Computer Backup Software

Michael Cottier asked:


Business data is perhaps the most important data that exists on computers, and can literally destroy some businesses that rely on their data. This is why every business needs to do weekly, or daily, backups of their data. But with so many backup choices, a business owner can feel frustrated and worried about their choice. See, some backup methods are more reliable then others, but others are more convenient then the reliable ones. If you are a business owner, you want a backup solution that is both reliable and convenient to use. So let’s talk about the current business data backup solutions available to you, and how to implement them correctly.

The first data backup method I will discuss is hard disk imaging, also known as cloning. This is, in my opinion, the best data backup solution for anyone from home users to successful business owners. The reason being because it saves every last scrap of data that you have on your hard drive, so basically should you ever have to restore your backup because of data loss, all of it will be given back to you. It also is the quickest and simplest method of data backup for someone with little knowledge of computers and doesn’t have time to spend backing up data all day.

The next backup solution for your business is remote online backup. This means your data will be saved on a secure server, in a remote location that is far away from you. This is good for many reasons, but mainly it protects you from losing everything in case of a natural disaster that might take out your whole business or home office. Backing up your files online is also pretty cheap and convenient, and sending your files their can be as easy as one click. Another good reason for choosing an online backup company is because they also backup your files using professional software and hardware, to make sure that your data is literally locked away in a digital vault and will never disappear.

The last business data backup solution I will discuss is external storage devices which are very simple, and pretty useful, so I thought it was worth mentioning. External devices that store data can come in a variety of ways. Most common are external hard drives and memory sticks. Many people are choosing memory sticks these days because they easily plug right into your USB port, and can hold gigabytes of data, which is usually more then enough, especially for text documents and stuff like that.

DVD and CD burners can also be external, and perhaps are the best choice for most people that are always on the move. Just like the old floppy discs, external DVD or CD burners allow you to store data quickly and accurately, but CD’s and DVD’s whole a lot more data then a floppy ever could. As for drag and drop ease, that is actually possible with all burners these days, and should be considered. Imagine being able to just click save on a file, and it saves it to your disc.

Well that is just about all of the major data backup solutions that are available for businesses. There are of course many other backup options that exist, but the ones I talked about are the most common, most effective and easiest to implement. Before I end this article though, I would like to remind business owners that have computer servers, to use disk imaging software on a daily basis. Servers store a lot of data, and most of it is important, so be sure to back that data up or you will be in for one big headache if anything should ever happen.



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Lee Morrell asked:


Before we investigate which data backup method is a best fit for your business, we need to evaluate why and what you expect from your backup solution.

Obviously, we backup our data so we can continue trading after a disaster, but what type of disaster are you protecting yourself from and how quickly does your system need to be back online? Please think about this before you think of the usual stock answer, “I am protecting myself from all disasters and I want to be back online as soon as possible” easy to do if you have £500,000 budget and many man hours to devote to the task of backup. You need to be realistic about your backup and restore plan. Are you planning to recover from a hardware failure, total server failure, fire flood or any malicious event? Remember, the rule, the bigger the disaster you plan for, the bigger budget you will need.

Let’s look at the business backup options;

Tape Backup - Is a solution which has been around for many years, recent technology means backup and restore is becoming faster and faster. The main benefit of tape based backup is the speed in which you can restore, tape solutions are now capable of moving data at rates of up to 80MB per second. The down side is the initial cost, a high end tape backup device will cost from £4,000 and can work their way up to hundreds of thousands. The software to control the backup starts at around £500 per device to be backed up and can escalate to £3000 per device. Cost of media, £30 per tape and usually you will need a minimum of 10 tapes.

Cost aside, the human intervention requirement can be a drain on resource, for example someone will need to ensure a tape is fitted into the backup device and removed offsite after the backup has taken place. Usually most company’s leave the tape inside the server overnight, leaving your backup exposed to the same threats as your server.

Disk to Disk Transfer Easily the fastest way to backup and restore and is suitable for high quantities of data which can be transferred between two servers at up to 320MB per second. The speed of this form of backup is usually only slowed down by the network connecting them together. There are two downsides behind this solution, firstly the cost; you will need a second server and this server will need to grow at the same time as your live server. Secondly it is impossible to remove the server to a secure remote or offsite location, again leaving your backup exposed to the same threat as your live server.

Offsite or Online Backup - By far the cheapest method of backup, however until recently your backup and restore process can usually operate only as fast as your internet connection, usually 2MB per second. This form of backup has usually only been suitable for smaller companies with smaller quantities of data. Times have changed, some offsite backup solutions now offer high performance disk to disk backup functionality whilst still securely backing up your data to an offsite location, you might say this offers the best of both worlds, very fast restore using disk to disk functionality but still copying your data offsite ensuring you will always be able to restore regardless of disaster.

One final benefit is zero human intervention; once you have setup you backup schedule the whole process is automated from there on in.



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