Ease of Use

In addition to ease of restoration, an application's overall ease of use is also important. The interface should be self-explanatoryideally, clear enough that you can figure out how to perform a basic backup and restoration without ever looking at a manual.

If your backup software is difficult to learn or set up, you're less likely to use it. So you want an application you can configure in an hour or sonot something that takes you an entire day to figure out. You also want your backup software to perform its duties on a schedule with as little interruption to your routine as possible. The best backup software would be completely invisible, working silently behind the scenes until you needed it.

Even so, don't underestimate the importance of good documentation. A well-written manual can be a godsend when trying to comprehend the minutiae of rotating archives or client-server configuration.