Simple real-time backup
for Windows
Bvckup is a fast minimalist backup software. Select a pair of directories and it will make sure that one directory always stays an exact copy of the other.

Currently in development, Bvckup 2 is scheduled for release in early 2013.

Speed

Bvckup replicates changes as soon as they happen.

The program goes out of its way to be really fast at every step of the process and to ensure the replication happens in a near real-time fashion.

Focus

Bvckup is not a two way sync program. It doesn't compress or encrypt files, or support FTP. Nor does it have a restore function.

It does just one thing - gets changes from A to B - and it does this really well.

Polish

The program is small and light. This is by design and on principle.

Similarly, the user interface is simple and uncluttered, but still allows for a fair amount of adjustments to one's specific backup needs.
In the works

Screenshots and visuals are over at the Work in Progress page.

Summary of features
(click on individual features for details)

Performance

  • Real-time backups
    Bvckup continuously monitors for changes and updates the backup copy immediately after the source is modified.
  • Scheduled and manual backups
    Alternatively, the backups can be run periodically or when started manually.
  • Delta copying
    Bvckup reduces amount of data being pushed around by copying modified parts of the files only. This speeds things up, in many cases - dramatically.
  • Move / rename detection
    Bvckup detects both file and directory moves. It can also handle cases where the move is likely, but not 100% certain.
  • Parallel scanning
    Bvckup reads the directory structure with several threads. This speeds up local disk scanning and it also translates into a small miracle for over-the-network scans.
  • Cache-aware reading
    Bvckup tiptoes around the system file cache by reading from it only when the data is resident and switching to direct disk I/O otherwise. This shaves off few milliseconds per system call and avoids cache thrashing.
  • Pipelined I/O
    By staggering the open/read/write/close sequences when copying files Bvckup speeds up copying of large numbers of small and very small files.

Essentials

  • System service mode
    Bvckup can be easily switched to run as a system service. This allows the program to continue running even when no one is logged into the computer.
  • Native 64-bit support
    Bvckup runs as a native 32- or 64-bit process, automatically adapting to the type of your operating system.
  • Archival of deleted items
    Bvckup can move deleted (or truncated) files into a dedicated directory, keeping multiple versions of each file if needs be.
  • Exclusion / inclusion filters
    Bvckup allows specifying an exact set of files to be backed up using simple and flexible directory and file filtering system.
  • Symlink / junction support
    Bvckup includes comprehensive, highly configurable support for symbolic links and junctions.
  • Backup of locked files
    Bvckup can use Windows Volume Shadow Copying service to copy files that are being used by other programs.
  • Ownership / security backup
    In addition to replicating file data, basic attributes and timestamps, Bvckup can also copy ownership and security information

Little big details

  • Out of the way user interface
    Designed for clarity and convenience, the minimalist UI still provides full control over all aspects of the backup configuration and status monitoring.
  • Lean by design
    Bvckup is small, lean and closely integrated with an operating system. It is written in C++, but without extensive use of ++ features. It also follows embedded programing practices to reduce both the code complexity and the run-time bloat.
  • Humane version numbers
    Each Bvckup version is identified by a simple release number that goes up by 1 with every release. No more 1.3.42.7182 nonsense.
  • Release notes that make sense
    When a new version is released, the changes are presented in a collated format, relative to your currently installed version.
  • Non-admin / portable use
    Bvckup can be installed and run without administrative privileges. It can also load its settings from a custom config directory and run without being installed first.
  • More …
    • Built-in update mechanism
    • Support for large file counts
    • Copying speed throttling
    • Linear regression ETA estimator
    • Command-line controls

Version 1

Take a look at the original version. In a state of perpetual stable beta, it gives a very good idea of what the program is about -

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Past issues, all 6 of them, are available over at the News page -

... and the firehose

A stream of smaller updates is hosted on the Work in Progress page. Have a look - All news and updates are also posted to the Twitter account -

Credits

Bvckup is a product of Yaletown Software Design, a small software design and development studio based in Vancouver, Canada. The principal person behind the company is Alex Pankratov.