BackupPC
Disk-based, centralized backup system for PCs and servers
BackupPC is a high-performance, enterprise-grade backup system that backs up many client machines to a central server’s disk or network storage. It supports heterogeneous environments (Windows, Linux/Unix, and macOS) and is designed to reduce storage and I/O through pooling and compression.
Key Features
- Global file pooling (deduplication) across hosts and backup runs to minimize disk usage
- Agentless backups using standard protocols: SMB via Samba tools, rsync, or tar over SSH/rsh/NFS
- Web-based HTTP/CGI interface to monitor status, review logs, manage configuration, and perform restores
- Flexible scheduling for full and incremental backups, parallelism controls, and per-host overrides
- Multiple restore options: download individual files, generate ZIP/TAR archives, or restore directly to clients
- Email reminder and notification capabilities for backup compliance and policies
- Designed for intermittently connected laptops and DHCP environments
Use Cases
- Centralized backups for mixed OS fleets in small to enterprise environments
- Low-cost disk-based backup with deduplication to reduce storage footprint
- Self-service file restore portal for end users and administrators
Limitations and Considerations
- Some client methods rely on external system tools (for example Samba utilities for SMB, rsync, and SSH)
- Packaging availability can vary by Linux distribution for newer major versions
BackupPC is well suited for organizations that want a configurable, disk-based backup server with agentless collection methods and efficient storage through pooling. It provides a practical balance of centralized administration, flexible scheduling, and accessible restore workflows.
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