BackupBox : Automate Backup & File transfer between FTP, Dropbox, Database, Box and More

After recent roll out of Google Drive & Skydrive  sync services, it became even more confusing for users on where to keep the files and how to manage them so they can make use of the free space efficiently. This confusion is even more for existing Dropbox Users

So now if you want to do following things :

• Move Files from Dropbox to Skydrive
• Copy files from your FTP Account to A Dropbox Folder

and So on, You need to do download, upload and long wait for the process to complete.
Looks like the team @BackupBox knew about this problem and they rolled out an awesome service which helps you connect with all these online storage & sync services and goes one step beyond it. Lets take a look into what it does :

Backup Box helps you do two things majorly :

• Connect one service with another service and move files between them. This can be between same service like One Dropbox Account to another Dropbox Account or cross service like Dropbox to Skydrive.
• Second it lets you automate the process and run it on a schedule.

Now if,you  are concerned if any of your files are kept on their servers and then transferred ahead, then the answer is Yes for the heavy files, after which they are deleted at the instant file transfer is complete, but for smaller files they are kept only in memory which never stays back.

Secondly File Size also play a major role here depending on the source and destination services. For example,

• Some FTP server has limits on upload and download.
• Pro account for Box has 2Gb file limit while free accounts have 100 MB.
• Skydrive has 300 MB file size limit.
• Luckily Dropbox has no limits.

So when you choose, make sure you know your data limits which will make sure that you get what you want. As of now you are nicely warned about the limits that are imposed from the service. For example when you use Skydrive, it is clearly said that

 Please note that SkyDrive only allows the following file types to be transferred in from third parties like Backup Box: 3g2, 3gp, ai, bmp, chm, doc, docm, docx, dot, dotx, epub, gif, jpeg, jpg, mp4, one, pdf, png, pot, potm, potx, pps, ppsm, ppsx, ppt, pptm, pptx, psd, tif, tiff, txt, xls, xlsb, xlsm, xlsx, wav, webp, and wmvYou can transfer anything you want away from SkyDrive.SkyDrive also has a maximum file size limit of 300 MB. We currently can’t get around this.

In case of failed transfers, it is attempted again, and if it still fails, you are notified about it.

Type of services supported :

• Cloud Services like Dropbox, Box, Skydrive
• Database Services like MYSQL
• Pure File services like FTP & SFTP

Suggestions :

A centralized place, Connections,  where a user can manage all their connections. Though most of the connections has to be removed from services side, but an option is required for users so they can also remove it from here.
History Section to find out the latest transfers done. This place can help me not only find what I have transferred but also let me know on my  bandwidth limits.
Gives users a Preview of how things will be like when your transfer is complete. This can be in terms of Space, Warning on which files can fail, File Size Limits and so on.
Pro users will need to have access to BackupBox from Mobile Devices too. This means sooner or later an app for major platforms is required.
Allows users to pause or end an ongoing transfer. This is going to be a complicated business but might just be required it something is scheduled by mistake.
An email is sent out when a transfer is complete. If you take a look at it now, it just says about the Size, Number of files, total of bandwidth consumed. I would suggest to improving this performa to include

• From which service to which service the file was transferred.
• Size in terms of MB and not in bytes.
• Remaining  bandwidth.
• Directory names.

This will give a clear idea on which transfer was completed.
Option to Reverse a transfer : Now this may not be possible in all the places, but for some of the services, it can be done. Keeping in my mind the amount of bandwidth that can be consumed, this is a less interesting idea but included it here as it popped in my mind.