My Experience with JetBackup: A Critical Warning

Introduction

As an IT professional managing sensitive data for clients, I trusted JetBackup to ensure the integrity and availability of backups in case of disaster. This trust was built on the promise of reliability and efficient disaster recovery solutions. Unfortunately, when a real crisis occurred, JetBackup failed me on every level, leading to severe consequences for my business and reputation.

The Incident

During a critical system failure, I attempted to rely on JetBackup to restore vital data. Although the backups appeared intact and accessible within the JetBackup interface, every attempt to restore data resulted in errors. The restoration process was riddled with issues that prevented me from recovering data effectively.

After hours of troubleshooting and seeking support, I was forced to resort to outdated backups created three months earlier using DirectAdmin’s native backup system. This alone caused substantial setbacks for me and my clients.

Data Overwrites and Loss

Despite managing to recover some data from the older backups, further complications arose when I attempted a "full recovery" using JetBackup. Instead of restoring missing configurations, JetBackup overwrote existing data with blank files. For one of my key clients, this meant losing their email forwarders entirely.

The client, who relied on email forwarding as a core component of their business operations, was forced to recreate dozens of forwarders manually. This caused significant operational delays, financial losses, and immense frustration.

Business Impact

One of my long-term clients, who had been with me for seven years, suffered so heavily due to JetBackup’s failures that they ultimately terminated their contract with me. This loss was not just about finances—it was a blow to my reputation and the trust I had worked hard to build over years of collaboration.

JetBackup’s Response

I reached out to JetBackup’s support team, providing detailed accounts of the failures and their consequences. While they acknowledged that some issues were related to their software, they cited limitations in their User Agreement, which restricts their liability to the cost of the software license itself. This response felt dismissive and inadequate, given the scale of the impact on my business.

They offered to schedule technical calls to discuss the incident and address my concerns, but this felt like a reactionary gesture rather than a proactive effort to resolve the matter or compensate for the damage caused.

Lessons Learned

As a result of this experience, I have lost trust in JetBackup as a reliable disaster recovery solution. While I may use it as a secondary tool in the future, I will never again rely on it as the backbone of my disaster recovery strategy. The risks are simply too great.

A Warning to Others

If you are considering JetBackup for your business, I urge you to think carefully. My experience demonstrates that the software is unreliable when it matters most, and the company is unwilling to take meaningful accountability for its failures. Your data—and your business—deserve better.