Mirra, Mirra on My Wall, Who's the Smartest of Them All?
August 2005
I first read about the Mirra Personal Server in Sunday Parade—a magazine known more for celebrity news than technology solutions. I made note of it, but nothing more.
Fast forward to the 2005 ABA TECHSHOW. There was Mirra, Inc. on the expo floor touting its products to the legal community. Ten minutes later, I knew I had to have one.
I had been looking for a hassle-free, reliable back-up system for my five-computer home network. The Mirra Personal Server promised that and more. In addition to backing up data in real time across the network, the Mirra also features a remote back-up service, and secure limited remote access to files stored on the server—functions that can make running a small law firm a lot easier.
As captivated as I was by the product demo at ABA TECHSHOW, I must confess the Mirra remained unopened in the box on the floor of my office for several months. It was not until my wife’s notebook computer from work crashed, that I finally opened the box. A lesson for us all, her employer’s data back-up system failed to work properly, leaving her to reconstruct her data—a frustrating job that wasted hours. For my part, I could have been backing up her data on our home network, but for my procrastination. The next day, that was no longer an issue. The Mirra is now protecting all our data.
The Mirra Personal Server resembles a small PC computer case, but is only slightly bigger than the Black’s Law Dictionary it sits next to on my shelf, but it has the capacity to store up to 250 GB of data. It is essentially an external hard drive that is connected to a network router, allowing greater functionality than just being a data back up system. The Mirra allows other permitted users on your network to access the data as well, but more on that later.
The set up and installation could not have been easier, except for the fact I failed to disable my firewall before configuring the Mirra. Not a problem though, as soon as I opened the on-line troubleshooter there it was—specific instructions how to override Zone Alarm to allow the Mirra to connect to my computer. Five minutes later, I was in business, and have not had a problem since.
Once I resolved the firewall issue, I installed the Mirra software on three PCs and two laptops on my wireless network in under an hour; all of our documents and other designated files are now automatically backed up every minute of the day. The Mirra software handles it all in real time. I don’t have to remember to do a thing. No more swapping tapes or keeping track of CDs, not to mention remembering set the system to run in the wee hours of the morning. Now, any time I change or save a new document or add a new application, the Mirra does the back up for me. The Mirra runs 24/7 so that my expensive Dells don’t have to. I’ve even tried to play a few tricks on the Mirra, such as renaming documents or deleting test documents. The Mirra has tracked the changes and kept my data safe through all these events.
I have used a number of back-up systems that are common in small law firms, including several products by Iomega and others, but none is as easy to use as the Mirra.
Despite the simplicity, the Mirra Personal Server could not be considered a completely redundant back-up system without the ability to house the data off-site. So in addition to being a local back up solution, the folks at Mirra also provide each purchaser with an on-line account and space to store their data. Because I control which files and folders are to be backed up, only those files are stored on-line. All data transfers use 128-bit SSL encryption for security, which is secure for all but the most sensitive information. Once I established the free account, the on-line data transfer happens without need for any intervention on my part.
But what really makes me like the Mirra are the accessibility features. Not only can I get secure access to my data from any Internet-enabled computer, but I can also allow others to view designated information directly from my Mirra server.
Through my Mirra on-line account, I can retrieve files and documents at any time. Because my files are backed up in real time, I always have access to the latest versions of documents, spreadsheets, photos, PowerPoint presentations, and other types of files. So let’s say I’m in the office, but I left my laptop at home where I had been drafting an important document. (Don’t you hate that?) Instead of driving home or sending someone to get it, I just log into my Mirra account, access my files, and save it to my PC at work before working on it there.
Setting up the Mirra account takes just a few minutes, and accessing the information is as easy as logging in to any other web service, such as Goggle Mail, etc. The web interface is simple and straightforward, and the on-line tech support information has been adequate to answer all my questions.
If you are familiar with GoToMyPC, you may note some similarities, but with several big differences: With the Mirra, I only have access to files, not to applications. However, many lawyers do not need remote access to software applications, only to documents, slide presentations, financial data, etc. I also do not have to remember to leave my PC on when I leave the office—the Mirra server stays on 24/7. In addition, this web access is free, compared to a monthly fee for GoToMyPC and other such services. Moreover, there is no “pinhole” in my firewall for me to worry about.
The Mirra also has extranet capabilities, allowing me to designate and securely invite outsiders to have limited access to my data. There are many ways lawyers and law firms can make use of this functionality. Lawyers and staff could access documents and files when out of the office; clients could log in to look at copies of their bills; co-counsel could share scanned imaged of important documents; opposing counsel could view incriminating photos, and the list goes on. For example, I am working on documents from my office, but my secretary is working from home today. In the past, I would go through all the steps of sending her e-mails with attached drafts of documents for to her to revise, then e-mail back and re-save them on my computer. Yes, it works, but it is time-consuming. With the Mirra, that whole process is streamlined. I can quickly create a Mirra account for her to have access to just the files she needs; she can revise the documents, then save them, with her changes being instantly accessible to me in real time. Alternatively, as in the case of opposing counsel, files can be locked down so they can be viewed, but not altered. I can cancel or further restrict their access at any time with a few clicks of the Mirra software.
For those security skeptics, Mirra does not store any of the data your authorized users are reviewing; there is only minimal instantaneous caching to facilitate a secure transfer between my Mirra server and any of my designated authorized users. No one at Mirra stores or reviews your data. Finally, since the Mirra Personal Server runs on the Linux operating system, it is immune to Windows-based viruses that are prevalent on PCs and propagated through the Internet.
Throughout the installation and use of my Mirra, I have tried to find negatives that would balance against the positives. However, the only negative I have with it is the noise of the cooling fan. It will not bother people in a busy law office, but it is noticeable in a quieter home office. I plan to move it away from my desk to a quieter place in my office.
Bottom line? The Mirra Person Server is a very useful tool for solo practitioners, small law firms and any lawyer with a home office. It is a hassle-free and reliable back up system that works better than any other back up system I have tried. In addition to being a back up option, it provides the owner with several accessibility options that makes file sharing easy and secure. Whether you use the Mirra to access your own documents or share them with others, there are many ways to incorporate this tool into your business to increase your productivity and reduce frustration.
The Mirra Personal Server comes in varying sizes from 160 GB to 400 GB, and is available from Best Buy or at www.mirra.com.
Reid Trautz serves as the practice management advisor for a large metropolitan bar association, where he provides practice management consulting services to lawyers to help them develop and expand their businesses and provide superior legal services to their clients. Prior to creating this program Reid practiced law for nine years with a five-lawyer firm in Alexandria, Virginia.
Reid is a nationally-recognized consultant and presenter on practice management issues, including business process improvement, law practice technology, financial management, attorney-client communications, and risk management. He is the author of numerous practice management articles on these topics, and writes about them at www.reidmyblog.com.
Reid is an active member of the ABA Law Practice Management Section, currently serving as the Chair of the Publishing Board. He is also a member of the ABA General Practice Solo and Small Firm Section Technology Board.
He is admitted to the bars of Minnesota, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Reid can be reached at rtrautz@cox.net.