FAQ – ActiveImage Protector

Q1: What is ActiveImage Protector (AIP) ?

ActiveImage Protector is a backup and recovery solution developed and sold by Actiphy. Our solutions support a variety of system environments, from SMEs to large enterprises. The latest version of ActiveImage Protector 2022 offers enhanced features for both existing on-premise and public cloud environments. ActiveImage Protector’s easy-to-use, wizard-driven interface will help you protect hybrid infrastructure that is on-premise or in the public cloud more easily. With quick recovery designed for rapid time-to-restore (RTO) and an intuitive interface, ActiveImage Protector is indispensable for safeguarding IT infrastructure against system failures, cyberattacks, human errors, disasters, etc.

Q2: What are the new features of ActiveImage Protector 2022 Series ?

  • Backup and recovery of virtual machines in the Cloud .
  • Save backups to a variety of storage locations, including S3 compatible object storage, Microsoft Azure Storage, SFTP servers and more.
  • Backup directly to LTO tapes, suitable for long-term data storage.
  • Create windows-based boot environments for system restoration or cold backups without the need to install the Windows ADK. The Boot Environment Builder allows you to add specific device drivers from the source system to the bootable media.
  • Linux-based boot environment ISO image that be used to boot on both Linux and Windows environments.
  • New cost-effective subscription license for long-term use.
  • Supports Windows Server 2022, Windows 11, Windows 10 21H2, RHEL 8.4, CentOS 8.4, Ubuntu, and Debian.
  • New folders/files backup feature that can target selected files and folders for granular backup.
  • Use HyperStandby to create and maintain virtual standby replicas using backup images for an instant switch-over.
  • Activation of systems that are in an off-line network environment.

【New version 7.0.0 provides the following new features】

  • Actiphy StorageServer option enables to build secured backup storage for exclusive use with ActiveImage Protector.
  • Our newly developed tracking driver is selectable, and the use of the new tracking driver suppresses a slowdown of backup processing. CBC (Changed Block Comparison) mode is also selectable instead of the driver mode.
  • Boot up the system and QuickRecovery automatically starts the recovery environment without the need for boot environment media.
  • Recovery Media Maker feature enables creating bootable recovery media embedded with the backup source machine’s image.
  • Direct backup and recovery of VMware’s FCD (First Class Disk) formatted disks is supported.
  • VMware vSphere 8 and Redhat clone OS 9.x are supported.

Q3: What are the advantages of using ActiveImage Protector ?

  • Protect your company’s critical infrastructure at a price point that is right for businesses of any scale. In addition, because it’s easy to install and use, it can help reduce the burden on on-site engineers.
  • Focusing on imaging backup technologies, our solutions have been developed to meet the needs of today’s demanding environments. Our solutions have evolved with the times, covering both on-premises and cloud infrastructure.
  • Our support team collaborates directly with our development team to provide high-quality technical support to our customers, thereby helping to further reduce the burden on on-site engineers.
  • In addition to restoring a system in an emergency, Actiphy solutions offer various options to recover without business downtime. We have created our products to focus on both BCP and DR so your company can continue to function without interruption.

Q4: How should I decide which ActiveImage Protector edition to buy ?

Please select an edition based upon the needs for the environment and OS you intend to use the product in. Below is a brief description of the various editions of ActiveImage Protector:

Server Designed to protect one or more physical or virtual Windows Server environments.
DesktopDesigned to protect one or more physical or virtual Windows Desktop environments such as Windows 10, 11 or other client PCs.
LinuxDesigned to protect one or more physical or virtual Linux servers across a variety of Linux distributions.
ClusterDesigned to protect clustered physical or virtual machines with two or more nodes, such as Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC) or Microsoft Failover Cluster (MSFC).
VirtualDesigned to protect Windows Servers or Linux virtual machines running on a hypervisor host.
CloudDesigned to protect a maximum of 5 virtual machines running on Microsoft Azure / Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, or Oracle Cloud environments.
Server vPackDesigned to protect a maximum of 5 Windows or Linux virtual machines on virtual environment hosts in the cloud except for Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, or Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
IT ProDesigned for a single IT Technician to perform unlimited backups and recoveries of virtual or physical Windows servers or desktop OSes for a period of one year.
CLUSTERPROBack up one cluster, physical or virtual, in a CLUSTERPRO environment configured with 2 nodes.
Express5800/ft ServerSystem and Data Protection Solution for Express5800/ft server in physical environment.
Express5800/ft VirtualSystem and Data Protection Solution for Express5800/ft server in virtual environment.

Q5: What is the best product for backing up my on-premise virtual environment ?

We recommend purchasing ActiveImage Protector Virtual when backing up two or more virtual machines on the same host. A single license of Virtual is applied at the host level, so there are no restrictions on the number of Windows or Linux virtual machines that can be backed up on a licensed host.
Traditional (agent-based) backup for virtual machines requires installing the ActiveImage Protector agent on the virtual machines. With HyperAgent agentless backup, you can now back up virtual machines configured on VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V hosts without needing to install an agent on the virtual machine itself. Additionally, the agentless backup feature does not require a dedicated appliance server; you only need to install the HyperAgent service on the host or a Windows machine that has access to the host.
Other virtual host environments can be backed up using agent-based backups. Please use ActiveImage Protector vPack to back up virtual machines on these hosts. With vPack, you can install ActiveImage Protector on the respective Windows or Linux virtual machines.

Q6: Which edition of ActiveImage Protector do you recommend using for migration from physical to virtual environments ?

For migrating physical machines to virtual environments, we recommend using ActiveImage Protector Virtual. When virtualizing multiple physical machines to a single virtual host, one licensed copy of ActiveImage Protector Virtual can be used to create temporary images on the migration source machines. After virtualizing the machines, the same license can be used for daily backups of the virtual machines on that host. If you want to use ActiveImage Protector on the migration source machine, you will need to purchase a separate ActiveImage Protector license.

Q7: Which product do you recommend for backing up CSV volumes of WSFC / MSFC on Hyper-V hosts ?

For cluster environments, please use ActiveImage Protector Cluster. One license can be used in a two-node environment, regardless of whether the cluster is physical or virtual. If you have three or more nodes in the same cluster group, please purchase an additional node license.

Q8: Which product do you recommend to use for backing up Windows server / client for unlimited number of times with fixed payment ?

We recommend using ActiveImage Protector IT Pro, a system and data protection solution for IT professionals who frequently perform system maintenance and installations. One license is required for each IT professional who performs system maintenance services, including backups and recoveries. IT Pro Creator enables the creation of recovery media embedded with the backup source machine’s image. The license is offered on a subscription basis.

Q9: Which product do you recommend using for deploying a master image of a pre-configured Windows server / client system to new client PCs?

We recommend using ActiveImage Deploy USB, built with ActiveImage Protector’s backup and restore engine. This enables you to create bootable Deploy USB media and quickly and steadily deploy a master image to a large number of new client PCs.

Q10: What are the differences between perpetual license and subscription license ?

A perpetual license is a license that can be used for an unlimited period of time and includes the first year of support services. Support services consist of technical support and upgrade services. Optionally, you can purchase support services for up to 7 years at a time, including the first year already included in the license. Additional years are optional; however, if you do not purchase support, you will be unable to receive updates or make inquiries after the support period has expired. Therefore, we recommend purchasing additional support.
The new subscription license for ActiveImage Protector 2022 includes software usage rights and support services. No annual support service renewal is required. After the expiration of the usage period, all functions of the product and support services will be unavailable.
You cannot change from a perpetual license to a subscription license or vice versa. Please purchase new licensing if you want to change license types. Neither support services nor subscription licenses can be canceled during the support period.

Q11: When is the expiration date of the support service for perpetual license ?

We will inform you of the expiration date of the support service in the notice of the delivery date. The support service will be available for one year starting from the 1st of the month following the delivery date (applicable from December 6, 2021). You will have software usage rights and support services starting from the delivery date.

Q12: When is the expiration date of the subscription license ?

We will inform you of the expiration date of the support service in the notice of the delivery date. The support service will be available for one year starting from the 1st of the month following the delivery date.
You will have software usage rights and support services starting from the delivery date.

Effective Life:

  • Monthly subscription: You will have software usage rights for the subscription months starting from the 1st of the month following the delivery date.
  • Annual subscription: You will have software usage rights for the subscription years starting from the 1st of the month following the delivery date.

Q13: Which versions of the products have technical support available ?

For detailed information on the support lifecycle versions for ActiveImage Protector, please visit our Support Lifecycle Policy at link.
The supported versions noted in the support service period are the product versions for which support is offered at that time; these may differ from the version at the time of purchase.
The contact information and opening hours for technical support services are described in the Support Service Terms and Conditions included with the product.

Please visit Actiphy’s website for technical support information, including:

Q14: Please let us know about free upgrade to ActiveImage Protector 2022

The licenses with valid support service can be upgraded free of charge to ActiveImage Protector 2022. If you wish to upgrade, please access the free upgrade application page and apply for the upgrade.

Q15: Does ActiveImage Protector provides File / Folder Backup feature ?

ActiveImage Protector 2022 Windows edition supports file and folder backup.

ActiveImage Protector 2022 Linux and ActiveImage Protector 2018 support disk or partition (volume) backup. Additionally, ActiveImage Protector 2022 Linux supports backing up “VG” (Volume Group) and “LVM” (Logical Volume Manager) sources. In both cases, files and folders can be restored from the created backup image file.

Q16: Is LTO tape storage supported as a storage location for saving backups ?

Yes. ActiveImage Protector 2022 Server, Cluster, Virtual, and IT Pro support LTO tape as a backup storage location.

Q17: Do you have sales materials for ActiveImage Protector ?

Please access Actiphy’s sales materials download site at (https://www.actiphy.eu/en-eu/download/resource/) where you can download the presentation materials, catalogs, etc.

Q18: I want to try using ActiveImage Protector, but how ?

We can provide evaluation versions of ActiveImage Protector. Please fill out the form here (https://www.actiphy.eu/en-eu/form/) to download and trial it.