It’s so easy to take IT for granted
We take IT for granted. We switch it on, check our emails, write a few documents, browse the internet and turn it off. As Users we do that all the time and it soon becomes second nature to us all.
What would you do?
Have you ever thought what would happen if: –
- you went to switch it on and a blank screen stared back at you?
- you could no longer access the system where all your important Company information is stored
- or all those cherished and personal pictures of you and your family were no longer accessible?
Backup
Knowing that you have a safe and robust backup solution which is tried and tested is the key under such circumstances. There are several different media types used for a backup, both can be used for a Server and also a desktop PC. You can use external USB drives (which replaced tapes), and also online backups. Both these systems have their advantages and disadvantages.
With regards to backing up to external USB drives, it is said that a system isn’t secure unless those drives are removed and sent to a location each day that is at least 25 miles away from the backup source. Also, you need to ensure that the drives are swapped at least on a daily basis, but this involves human interaction. An example would be forgetting the drive, losing it, or dropping it in the street. That said, one of the benefits of a backup to an external USB drive is that the restore is quick.
Offsite backup
Offsite backup allows you to back your files up to a Server hosted in a data centre securely. The files you backup could be located hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Generally once an offsite backup is configured it requires very little if not no maintenance. The downside to an Offsite backup is the restore can take some time depending on the files and the size of the files.
In all instances it is essential that you ensure your backups work and you are able to recover files.
Perform a test restore once a month to ensure you can recover your data in the event of a failure.