BRU Server

"Unrecoverable errors at our all-Macintosh multi-room audio post production facility convinced me that I needed an enterprise strength backup solution. BRU is a no-nonsense, bullet-proof solution that is proving to do one thing, and does it flawlessly; protect the creative assets. Frankly, BRU allows me to sleep better at night!"

John Fippin, Owner/Chief Engineer
Magnetic Studios, member of AES and NARAS

BRU Server Packaging

Server Platforms: Client Platforms:
  • Linux
  • Mac OS X
  • Solairs
  • IRIX
  • Linux/Unix
  • Mac OS X
  • Windows
  • FreeBSD
  • OpenBSD
  • Solaris
  • IRIX
  • AIX
  • HPUX
  • SCO OpenServer
  • SCO Unixware
  • and MORE!



See how Toronto-based Tayco® uses BRU Server for Mac OS X in their heterogenous environment.



Information for Retrospect® Users:

BRU Server is TOLIS' premier network backup software solution that provides client/server-based data backup and recovery services across networks of any size. BRU Server delivers the reliability, functionality and flexibility to meet your organization's backup needs - including regulatory compliance. All major client system OS platforms are supported as well as live database back-up on Windows Server and client systems. Ease-of-use, reliability, flexibility, and exceptionally low cost-of-ownership characterize BRU Server.

Network Backup Across the Enterprise

BRU Server is TOLIS Group, Inc.’s flagship Backup & Restore software. BRU Server’s “server component” runs natively on Linux, Solaris, IRIX and Mac OS X, and the combination of the BRU Server server component with BRU Server Agents for all Unix-based and Windows systems protects the critical information residing across your client/server based network. The BRU Server “console component” can be installed on any number of systems to manage BRU Server’s operation. The proven reliability of BRU technology coupled with the proven reliability of a Unix-based operating system creates a backup system of unsurpassed uptime and availability to archived data. BRU Server’s Windows Open File Manager is available to back up live databases such as Exchange Server, SQL Server, Filemaker, Oracle, Sybase, Active Directory and others running on Windows client systems, and the bruCLONE ad-on provides unsurpassed disaster recovery for your OS X systems. BRU Server supports all forms of archive storage including disk, tape, virtual tape libraries, NAS and SAN devices. The built-in architecture supports D-2-D, D-2-T, and D-2-D-2-T without the requirement of expensive add on licenses.

Learn more with highlights - BRU Server for Mac OS X or BRU Server for Linux/Solaris/IRIX.

Why Choose BRU Server Over other Software Tools?

BRU Server never assumes that the data you write to disk or tape is data that is actually recoverable and provides the assurance that the data you think you’ve backed up can actually be restored. BRU’s error recovery algorithms used when writing to tape provide reliability mechanisms unlike any other backup product on the market. BRU can even restore data from the readable portions of a physically damaged tape. These features are captured in our white paper titled: The BRU Advantage.

Why Doesn’t BRU Server Perform Synthetic Full Backups? And Why Should More Frequent Full Backups be Performed?

The concept of Synthetic Backups sounds attractive on the surface—however; the implications for long-term archive storage and recoverability of data are significant. All of our BRU solutions have the ability to perform backups to a user's/organization's requirement, unlike tools that do not provide the necessary flexibility and "force" backups to be done in a manner defined by the software tool. BRU products allow you to easily define full, differential, and incremental backups to meet your organization’s requirements. They are easily scheduled, and the frequency is user controlled. So, depending on the particular needs of your organization, backups can be performed at virtually any frequency that makes sense.

The idea of performing a single full backup and then only performing incremental backups for long periods - 12 months or more - may sound good from a backup standpoint, but what happens when you discover that elements of the backup required for a complete recover have become unrecoverable or are simply missing? BRU’s 25 years of backup experience with large system environments has shown that performing a full backup only one time in months, or years at worst, dramatically reduces the reliability of the restore—or at a minimum, drastically increases the time to a complete system recovery. Performing full backups on a more regular basis with intervening incremental or differential backups will keep your data fresh and increase the reliability and availability of data for restoration. It is the user’s option to perform full backups on any defined schedule; however, BRU’s unmatched speed and lightweight process allows those full, incremental, or differential backups to occur without impact to your network.

Why Doesn’t BRU Server Perform Single Instance Store and De-Duplication?

The concept of Single Instance Backup is the conservation of backup media – only one copy of a file common across systems is backed-up. The loss of a “single instance” file means that file is forever gone and is no longer available to support the restoring of a system or systems that utilize that particular file. This approach is not consistent with our philosophy to assure the restorability of each and every system’s data.

Does BRU Server require a high powered and dedicated server?

BRU Server's overhead is exceptionally low and can actually time-share with other server applications. Depending on one's network system topology, BRU Server will consume only 8% - 20% of a system's resources during backup/restore operations - allowing the majority of system resources to perform other tasks concurrently. Of course, a dedicated backup system is ideal.

Optional Ad-ons for BRU Server include:

  • Encryption Module (currently in BETA, please contact BRU Sales for your copy)
  • Mac OS X Disaster Recovery with bruCLONE
  • Windows Open File Manager for Live Database Backup on Windows Server Systems

How is Hardware Licensed with BRU Server?

Out-of-the-box, BRU Server provides native support of most modern tape drive and library configurations. Because of TOLIS' partnership with tape device manufacturers, we have early access to future tape technology. This access assures you of BRU's reliable support before the new technologies hit the streets. A ll of this is accomplished without the necessity of costly special drivers, additional hardware, or specially tasked systems. Simply put, there are no addtional licensing fees to expand or add hardware to BRU Server.

Additionally, there are no additional licensing fees in relation to the amount of data that needs to be backed up.

No two organizations are alike, nor do they have the same requirements of a backup system other than the requirement of reliability. BRU Server provides the flexibility to administer the backup strategy via the intuitive graphical user interface or by using the character-based interface. BRU Server is also fully scriptable from the command line. These interfaces provide access to BRU Server's robust functionality, and backups can be administered locally, or remotely.

Bottom Line - Your organization's data is critical, and how to protect it is an important decision. BRU Server delivers the reliability, functionality, flexibility, scalability and overall excellent value necessary to provide you with backup peace-of-mind.

BRU Server Solution Choices:

  • BRU Server Basic Edition - Full BRU Server functionality, includes 2 client licenses to back itself up and 1 other connected system - fully expandable
  • BRU Server Network Edition - Includes 25 client licenses and is fully expandable
  • BRU Server Enterprise Edition - Includes 250 client licenses, expandable
  • BRU Server Client Licenses - Available individually, or in cost-effective packs of 5, 10, 25, and 100 licenses
  • BRU Server Site Licenses - Custom quoted when more than five (5) copies of BRU Server, or more than 1,000 clients are required to support an organization