Dec 26
New Year Resolution: Backup Backup Backup
One of the most troubling problems we encounter when working with small and medium sized companies is the lack of backup procedures. Only the most sophisticated environemnts, usually with a full IT team, demonstrate consistent and reliabile plans. Facing a never ending stream of security threats and cheaper hardware with higher failure rates, it’s extremely risky to operate a business without regular backups. USA Today agrees and offers some tips for both individuals and businesses.
For the home user, there are several options. Online services are growing in popularity and will likely become the most convenient way to protect your data. External drives are extremely cheap and easy to install. Lastly, there’s the time tested option of DVD\CD burners.
Businesses work best using a combination of various methods for a layered defense. We suggest a fileserver that has shares for individuals to backup important documents via the LAN. This fileserver and any other server, can be backed up using tape drives. Personally, we’ve been moving customers away from tape drives – they’re slow and a hassle. Our latest packages include mirrored RAID setups onsite with daily offsite mirrors at various sync levels. That way, you have instant access to a replacement if a drive fails with the protection of layered, offsite storage should disaster strike.
I’ll leave you with a story. A few months ago, we worked with a legal firm that nearly lost several gigs of data. The office would have, quite literally, come to a halt without this information. Over the years, one machine became the defacto place to retain data. That data was never backed up and the inevitable happened. I’ll never forget the partner standing over my shoulder as I worked, looking sick after I told him it was bad. We were able to pull the files off, but only after mounting the drive in another OS and using low level recovery tools. Thankfully, it happened on a Friday afternoon and everything was ready by Monday morning. Shortly thereafter, a new backup plan was in place. Learn a lesson from them, you might not be as lucky.
Filed by matt under tech