Today's existing backup and recovery solutions do not prevent computer down time efficiently. Procedures such as image cloning, policy restrictions and "undo solutions" require complex configuration and operation. This places limitations on user flexibility by blocking access to files and directories, and consumes vast amounts of resources (handling time, HDD space, RAM and computer performance).

Radix developed the "Instant Recovery" system to enable users to recover their own computers easily, quickly and completely, by entering a single command. This prevents disruptive down time required for troubleshooting, eliminates endless service calls and hours of restoration of back-up files, and ends wasted human resource time reconfiguring complex setups, all without adversely affecting productivity.

By implementing Radix's solutions, IT Administrators can significantly reduce computer down time and business losses, thereby increasing the amount of time and human resources that can be allocated to more critical and higher priority tasks.

Feature Comparison

In detail

Businesses spend literally billions of dollars each year just maintaining the operation of their networked computers. A large portion of IT departments’ time is spent correcting for user errors; software glitches which emerge from incompatible programs, or viruses.

Windows XP System Restore:

Windows XP clients have a ‘Roll Back’ facility, which can restore previous settings, but these only offer partial solutions, because they can still go wrong (see below).

• This rollback facility is designed to protect the Windows system files and not the software packages that are running on top. This means that if a software package became corrupt or the settings changed, there would be no way to revert to its working state. Only protects windows system files and impossible to use if Windows will not boot.
• Can generate some unexpected results and errors.
• User training required.
• Toolbars disappearing or other tedious, time consuming user problems can not be recovered.
• No recovery if a virus attacks the operating system itself.
• XP Restore only works for the immediately previous driver, and does not work for printer devices.
• XP Restore does not deal with the deletion of system files.
• CMOS viruses are still left untouched and virus corruption or accidental changes to it can stop the system from booting.
• The Radix protector offers a single reboot restore function as a pose to a lengthier and potentially unreliable method.
• If Windows doesn’t boot up, then it’s useless!
• Disappearing toolbars and other tedious, time consuming user problems can’t be recovered
• There is no recovery if a virus attacks the operating system itself - and virus authors love to attack Windows

Windows based restrictions

IT departments attempt to overcome these problems by putting restrictions on their networked clients. The points below shows the weaknesses of such a solution:

• Does not restrict all user generated problems.
• Does not prevent users from saving data to the local hard drive which many companies are now opting to enforce.
• The Radix Protector allows full user functionality but with the most robust and reliable safety net available.
• To customize an operating system like this in a networked environment requires a competent networking consultant to design and test the modifications before replicating the changes network wide which in practice is extremely costly and will not eliminate all user problems. This is very time consuming also because of the amount of testing that is required to eliminate any teething problems that can occur when changing a Microsoft product in this way. Failure to do this will cause more problems than are solved when the altered operating system environment is distributed to all users on the network.
• Windows restrictions only focuses on the tightening of security and user rights.
•Windows restrictions are not designed to stop fatal system errors or software corruption that leads to the requirement for a system rebuild.

Roxio Go Back

Some software packages such as Roxio Go Back allow users to revert to a previous setting based on time and dates which does have uses for system administrators. The Radix Protector removes the need for user intervention and eliminates the time lost performing a recovery as can be seen below:

• Does not have the function of preventing users from saving data to their local hard drives.
• User requires training to understand how to use the software.
• The user will have to sort through in date order when they think the point of safety was.
• If windows will not boot there are some real complications for the user.
• The user must press spacebar at boot up to restore and without password protection has free roam with the system settings.
• Does not protect the CMOS.
•There is continuous hard disk activity even when the system is fully booted and opening applications is noticeably slower.
•The software runs on the system tray and has a significant memory usage (between 15-20MB).
•The software itself uses large sections of the hard drive.
•Viruses for example Sircam virus will prevent the software package from opening which again puts pressure on the user to understand how to work around this.
•What happens if the software package becomes unstable or corrupt – it is not airtight.
•There is no way that any software package can beat the HW card in terms of its robustness.
•There is no way that any software package can beat the HW card in terms of its simplicity- there is no user intervention.
•Errors are open to happen e.g. user could select wrong date to go back to – how do u move forward again.

Norton Ghost

Creation of images on a network as a back up for system configurations is well known and implemented on large scale. This rebuild process tends only to be used as a last resort and so does not offer the seamless functionality that the Radix Protector does as can be seen below:

•NG does not avoid downtime. It is used when all else fails and so the "attempt to fix time" plus the recovery time required to actually implement ghost, adds up to substantial downtime.
•As this is a “last resort” cause of action there is no protection from degradation caused from accumulative problems that PCs suffer with over time, for example: Unwanted/unintentionally installed software and disk fragmentation.
•Ensures system administrators that any unauthorized or illegal software can not exist on the network, for example, download managers and instant messaging software packages.
•A computer engineer is required to use NG - NG boot disk, domain admin account privileges are required to rejoin system to domain etc.
•Updating of the NG image on the server is not possible - a new NG image will need to be generated before it can be downloaded onto clients.
•No CMOS protection from accidental or premeditated changes.
•NG can not enforce company policy on preventing users from saving data on the local hard drives.
•The Radix Protector can avoid all of the above problems from the one simple reboot