Backup - a Matter of Safety
A Backup Article Contributed by Pearlyn Williams
Why Backup?
Even the most reliable computer is apt to break down eventually. Many professionals recommend that you make two, or even three, backups of all your files. To be especially safe, you should keep one backup in a different location from the others.
You can back up files using operating system commands, or you can buy a special-purpose backup utility. Backup programs often compress the data so that backups require fewer disks.
Backup is Essential Because...
o Disk sectors can go bad and destroy section of a file
o Files can be mistakenly erased
o A file may have been modified in an undesirable manner creating irreversible damage
o A user can accidentally format a disk
o The head of a disk can suffer a crash
o Power failure or surge during a file save procedure can result in garbage being saved.
o A user can save a file in the incorrect directory and overwrite an existing file with the same name.
o While processing a document in a high stress scenario, error in judgment results in a mistake causing the wrong file to be erased.
o A user can erroneously make changes to a file and save it, not realizing the changes.
o A multifunction hardware/software can cause damage to files.
o Physical damage is done to a disk by overheating, moisture, magnetic interference, or some natural or manmade disaster
o There are certain viruses or worms that are specifically designed to completely wipe the contents of your disks, or destroy your boot sector.
o Disks / diskettes can be lost or stolen
Types of Backup Media
Today, magnetic tape storage, which is sequential access only, is no longer used for routine processing; however, it has three other important functions. It is used for backup, for archiving files, and for file portability between computers.
Magnetic tape drives are called tape backup units (TBUs). They use a ¼ inch cartridge (QIC), also called a data cartridge. Three common backup methods for TBUs are full backup, selective backup of files, or backup of modified files only. If you do not have a TBU, then you will need to back up your files to SuperDisks, Zip disks, or CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. The frequency with which files are backed up depends on their volatility. It is common practice to maintain two generations of backup when rotating backup among interchangeable disks.
Interchangeable Disk Backup
In the absence of a TBU, a user can back up files to SuperDisks, Zip disks, CD-Rs, or DVD-Rs. Diskettes, in the past, were used regularly for backups but due to their unreliable nature, and the superior features and affordability of CDs and DVDs, diskettes are gradually being phased out, and will likely soon be a thing of the past. Furthermore, the idea of backing up the contents from a hard disk onto diskettes was and still is quite daunting, as it would requires hundreds or even thousands of diskettes to satisfy this task.
When all is said and done, it cannot be overemphasized - backup or prepare to be sorry.
