FAQ: Getting Started

• What are the system requirements for rCloud?
• How does rCloud work?
• How is rCloud service enabled?
• How do I access rCloud Management portal?
• How big is the host agent?
• How do I upload my server?
• How much bandwidth do I need to upload my server over the Internet and how long will the initial upload take?
• What kind of bandwidth do I need to perform daily uploads to the service?

What are the system requirements for rCloud?

Supported Operating Systems

• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Server 2003 R2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows SBS 2003
• Windows SBS 2008
• Windows SBS 2011 

 

Software Requirements

For virtualized environments, the host server must be running:

• VMware ESX/ESXi 3.5 update 2 through ESX/ESXi 4.1

 

For physical environments, the server must be running:

• StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ Server Edition versions 3.5 and 4.1
• StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ SBS Edition versions 3.5 and 4.1 

 

Application Support

• Any application that runs on one of our supported operating systems
• Any application supported in a VMware ESX virtualized environment

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    How does rCloud work?    

With the simple installation of a host agent on the client’s server, a full image of the server can be uploaded over the Internet or shipped on a disk where it is replicated to the Doyenz secure data center. Incremental server image backups, or deltas, are then replicated automatically into rCloud on a daily basis. These images can be accessed through the rCloud web-based management portal, where they can be restored to run as virtual machines.

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How is the rCloud service enabled?

A partner creates an account via the rCloud portal, then downloads and installs a small host agent on the client's server.

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How do I access the rCloud Management Portal?

A web browser, Internet connection and secure logon is all that is needed to access rCloud.

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How big is the host agent?

The virtual host agent is under 1 GB and the physical host agent is 49 MB.

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How do I upload my server?

A server image can be uploaded to rCloud automatically over the Internet or shipped on a disk to Doyenz.

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How much bandwidth do I need to upload my server over the Internet, and how long will the initial upload take?

Your clients will need enough bandwidth to upload a daily incremental backup to the
cloud in 23 hours. The actual amount of bandwidth will vary on a client-by-client basis, however, we recommend at least 1 Mbps upload speed.

The following table provides general guidelines for 200GB transfer speeds. For more precise information related to your base server size, please refer to this calculation tool.

Available Internet Connection	Theoretical Min. Number of Days to Transfer 200GB at 80% Network Utilization
512Kbps	46.6 Days
T1 (1.544Mbps)	16.4 Days
10Mbps	2.6 Days
T3 (44.736Mbps)	14.4 Hours

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What kind of bandwidth do I need to upload daily backups to the service?

It depends on the size of the deltas, however we recommend 1Mbps, outside of business hours. Bandwidth usage can be throttled down during business hours through rCloud management portal.

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