Windows 8 Client Backup In The Cloud, Powered By Windows Azure

JMH · 08 Nov 2010

I have said it earlier and I’m going to repeat myself here: Job postings are one of the only official sources of information regarding Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8. A new job posting was recently discovered that connects the Windows 8 Client Backup feature with Microsoft’s cloud based service Windows Azure.

Here is what the job posting for a Software Development Engineer in Test reads:

The Windows Server Solutions group is under the Server and Cloud Division. Our mission is to promote adoption of Microsoft server and cloud platforms/products by using features that appeal to specific market segments. The segments we currently focus on are homes, educational institutions and small businesses. (Windows Home Server, Windows MultiPoint Server and Windows Small Business Server are our key product lines.) We work on a wide range of technologies to appeal to these segments – from kernel-level to native UI to managed UI to web services. For instance we have developed a centralized PC backup, extensible storage, UPnP-based router configuration utilities, a remote web workplace with a GFS backend and a simplified IT management UI. We are currently working on a Windows Azure-based service and integrating with certain Microsoft online services and Windows 8 client backup. Many of the features we develop have ended up in the Windows Client and Windows Server OSes.

The last sentence is the interesting one in regards to Windows 8. What could this mean? That Microsoft may include a hassle-free cloud based backup option in Windows 8. The job posting still leaves room for a lot of speculating. Will the cloud based backup be free for all Windows 8 users? Will it be included in all editions of the operating system? How much storage space will each user get for free, and will there be paid upgrades?

The integration of online backup in Windows 8 is an important step to improve the system’s recovery and restoration options.

More -
Windows 8 Client Backup In The Cloud, Powered By Windows Azure | Windows 8 News

jimbo45 · 09 Nov 2010

Hi there
I think these "Cloud Backup solutions" are actually "Pie in the Sky".

I regularly back up maybe 1TB of data in a few weeks -- what sort of Internet service with a DECENT UPLOAD speed and uncapped bandwidth is ever going to make this viable even if I wanted to do it.

Now I'm only a single home user -- imagine the load on the Internet if loads and loads of us wanted to "Cloud Backup" this volume of data.

If you are talking smaller volumes --well 64 GB USB sticks are available and the latest 1TB "USB powered" mini hdd's are also cheap and a MUCH better solution IMO too.

Cheers
jimbo

Win7User512 · 10 Nov 2010

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
I think these "Cloud Backup solutions" are actually "Pie in the Sky".

I regularly back up maybe 1TB of data in a few weeks -- what sort of Internet service with a DECENT UPLOAD speed and uncapped bandwidth is ever going to make this viable even if I wanted to do it.

Now I'm only a single home user -- imagine the load on the Internet if loads and loads of us wanted to "Cloud Backup" this volume of data.

If you are talking smaller volumes --well 64 GB USB sticks are available and the latest 1TB "USB powered" mini hdd's are also cheap and a MUCH better solution IMO too.

Cheers
jimbo

Wow, how do you accumulate 1TB in a few weeks?

jimbo45 · 10 Nov 2010

Win7User512 said:

jimbo45 said:

Hi there
I think these "Cloud Backup solutions" are actually "Pie in the Sky".

I regularly back up maybe 1TB of data in a few weeks -- what sort of Internet service with a DECENT UPLOAD speed and uncapped bandwidth is ever going to make this viable even if I wanted to do it.

Now I'm only a single home user -- imagine the load on the Internet if loads and loads of us wanted to "Cloud Backup" this volume of data.

If you are talking smaller volumes --well 64 GB USB sticks are available and the latest 1TB "USB powered" mini hdd's are also cheap and a MUCH better solution IMO too.

Cheers
jimbo

Wow, how do you accumulate 1TB in a few weeks?

Actually it's quite easy.

Try for example creating Professional Quality photos at high resolution on Photoshop from high end PRO digital cameras such as a Canon 1DS MK II -- A quality A3 print probably is around 250 MB. Doesn't take too long to gobble up several 100's of GB's.

Try also archiving a lot of documents etc etc.

1TB is probably on the high side but you should get the point -- the amount of data people will want to back up will usually be MUCH larger than these online backup servers allow.

Assuming you backup your OS -- even this will consume around 30 GB so I doubt if these online backup systems are actually fit for purpose for any serious user of computers.

Cheers
jimbo

Lebon14 · 10 Nov 2010

I say No to any remote backup plans because :
1. Privacy
2. Upload size
3. ISP bandwith usage limits.
4. Choice

I still say that :
1. Mouse and keyboard are the best human-machine interface
2. Data are better on our hard drives

JMH · 11 Nov 2010

Windows 8 Could Feature Cloud Backup via Windows Azure

The next major iteration of Windows could feature an entirely different level of backup leveraging Cloud computing.

At least this is hinted into a job post from Microsoft which discusses a possible connection between Windows 8 or Windows vNext, and Windows Azure.

Although the details for what could end up being Windows Azure-based Windows 8 storage come from Microsoft, fact is that the information was not confirmed officially.

As such, users are advised to take the info with a grain of salt, rather than expecting Microsoft to create a pipeline between Windows 8 and Windows Azure.

Here is the exact job description from the software giant from Google Cache (via Microsoft-Watch):

Source -
Windows 8 Could Feature Cloud Backup via Windows Azure - Softpedia

Tepid · 11 Nov 2010

This could be a good thing or bad thing,
they will work out Port Specific issues for Windows Cloud usage with major ISP's and the little guys will soon follow.
Bandwidth Caps I don't think will be a big issue.
Paying for available space? Well, we will see about that.

But, if you take cloud backups, just look at the likes of Moxy, Carbonite, well,, here

online back up - Bing

There are so many now it's not even funny, it is a bigger market than a lot of people think.

So, MS are just trying to (anti-competitively "snark") capitalize on an already thriving industry.

The cloud is coming, and sooner than you think ,, (hope you know what I mean by that)

Trucidation · 12 Nov 2010

The cloud can be here already for all we care but it's not nearly as game-changing as they want us to believe it will be. Fast, ubiquitous, and reliable internet access is still far from being a reality. Without any major innovations in internet access - among other things - backing up the majority of local user data in the cloud will remain an unrealistic dream. That's not even addressing the privacy/intellectual property/whatever concerns.

jimbo45 said:

Win7User512 said:

Wow, how do you accumulate 1TB in a few weeks?

Actually it's quite easy.

Try for example creating Professional Quality photos at high resolution on Photoshop from high end PRO digital cameras such as a Canon 1DS MK II -- A quality A3 print probably is around 250 MB. Doesn't take too long to gobble up several 100's of GB's.

Exactly. For me it's audio and video (band). It's trivially easy to chew up storage space like it's going out of style, even using relaxed lossy settings.