Backup Data and Use the Right Storage

A Backup Article Contributed by Melissa Larose

Backup Data and Use the Right Storage

Data backup and storage are different animals altogether. Backup is a process and storage is a holding and protective device. You cannot have backup without a place to store it but you can have the place to store it without the backup ever being in the storage. Depending on the business environment you operate in the two can take very different twists and turns before the typical setup is chosen.

That's because data is growing daily and the needs of that data growth can involve ever more complex data backup schemes and larger and more accessible storage capacity and often storage that can be added on to.

Data Backup Storage Considerations

If you are a one man show purchasing an external hard drive specifically for data backup can be a really efficient way to approach your storage issues. The down side to this type of storage plan is that it stays connected to the system unless you remove it and locate it elsewhere between backup times. This hardly seems feasible to be doing all the time.

The reason for removal is that data backup is meant to protect your data from damage or corruption or even complete loss that can happen on your computer. If the damage is occurring because of fire, flood, or theft your external hard drive makes the backup data just as vulnerable as the original data.

Removing the hard drive loaded with a mirror of your system and original data and locating it in a safe deposit box or at another business location increases the odds of you being able to plug it in and boot it up if you lose the original drive.

Data Backup Storage and Large Enterprises

You see larger enterprises adopting this same type of backup and storage plan by using online backup and storage as part of their plan. These types of backup services allow the data backup to take place through a high speed Internet connection. The data lands on the other end, compressed and encrypted and loaded onto another disk drive or drives and ready for a possible recovery need. The storage is separated, some times by continents, from the original location and protected from the events occurring on the original.

Many companies are afraid to attempt this disk-to-disk backup and data storage plan. For them having their own disk-to-disk backup designed and owned by their company may work better and depending on the size of the data backup it could be more costly. This type of backup and storage requires more rent or space to purchase, equipment to purchase and maintain and the personnel to monitor the data backup and the added security, insurance and planning to protect that second location

Data Backup Storage

Although storage is at an all time low in price, make sure you assess your storage needs thoroughly before you purchase more. Having extra is not a bad plan, but making sure that the data backup stored on those storage devices is in good working order, compressed and accessible may do more for your bottom line than purchasing more storage at the first sign of growth.