Backup Solutions
We certainly do not envy anyone that’s researching information on the best available backup solutions on the market for a business. With the amount of products available and the different methods to performing data backups it can be very confusing at the best of times.
We have decided to document our own experiences in the IT world, what has worked for us but what has also failed. If you are an IT engineer or owner of your business don’t forget, certain countries have different legal requirements when it comes to customer data storage.
Common solutions for data backups
There are various options available to us when it comes to seeking a backup solution for our data, some more reliable others.
Using CD or DVD media as a backup source is more common for home use and although some businesses use this method for backups it does come with a lot of risks such reliability or life span, lack of encryption and the amount of storage space available on blank media discs.
External backup devices are also common for the home user who would use a USB hard drive or even a USB key. Again, there are concerns with this type of backup when used in a business environment such as the lack of encryption or the type of drive that is being used (without RAID).
One of the older types of backup solutions is the traditional tape drive backups. Still popular today as it was some years back this type of backup also raises concerns. A lot of the data breaches that hit the news headlines usually involve a tape drive backup solution when the backup tapes go missing or have been stolen. Tapes used for backups are also delicate so they can damage very easily but not only that, they usually require manual intervention to be used unless a more expensive Tape device is purchased.
Once a solution for enterprise companies only the increase of broadband installations and lower costs now means remote online backups are more widely available to smaller businesses. Online backup services allow users to upload their data onto a 3rd party backup server, usually located in a secure Data Center environment. Each online backup software will have its own pro’s & con’s so researching the best value added service is essential for your business.
Based on a network environment data is taken from client PCs and transferred to a centrally stored server usually on the same network and within the same building. The problem with a network backup solution is that your data still remains onsite so it is still at risk from fire, floods and so on.
What is the best backup solution available?
Unfortunately it is extremely difficult to suggest the best backup solution for your business or home as each solution holds its own pro’s & con’s, from price to reliability to security.
Before you buy into a backup solution also research the available options, get 3rd party opinions and test.
Do you have a disaster recovery plan in place?
Performing Data backups is a step towards saving your business but what if a disaster suddenly strikes? Do you know what actions to perform to restoring all your business data and what processes are involved? Take a read of our very brief disaster and recovery article.