What is a mirror image good for?
It makes a good archival method. And once downloaded, it is always available, regardless of internet access.
Copy it on a USB stick for your family and friends.
You may Use a local copy as a sales demo tool from your laptop or mobile device. It works even where internet access is not available
Some other reasons for creating a mirror image:
- To preserve historic content.
- To provide access to otherwise unavailable information (e.g. lack of or intermittent internet access, high data rates)
- To allow faster downloads for users at a specific geographical location
- To preserve a website or page, especially when it is closed or is about to be closed.
Is there any difference between a mirror image and a mirrored site?
Yes:
- a mirror image is just a file, or a bunch of folders and files stored on some storage media somewhere.
- mirrored site is a replica of the original site, identical or near-identical and hosted on a different URL (=web address) location, on a web server. Check this Wikipedia article for some more details.
A mirror image can be used to create a mirror for a site, if loaded on a properly configured server..
list of reasons for mirroring a site:
To serve as a method of circumventing firewalls.
To increase a site's ranking in a search engine.
To counterbalance a sudden, temporary increase in traffic.
To balance load.
To preserve historic content.
To provide access to otherwise unavailable information.
To allow faster downloads for users at a specific geographical location.
To preserve a website or page, especially when it is closed or is about to be closed.
May use a mirror image as a backup?
Yes... kind of. A mirror image is not a real backup. It is a snapshot in time: how your web site looked at a certain moment.
Yes, it can be used as a back-up for a static web site. But you'll have to take a separate mirror image each time the site is modified. And yes, a static website it is probably seldom modified... is it?
It would make a very poor backup substitute for a dynamically generated website, such as those generated by WordPress, Drupal or other CMS.
An option would be one of our automated live mirroring solutions.
For a proper backup we suggest one of our Manual or Automated Web Site Backup solutions
Would you take a mirror image for my Facebook (Pinterest, Instagram, any social media/networking/sharing) account?
NO. Legal issues aside, we do not take images of or create mirrors for sites and pages that require password or captcha for access.
if your own site contains protected pages, those would be skipped or replaced with links to the live web page on the original site.
Maximum size less than 1GB
For larger sizes please ask for a quotation
Download type
The mirroring operation may create a heavier than usual load on your website.
Also your server may be protected against massive downloads.
To alleviate the above, our download is usually done over a 24 hours period. You have the option to speed the process, by selecting the appropriate option.
- You must have the legal right to copy the content requested.
- This service is dedicated to website owners and legal users (example: sales people using an offline copy of the companiy's website for presentations to customers)
- However, our automated software has no mean to check the above for each jurisdiction.
- We rely on customers' acknowledgement that they have the legal rights to copy the content requested.
- The offline copy (mirror, snapshot) is provided "as is", subject to the limitations mentioned in the opening paragraph, as well as any limitations imposed by the server and technology used for the mirrored site.
- If not sure the copy will meet your needs, select the option for a test download.