Beta 11 - Major Update

We are very happy to announce that beta 11 of Backup Nexus is now available for download!

This is a major update for bun; virtually every aspect of the program has been revamped and polished. This new version is faster, more reliable, gives you more feedback about the backup progress, while still retaining the priority of keeping backup easy to do.

We have also added storage sharing with this new version. Currently, bun may use up to 2 GB of your disk space to back up files for other people on the network. (Note that the ratio and amount may change in a later version).

Because this is a major update, you will have to uninstall the previous version of Backup Nexus (beta 10, released back in October) before installing beta 11. To ensure that you uninstall the previous version cleanly, first quit Backup Nexus. If you are on Windows, you can then execute the uninstaller, which will fully uninstall the program. If you are on Linux or Mac, open up your command prompt and type in "rm -rf ~/.backupnexus" to delete the old configurations.

Beta 11 was originally scheduled to be released in early 2008. We could not have released it early, without the help of our early beta testers (you know who you are). Thanks.

Beta 11 Preview

In the past few months, we have been focusing on developing the next generation of bun. However, since we have been so quiet, you may be curious about what we have been up to.

The development of beta 11 is drawing to a close. We are now concentrating on testing bun in the lab. Since the features are now finalized, we would also like to give you a preview of what you can expect from the next beta.

Beta 11 is a big enhancement over the previous version of bun. Here is an partial list:

• Much better performance, thanks to the use of a new database layer that speeds performance by 20% or more.
• Higher compression ratio makes storage more efficient and backup transfer faster.
  
• Advanced and multiple layers of encryptions and checksum protects the confidentiality and integrity of your files.
• Network folder registration saves you from having to remember what folder you previously backed up.
• Better and more accurate statistics on how many of your files have been backed up
• Many bug fixes that improves stability and functionalities (with special thanks to the beta testers who gave us the feedback).

Beta 11 is going through testing right now. If we do not encounter any significant problem, it should be available for download early next year.

Overall, the coming months will be an exciting time for bun, and we look forward to bringing you the result of our hard work.

Server Problem and Re-Login

On Sunday night, the server component of Backup Nexus began to experience problem. Eventually, the server crashed and we were forced to restart the server.

The bun client has a feature, whereby if you have the wrong password, it will restart itself and prompt you to re-login (since if you have the wrong password, your backup data will be corrupted). However, there is a bug in the detection: the bun client considers any login failure, whether resulting from network failure or wrong password, to result in the need to re-login. Because of the recent server problem, you may have noticed that your bun client has prompted you to login again. If you see the screen, simply login again. Once you login successfully, backup of your files will resume. In addition, any files that you have previously backed up continue to be available, so you do not need to worry about data loss.

Sorry for the inconvenience. This login bug has been fixed in the latest developmental version of bun and should be deployed when the next beta comes out.

Beta 10 - Minor Update

This is just to let you know that we have released beta 10 of Backup Nexus, or bun.

Just like beta 9, this is yet another minor update. Most of the changes are internal improvements. In response to your feedback, we have also tuned down the frequency of popup notification, so there won't be too many messages telling you that bun has just started up or finished backing up a folder.

As usual, the update has been made available through the self-update site, so you should receive this update automatically.

Beta 9 - Little Tweaks

We have made beta 9 release of bun (Backup Nexus) available. This is a minor update, made to fine tune some of the major features that we introduced back in beta 8. A cursory overview of the changes in this release:

• For maximum safety, whenever a file is deleted or overwritten by bun, it is moved to the trash or recycle bin instead. Check your trash bin if you can't find a file and suspect that it may have been deleted accidentally.
• Fixed a bug so that directory deletion are now detected.
  
• Small bug fixes and other internal improvements.
  

As usual, this update is available via the self-update feature of bun, so if you are running bun, you should have received this update automatically.

This is also the first release to integrate some of the backend enhancements, which we posted about a few months ago. Bun is also running in our new data center with better connectivity and computing power. For now, the integration is only superficial, but stay tuned, as we gradually bring more of the new backend online.

Beta 8 - Simplicity and Visibility

Another month, another beta release of bun (Backup Nexus). This time, the new release is packed with new features.

The biggest change in this beta is the simplification of the backup process. Before this version, there was an awkward separation between two types of folders, one used for backup and the other for restore. This distinction was making things more complicated than necessary. In addition, files that were long-ago deleted would come back when you restore the folder.

Instead, in this release, we have consolidated the two types of folders. Now, you just add a folder, and bun automatically does the right thing. New files are automatically backed up. If you add the same folder to a different computer, your files will be restored. We have also implemented Distributed Deletion Detection, so that files that you have deleted will not come back again.

Of course, this enhancement is not the only new feature in beta 8. The following is a list of new changes in beta 8:

• File browser
• Download browser
• Miscellaneous tweaks to the UI
• Internal enhancements for better stability

As usual, this update is provided via self-update, which means that by the time you read this, your bun should already be at the latest version.

Beta 7 Available - Interim release with minor changes

A new beta version has been released. We are still working on the backend overhaul, but this is an interim release to improve bun for the current beta users. Some of the changes include:

• Streamlined interior for better responsiveness
• Dashboard now displays status information for folders
• More tweaks to make bun runs more stably

If you were running beta 6 previously, the self-update feature of bun should have already updated installation to beta 7, so you need not do anything.