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The importance of off-site backups |
| James Walsh |
Off-site backup means storing one's information essentially on the hard disk of a secure computer, from where it may be readily accessed by the user, but has less chances of getting damaged.
Advantages of Off-site Backup
When it comes to solutions like this, it may be remembered that necessity is the mother of invention. The very concept of off-site backup was born out of a need for greater data storage security, and is generically designed to solve all the typical problems one faces over this issue.
Accidental Deletion or Formatting: One unintended click of the mouse is enough to generate a wholesale disaster. One may end up losing all the data on a disk or a partition of a disk. While everyone may not have the monetary power to go for a professional recovery of the data, there is nobody who does not value his information. Off-site storage of data solves this issue by doing away with the option of a sudden deletion.
Careless Mistakes: An employee who is not adequately trained or motivated may end up blowing away a bit of data. Improper shutdown, downloading content with virus, ignorant use of programme files – the options are innumerable. The idea of an off-site backup is to make things literally foolproof through limiting the access and data management functions.
Virus, Malicious Handling, Espionage, and Stealing: Off-site backup provides the protection that an anti-virus installed in the single user computer usually does not. Limiting user access is the answer to all the other problems mentioned. A thief cannot steal what he cannot see. While an ace hacker would still be able to make his way into the secure data bank of a business, it is a fact that off-site backup has visibly reduced the chances of such damage.
Fragmentation: It is not possible for even a medium-sized user to keep defragmenting data at regular intervals without an effective storage solution. Managing the rearranged data anew each time is just not possible. Off-site backup has removed the chances of running for a data recovery because one fine day the fragmented files simply become untraceable.
Multiple Storage: It is not always practical to keep storing data in stacks of CDs, DVDs and USB drives. Apart from data management, it is also more costly and time-consuming in the long run. For a business, it means added infrastructure, extra staff and, therefore, more expenditure. Off-site backup, it has been established, is the most organized method of data management in the long run, and also the least expensive.
Physical Disaster-proof: Off-site data storage is much less prone to floods, fires, accidental shock to the drive and other such calamities.
The Solution to Tapes: Off-site backup provides an effective substitute to storing information in tapes, which can become damaged and depreciated over time. Once again, the costs are much lower on a long-term basis, and one is storing data at all precisely because it is supposed to be kept for some time.
Types of Off-site Backups
Off-site data storage is of three types:
Over a Network: This is very common for all businesses. The LAN or WAN set up has an administrator who assigns or helps to assign an off-site backup location where all the computers connected through that network may dump their matter. This method can become dangerous if the chosen drive becomes corrupt in any way, and it also has the risk of flopping if laptop users are irregular about dumping their matter – which is unfortunately quite common.
Through FTP server: A File Transfer Protocol server stores data through the internet. For this, one needs to have net connectivity, preferably broadband. This can be accessed from anywhere on the globe by using the password, is cheaper than the other two methods, and is the most popular. Unfortunately, the data travels in unencrypted version, and can be read or stolen quite easily. Anyone who can crack the username and password will have ready access to the data too.
Professional Off-site Backup: The most expensive among the three, and admittedly, the most secure. Companies who provide off-site backup make sure that their backup facilities are tamper-proof and physical disaster-proof to a greater extent than anyone else.
For those looking for a long-term solution, this will also actually end up in being the cheapest method.
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| About the Author |
©2006 All rights reserved
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