Exploring Backblaze Version History and What's New

Backblaze has a rich history of innovation, with significant updates and improvements made to their services over the years. Backblaze was founded in 2007 by Gleb Budman, Brian Wilson, and Tyler McKee.

The company's first major update was the release of Backblaze B2 in 2017, a cloud storage service designed for developers and businesses. This update marked a significant shift in Backblaze's focus towards enterprise clients.

Backblaze B2 introduced a new pricing model that was more competitive with other cloud storage providers, with a focus on low costs and high durability. The service was designed to be highly scalable and secure, making it an attractive option for businesses.

One of the key features of Backblaze B2 is its use of S3-compatible APIs, allowing developers to easily integrate the service into their existing applications. This has made it a popular choice for businesses looking to migrate their data to the cloud.

Backblaze has been consistently improving its computer backup and restore solution over the years. One of the most significant updates was the release of version 9.0, which introduced a dedicated restore app for both macOS and Windows clients, making the restore process even more intuitive and streamlined.

In version 8.5, Backblaze improved the speed of uploads by increasing the max threading from 30 to 100, allowing users to upload at a faster rate. This update also reduced the stress on key elements of the computer by an order of magnitude.

The new version 8.0 brought a significant performance boost, with the ability to run up to 100 threads concurrently. This update also included a smarter autothrottle, which keeps bandwidth and system load in mind, and reduced the client's load on the HDD or SSD by up to 80%.

Backblaze Cloud Backup 6.0 introduced several improvements, including sped up throughput and improved RAM efficiency by increasing the large file transmission threshold. The update also added Single Sign-On (SSO) support for the Inherit Backup State feature.

Here are some of the key updates in Backblaze's version history:

Extended Version History is a feature that helps you recover from accidental file deletions. It keeps a record of all your file versions for up to a year or forever, depending on your preference.

The 30-Day Version History, which is included with your backup license, only keeps versions for 30 days. This means you can go back in time for 30 days and retrieve old versions of your files or even files that you've deleted.

To extend your Version History, you can upgrade to a longer retention period, either one year or forever. This is an additional $2 per month, prorated to match up with your license renewal date.

The latest update to Backblaze Cloud Backup, version 7.0, brings a dedicated restore app for both macOS and Windows clients, making the process of restoring your data more intuitive and seamless.

This feature is a result of customer feedback, showing that Backblaze listens to its users and continuously improves its services.

The new version also includes essential bug fixes and performance improvements, keeping your backup experience ahead of the curve for both security and speed.

Here are the specific updates in Backblaze Cloud Backup 7.0:

In addition to these updates, the underlying code has been updated to improve performance, resulting in a smoother backup experience.

Extended Version History is a game-changer for anyone who's ever accidentally deleted a file or lost access to shared files. It's like having a safety net for your data.

You might not always realize right away that you've deleted a file, or you might not regularly check that shared drive until it's too late. With Extended Version History, you can go back in time up to a year later or forever and get those files back.

To enable Extended Version History, you need to click "Upgrade" and select how long you want to keep files - one year or forever. Keep in mind that simply turning it on won't automatically extend the "life" of your files retroactively.

Here's a breakdown of the costs:

It's worth noting that you can only enable Extended Version History when you first install Backblaze, and it won't affect files created before enabling it.

Backblaze v8.5 was released on September 20, 2022, and it's a significant update.

The update process is straightforward: right-click on the Backblaze icon, select Check for Updates, and download v8.5 from the Backblaze Updates page.

Backblaze Computer Backup 8.0 brought a performance boost with the ability to run up to 100 threads concurrently, a major increase from the previous 30 threads.

The autothrottle has also been improved, allowing users to keep their bandwidth and system load in mind if they don't want to stress their system.

The client's load on your HDD or SSD has been reduced by up to 80% by reconfiguring how reads and writes happen before encryption and upload.

The update also included a new coat of paint, with an updated brand to match the improved features under the hood.

To give you a better idea of the improvements, here are the major updates in a nutshell:

Backblaze's performance and features have undergone significant changes throughout its version history.

In 2007, Backblaze was initially launched as a cloud backup service, allowing users to back up their files to the cloud for $5 a month.

The service was designed to be easy to use and required minimal configuration.

Backblaze B2 was introduced in 2017, offering a more cost-effective alternative to Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage.

B2 pricing was significantly lower than its competitors, with a cost of $0.005 per GB per month.

This made it an attractive option for developers and businesses looking to store large amounts of data.

Backblaze also introduced a new feature called "B2 Buckets", which allowed users to organize their data into separate containers.

This feature made it easier for users to manage their data and access specific files.

In 2020, Backblaze introduced a new feature called "B2 Transfer", which enabled users to upload large files to B2 using the cloud.

Backblaze offers automatic and manual backup options, including scheduled backups and the ability to restore files from any point in time.

You can schedule backups to run daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on your needs.

The Backblaze Restore process is straightforward, allowing you to download a zip file containing all of your backed-up files.

Backblaze also provides a file recovery option, which can be used to recover individual files or folders.

Restoring data from Backblaze can be done directly to a computer, or to a new device, making it a convenient option for those looking to upgrade or replace their current device.

Backblaze stores your data across multiple data centers, ensuring that your data is always available and can be restored quickly in case of a disaster.

Backblaze Cloud Backup 7.0 marked a significant milestone with the introduction of Forever Version History. This feature revolutionized data protection by allowing users to keep an unlimited number of previous versions of their files.

The Forever Version History feature stores every previous version of a file, giving users complete control over their data. This means that users can retrieve any previous version of a file at any time.

Backblaze Cloud Backup 7.0 was a major release that brought significant improvements to the platform. The Forever Version History feature was a key part of this release, offering users unparalleled data protection and flexibility.