Baadal™Backup & recovery Every bad day has an undo.
Deleted the wrong folder, saved over last month’s figures, lost a drive? Baadal keeps recovery copies at several levels, from yesterday’s file to a full copy of the device stored somewhere else. Most fixes take a minute, and most you can do yourself.
Deleted files and version history are on for everyone from day one. Snapshots and the off-device backup are switched on in settings, and we help you set them up.
What gets it back
Deleted files On for everyone
- Who does it
- You, on the web or in the app
- Where the copy is
- On the Baadal
Open Files, then Deleted files in the sidebar.
Find it by name or by the date you deleted it.
Choose Restore. It goes back to the folder it came from.
Deleted files are kept for a while, not forever. Your administrator sets how long, and Baadal may clear them sooner when space runs low.
What gets it back
Version history On for everyone
- Who does it
- You, on the web
- Where the copy is
- On the Baadal
Open the file’s menu and choose Details, then Versions.
Pick the right one by its date, time and size.
Choose Restore, then open the file to check it.
Not sure? Download both copies first and compare them. Restoring an older version never costs you the current one.
What gets it back
Your snapshots You switch it on
- Who does it
- You, if snapshots are on
- Where the copy is
- On the Baadal, read-only
Open your snapshots and choose one from before it went wrong.
Browse it like a folder and copy back the files you need.
If everything went wrong, roll your whole files folder back to that snapshot.
Snapshots start from the day you switch them on. Do it now, while everything is fine.
What gets it back
Mirrored drives Chosen at setup
- Who does it
- Nobody: it’s automatic
- Where the copy is
- The second drive, in the same Baadal
If your Baadal is mirrored, the other drive already holds a full copy, so the office keeps working.
The dashboard shows the health of each drive.
Contact Baadal support and we arrange the replacement under your support and warranty terms.
With combined drives there is no second copy, so a failed drive can take everything with it. Combined drives need a system backup.
What gets it back
System backup Admin sets it up
- Who does it
- Your administrator, with us
- Where the copy is
- Off the device: USB, network share or S3
Your latest system backup is safe at another location.
Backup History shows the date of each recovery point.
Contact Baadal support to arrange recovery under your support and warranty terms.
This is the only layer stored away from the Baadal. If yours isn’t set up yet, it’s the one to add first.
What gets it back
VM snapshots Take one first
- Who does it
- Whoever manages the VM
- Where the copy is
- On the Baadal
Choose the snapshot you took before the update.
Baadal checks the snapshot is intact before it writes anything.
If the restore is cut short, it can be finished or rolled back.
A snapshot only helps if you took it first. Make it part of every update.
Why it takes more than one
A mirror copies your mistakes too.
Mirrored drives protect you when hardware fails. Delete a file, though, and it disappears from both drives at once. Each layer covers different problems. This table shows which.
| If this happens… | Deleted files | Versions | Snapshots | Mirrored drives | System backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| You delete a file | Restore | No | Copy back | Deleted on both | Restore |
| You save over a file | No | Restore | Copy back | Overwritten on both | Restore |
| A folder went wrong last week | Some files | File by file | Roll back | Copied on both | Restore |
| One drive fails | No | No | Same drives | Keeps working | Restore |
| The device is lost or damaged | No | No | No | No | Restore |
Snapshots, deleted files and versions are stored on the Baadal itself. Only the system backup stores a copy somewhere else.
Six layers, nearest first
Start with the nearest fix. Go further back only when you need to.
-
Deleted files
The recycle bin
Anything you delete goes to Deleted files first, and you can put it back where it was in one click.
- Who
- Everyone
- When
- Automatic
- Undoes
- A deletion
-
Version history
Earlier saves, kept a while
When you save over a file, Baadal keeps the earlier copy. Compare by date and size, then restore the one you meant.
- Who
- Everyone
- When
- Automatic, on every save
- Undoes
- An unwanted edit
-
Your snapshots
Read-only, on a schedule
Read-only copies of all your files, taken on the schedule you set. Browse an old one, copy files back, or roll everything back.
- Who
- Each person switches it on
- When
- Daily, weekly, monthly or every few days
- Undoes
- A bad week
-
Mirrored drives
If you choose mirrored at setup
Both drives hold the same data, so if one fails the office keeps working. It guards against hardware failure, not mistakes.
- Who
- Chosen when Baadal is set up
- When
- All the time
- Undoes
- A failed drive
-
System backup
The copy that lives elsewhere
Everyone’s files, the database and Baadal’s settings, copied to a USB drive, a network share or S3 storage.
- Who
- The administrator
- When
- On a schedule, or on demand
- Undoes
- Losing the device
-
VM snapshots
For virtual machines
Take a snapshot of a virtual machine before a risky change. Baadal checks the snapshot is intact before it restores anything.
- Who
- Whoever manages the VM
- When
- Before a risky change
- Undoes
- A bad update
Your snapshots
Go back to Sunday at 2 am, then take only what you need.
Switch on snapshots and Baadal saves a read-only copy of all your files on a schedule you choose. Open any snapshot to browse it like a folder, and copy back only the files you need. If everything went wrong, roll your whole files folder back to that point.
- Daily, weekly, monthly or every few days, at a time you pick
- Keep the latest few, or keep every one
- Each person’s snapshots cover only their own files
Snapshots are stored on the same Baadal as your files. They protect you from mistakes, not from losing the device. The system backup covers that.
- How often
- Weekly · Sun
- At
- 02:00
- Keep latest
- 5
- Sun 18 Oct, 02:00Latest · read-only
- Sun 11 Oct, 02:00Read-only
- Sun 4 Oct, 02:00Read-only
- Sun 27 Sep, 02:00Read-only
- Sun 20 Sep, 02:00Oldest kept · read-only
Browse a snapshot, tick the files you need, and copy them back to your live files.
System backup
A backup of everyone’s files and settings, kept off the device.
Your administrator chooses where the copy goes and when it runs. Each backup covers every person’s files, the database and Baadal’s own settings, so you have everything you need to rebuild after a fire, theft or a dead device.
- USB drive Plug it in, detect it, keep a second one at home.
- Windows share Another server or NAS on your network.
- NFS A Linux or storage server export.
- WebDAV A remote server over HTTPS.
- S3 storage Any S3-compatible bucket, in another city if you like.
- Local path Handy for tests. Don’t rely on it alone.
Two ways to run it
Incremental
The first run copies everything. After that, each run saves only what changed, so nightly backups finish faster and use less space. Old recovery points are cleared out to match the retention you set.
Full archive
A complete, stand-alone archive every run. It takes more time and more space, so it suits occasional copies you plan to store elsewhere.
How far back you can go
You set how many daily, weekly and monthly recovery points to keep. For example, keeping 7 daily, 4 weekly and 6 monthly lets you go back about six months:
Schedule it for when the office is empty.
Baadal pauses normal work while a system backup runs, then resumes on its own. Set the schedule for the middle of the night, and check Backup History in the morning for the date, destination and status.
Virtual machines
Snapshot the VM before the risky update.
Take a snapshot before you install a Windows update or upgrade your accounting software. Before a restore writes anything, Baadal checks the snapshot is intact. If a restore is cut short, it can be finished or rolled back, so the VM is never left half-restored.
- Stop the VM and take a snapshot
- Run the update
- If it goes wrong, restore. Baadal checks the snapshot first.
VM snapshots stay on the Baadal, and VM disks are not part of the system backup.
Everything else in the office
Phones and laptops feed into the same protection.
Photos from your phone
Turn on auto upload in the myBaadal app on Android, iPhone or iPad, and new photos go to your Baadal, where every layer above protects them. Site photos and scanned bills stop living on one phone.
Folders on Windows and Mac
Work in a synced folder and every save reaches the Baadal. Sync works both ways, so a deletion on the laptop deletes on the Baadal too. That’s exactly what Deleted files and versions are there to catch.
Good habits
Four rules we give every customer.
- 01
Keep one copy off the Baadal
Everything stored on the device can be lost with it. A system backup to USB, another server or S3 is the copy that survives.
- 02
Switch snapshots on today
A snapshot can only take you back to a point after it was switched on.
- 03
Back up at night
A system backup pauses Baadal while it runs. Schedule it for hours when nobody is working.
- 04
Test a restore
A backup counts once you’ve restored from it. Check Backup History often and try a restore now and then.
Who it’s for
For offices whose records have to last.
Creative studios
Old jobs come back. Keep them where you can reopen them.
See howHealthcare & clinics
An MRD that holds every year and still finds one file fast.
See howLaw firms & advocates
A disposed case isn’t a closed file.
See howEngineering & construction
The project record has to outlive the last claim.
See how
Questions
Backup questions, before you need them.
Step-by-step guides with screenshots are in the Baadal Help Centre: recover deleted files and older versions and back up your Baadal device, in English and Hindi. Something else? Ask us on WhatsApp
Are Deleted files and version history a backup?
No. They are quick ways to undo a mistake, and they live on the Baadal itself. Your administrator sets how long they are kept, and Baadal may clear older items sooner when space runs low. For long-term protection, set up a system backup.
If my drives are mirrored (RAID 1), do I still need a backup?
Yes. Mirroring keeps the office running when a drive fails, but it copies deletions and edits to both drives instantly. It also can’t help if the whole device is lost.
Does a backup interrupt work?
A system backup pauses normal use of Baadal while it runs, and work resumes on its own when it finishes. Snapshots, deleted files and version history work quietly in the background.
Where should the backup go?
Anywhere other than the Baadal’s own drives: a USB drive you take home, another server on your network, or S3 storage at another location. A local path on the same device doesn’t protect you if the device fails.
How do I know last night’s backup worked?
Backup History shows each run with its date, destination and status. Check it regularly, and try a restore now and then so you know the process before you need it.
Know how far back you can go before you need to.
Tell us how your office works. We’ll suggest where the backup should go, how often it should run, and how long to keep each copy.