Data Recovery and off-Site Backup
A Backup Article Contributed by Ashley Lister
Data Recovery and off-Site Backup
Perhaps the most effective way of assuring data recovery will be possible when it is needed, is to keep a copy of your backup off-site. In the unthinkable event of your computer being devastated by fire, flood or some other destructive disaster, it is of little use to have the only CD copy of the backup sitting on top of a freshly ruined machine.
Because of Their Portability, Laptops are More Prone to Needing Data Recovery Than the Office-Bound Computer. Aside from the Risks of Being Knocked, Dropped or Lost in Transit, Laptops are Also Susceptible Victims to the Impulse Thief. If You've Spent Valuable Time Backing up the Information from Your Laptop, It is of No Use If Your Most Recent Disc Was Safely Stored in the Stolen Holdall Alongside the Missing Laptop Itself.
The options for off-site storage are no longer limited to a massive number of floppy discs or an ever-growing CD storage collection. USB memory pens are a quick and easy way of storing information safely away from the computer. Also, with the advent of DVD re-writers, and re-writable DVD discs, data recovery storage can be managed effectively and simply with a limited number of consumables. The average DVD allows a generous 4.7gb of storage space so it should not take too many of this media to assure the greediest computer of a complete system restore.
Alternatively Data Recovery Options Can Be Discussed with Isps (Internet Service Providers) or Remote Backup Facilitators. Instead of Making Your own Backup to Disc, Copies of Important Files, Programs and Information Will Be Stored on Secure Servers, in Safe Locations, Managed by Experienced Professionals.
This options has the added advantage that the companies responsible for storing your data are used to dealing with disasters. Should you ever have the need to call on them to help with a data recovery issue their assistance could prove invaluable.
However, the cost of remote backup is not cheap. Aside from the expense of the hosting services the data recovery is more effectively managed through the faster internet connections that are available. This could mean the additional cost of upgrading from a dial-up connection which might prove too much for some budgets.
If the financial implications of remote backup are more than you are willing to pay, a CD rewriter (or DVD rewriter) can be a cost-effective way of assuring data recovery. Consumables are comparatively cheap. Installation is quick and usually simple and the operation is easily navigable. The additional purchase of a waterproof (and fireproof) safe can insure that data recovery will not become an issue in the event of a disaster.
Obviously the safe will need to be secure, located in a convenient place and stored away from the computer itself. But it could hold the key to your peace of mind if you ever find yourself in urgent need of data recovery.
