Features at a glance
Local drives
Local storage devices of all major classes are supported - fixed, removable and emulated.
Their exact type and properties are detected automatically and used to adapt the copying pipeline for maximum performance.
Device tracking
Backups can be pinned to specific removable devices so that they will run only when these devices are present.
They can also be set to run on device arrival.
Network shares
Remote storage devices accessible via the SMB protocol are supported just as well.
This includes anything from home routers with USB sticks to proper NAS devices to enterprise-grade storage filers.
Share monitoring
Shares are automatically connected as soon as they become accessible. Shares going offline are also detected and handled accordingly.
Share credentials can be configured if needed.
Copying
Asynchronous I/O
With its ultra-low-overhead fully parallel data transfer the program can extract every bit of performance from participating devices.
IO throttling
Disk load can be controlled with the help of a fair weighted scheduler, shaping just a single backup or spreading the load across multiple.
Delta copying
Delta copying is a method of updating existing files that skips over any unmodified parts and copies over only blocks that actually change.
It helps dramatically cutting down processing time of very large, but slowly-changing files like VM images, encrypted file containers and even raw photos.
More on this...
Write verification
The program can be set to read back all written file blocks and compare them to the originals to detect any in-flight corruption.
Shadow copying
Files locked for exclusive use by other running programs can be copied using Windows native shadow copying service.
Timestamps, etc.
Timestamps, attributes, security information (Owner, Group, DACL, SACL) and alternate data streams (ADS) can be copied as well if needed.
Abort and error recovery
For file updates that are interrupted part-way through the program will automatically check the file on the next run, recover as much of its data as possible and continue the copying.
That is, file copying is resumable.
Scheduling
Real-time backups
Source location can be monitored continuously and backups executed as soon as any changes are detected.
Serialized or concurrent
Backups can be sorted into scheduling queues to be run one by one, with queues themselves serviced in parallel with each other.
Quiet periods
Backups can be suppressed at specific times to not interfere with other tasks on the machine.
Periodic backups
Backups can also be set to run periodically at fully customizable intervals, and with the first backup potentially set in the future.
On device arrival
The program can run the backups as soon as their source or target device is plugged into the computer.
Manual and simulated
Any backup can be run manually at any time. Simulated "dry" runs are also fully supported.
Scanning
Automatic file system testing
File system volumes are tested to detect their capabilities and effective timestamp resolution.
Knowing the resolution is essential for accurate detection of modified files residing on different file system volumes.
File index caching
Once the file index is compiled, it can be saved and reused on subsequent runs, eliminating the need for re-scanning the backup.
Reparse points and symlinks
Flexible policies to control the traversal of symlinks and reparse points.
Fast parallel scanning
When building a list of files at a location, the program processes multiple folders at once.
This makes for a little miracle when scanning ultra fast local drives and remote shares over slow networks.
Long paths
All file system operations are carried out using long path notation, which supports paths of up to 32,767 characters in length.
File and folder filtering
Comprehensive support for defining file sets based
on inclusion and exclusion rules.
Planning
Logical and predictable
Every backup run comprises three distinct phases - scanning, planning and execution.
No action is taken until the program has a complete list of everything it plans to do.
Move/rename detection
The backup planner can recognize less obvious changes, such as renames and moves, for what they are and replicate them accordingly.
Archiving of deleted items
Backup copies of items that are deleted at source can be moved to a special folder and deleted from there after a grace period.
They can also be retained there indefinitely.
Archiving of modified files
Backup copies of files modified at source can be archived as well, creating a history of past file versions.
Management
System service mode
The program can be switched to run as a system service so that the backups would continue running even if no one is logged in.
Command-line control
Backups can be controlled and their status queried through the command line.
Comprehensive logging
Detailed logs are maintained for all backups and the program itself, including full support for both size and age-based log rotation.
Email reports and alerts
Email alerts can be dispatched upon backup's completion, including the run summary, logs or just a list of errors.
Pre/post-backup scripting
Custom commands of arbitrary nature can be executed before and after each backup run.
Software updates
Built-in mechanism for checking and optionally installing updates, including "stable", "newest" and custom channels for managed site installs.
Safeguards
Backups can be set to abort on any changes to a "canary" file or when the amount of changes exceeds specified thresholds.
Meta
Rigorously engineered
Bvckup 2 is written in a way and to the standards typically employed in development of low-level, embedded and system software.
It puts strong emphasis on using simple clean code, keeping resource usage in check and running as close to the hardware as possible.
Robust and mature
Since its first release back in 2014 the program has been in a routine production use handling all kinds of jobs for thousands of our clients from more than 80 countries around the world.
Minimal dependencies
Bvckup 2 ships as single executable with no dependencies on any external frameworks, third party components or system services (with an exception of shadow copying).
It can also run without full Admin privileges, though, of course, it can do more with them.
Compact configuration
All program settings are stored in plaintext INI files in a single configuration folder that can be easily relocated if required.