Three steps for a successful backup system

The best way ensure integrity of a company’s business depends crucially on security of its data! Power surges and disk failures are the major hindrances for data security. Now-a-days it is also not logical to maintain the hard copies of this data. Keeping hard copies surges you to other risks of data loss like fire and atmospheric damages. This being irretrievable loss, one needs to be absolutely considerate about the ways of data back up!

Enlisted below are three absolutely easy data protection techniques which can be at your finger tips while thinking of successful data back up system:

• Step 1: Record or Archive the business information regularly
• Step 2: Create back up of data on utmost reliable means
• Step 3: Use off site locations if possible to keep updated back up of your important data

Archiving or documenting vital Business Data

If the survival of business depends on archiving then obviously, it becomes the lifeline for successful business. There are two simple steps to achieving archives of your data:

• Step 1: Identification of crucial data that needs to be archived.
• Step 2: archive it using a data archive method a regular schedule.

Remember in mind always, software programs and executables need not be archived. These can be re-installed, if lost. Although all other files created or modified should be backed up regularly, following a particular worked out schedule. This may include everything from emails to accounting files, which ever necessary.

The backup may range from word-processing documents, spreadsheets, accounting files, out look files, etc. Once this is done, the easy work that remains is to install a backup software program to archive it. Such programs usually encrypt and zip the files to save disk space. Try to keep the backup files on a separate hard drive from those of the original files.

Best Data Backup Media

Following a regular schedule is difficult but requisite. But before you achieve this, you need to be attentive that the different backup systems are available and their limitations of some backup media.

Physical Data Backups creation

Because of unlimited possibilities of computer failures and power surges, vulnerability of data loss needs to be understood and considered. Thus the need of Physical data backups!  Even a trivial mishap such as spilling a cup of coffee on the laptop could obliterate all your data. You ought to create physical data backups of your business information at least on a weekly basis.

There are several options of transiting your backup files to another media, but selecting some data backup systems are more reliable than others is where the crux of the matter lies.

Which backup media should be utilized?

Using CD- ROMs as data backup devices

CD-ROMs as data backups is popular way of data back up.

Using tapes as data backup devices

Tape back ups are far more reliable sources than CD- ROMs, apart from the only draw back up that these are expensive! The cost of a single good quality of tape drive is usually over $1000, whereas individual tapes for the drive can cost up to $40 each, approximately. However considering the importance and volume to data to be archived, one can select the proper medium.

Using external hard drives for data backups

For small scale business ventures, purchasing external hard drives for data backups is the system strongly advised. These are not only cheaper as compared to tape drive systems but also; you can get one for several hundred dollars. These are not only easy to use and good at quick access.  

Using online backup services as data backup systems

Many companies offer online back up services but one must consider bandwidth problems and security issues. Initially, the method is reliable as the company contributing the online backup facility, and Internet service companies have been coming and going faster than ever before. Secondly it also largely depends on the sensitive of the data, and the risk factor of putting it on the internet. 

Off-Site Data Backup 

Certain companies keep their data backup archives in security boxes at banks. Other small business enterprises keep numerous data backup records at the homes of different friends or family members. As long as it remains safe and is accessible whenever required it is okay if you use any of the back up systems.

The most important issue is to keep the data safe and organized; whichever be the method you decide to use on is a matter of reliability and trust of the person using the systems.