overall complete business continuity strategy that has the ability to be called into action quickly and easily should a disaster happen.

Support

TouchPoint support is available from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays), with an out of hours on-call number for emergencies.

T

TP-Client

The TP-Client is the software that sits on a TPLS (or customer equivalent server). The TP-Client is used to identify data to be backed up and to restore data. It initiates all communication with the TouchPoint Online System. The TP-Client is also responsible for the compression, encryption and Decryption (AES 256-bit) of all data before it is sent to Smartways' secure data centre.

TPLS

The TPLS, or TouchPoint Local Server, is the server that collects and stores backups onsite, before compressing and encrypting the data and sending it offsite to Smartways secure data centre.

U

V

VMWare

VMWare is virtualisation software that is used to create virtual machines. TouchPoint provides clientless platform support for VMWare.

Volume

The volume of data held on the servers at Smartways. This is invoiced at the end of each calendar month.

W

WAN

A WAN is a Wide Area Network, a communications network that covers a wide geographic area. Two or more LANs can be joined to create a WAN.

WANSyncHA

WANSyncHA provides enhanced high availability with application aware automatic failover over a LAN or WAN, so should a server fail for any reason, or need maintenance, a geographically separate server will automatically take over

Windows

Microsoft Windows is the most commonly used operating system for desktop PCs and laptops. TouchPoint offers clientless platform support for Windows 200, XP, and 2003 for desktop, laptop and server.

X

XOsoft

XOsoft have developed WANSyncHA as part of their range of continuous application and information availability solutions.

Y

Z

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