Acronis Secure Zone is a hard disk partition type created and used by Acronis True Image (ATI) as a backup storage target.
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Overview
Backup applications typically use remote targets such as tape, SANs, NASs, or other such locations for storing the backup archive, but this can be problematic when such resources are not available. Acronis designed a solution to this problem by sectioning off part of the local disk as a proprietary partition, which they refer to as Acronis Secure Zone (ASZ). Since this partition is accessibly only by True Image, it functions as a backup storage destination safe from malware, user files, or other uses or corruption. It is important to note that ATI can manage only a single ASZ per computer.
Technical Details
Although the Acronis Secure Zone has its own partition type, it is actually just a rebadged FAT32 partition labeled ACRONIS SZ, and the "partition type" code set to 0xBC. Knowing these requirements, one can manually create and/or manage existing Acronis Secure Zone using any partition manager. Since the ASZ is actually just a modified FAT32 partition type, it is possible to gain direct access to its contents by changing its partition type code in the MBR to 0x0B (FAT32 LBA).
ATI is designed to completely manage the backup archives stored to the ASZ. As such, all backup files will be stored with autogenerated names in the root folder. If there is not enough freespace for the next backup file, ATI will automatically delete the oldest image set (base+incremental/differential files) in order to create space for the new files.
Acronis Secure Zone differs from other backup places in that:
- It is used exclusively by ATI (this provides a level of safety against corruption)
- As it is local to the system, it is always available
- When the free space is exhausted, old archives (the oldest full slice with all its incremental/differential slices) gets automatically overwritten.[1]
- Of course if local hard drive fails, then Acronis Secure Zone backup archive is no longer available.
OEM Secure Zone
OEM versions of True Image are designed to use a special "OEM secure zone", which is technically the same as a regular ASZ, but uses a partition type of 0xBB, and typically contains only a single image file with the "factory default" OS and application configuration set forth by the manufacturer.[2]
References
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