The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups
Backups of company data are carried out for two main reasons. The first is to cater for those times when a document is inadvertently deleted or damaged and you wish to recover the original document; the second is as part of a disaster recovery plan in case something catastrophic happens to your computers (e.g., victims of a fire or theft).
Backups cost time, money and effort to implement, and they are of no value right up until the time you need them. This means they tend to be given a low priority, but ultimately they may easily represent the difference between your business surviving and failing. In this TipSheet, we look at the most common mistakes businesses make with backups.
1. Backup often
Re-entering data is tedious and frustrating. Backing up your company data once a week means that the most you should ever have to re-input is one week's worth Backing up your company data once a day means the most you should ever have to re-input is one day's worth. Frequent backups lessen the impact of data loss.
2. Don't keep any volatile data on desktop PCs
In many organisations, documents are kept on the hard drive of desktop PCs. It is unlikely that this is backed up regularly, if at all. A PC can easily be replaced: last week's quotations may not be so easy to replace. In particular, check that email is not stored on the local hard drive (this is very common in small to medium size businesses). All documents, spreadsheets, email, etc should be kept on a central server, which is in turn backed up regularly.
3. Automate the backup process
Backups are tedious to do. At 6:30pm, most people would prefer to set off home or join colleagues in the bar rather than stay in the office to find the correct tape and start a backup. Automating tedious tasks means they get done.
4. Monitor the backup process
While automating backups is a good idea, do check that they are running correctly. Make sure new files are being backed up; make sure the files of new users are being backed up. A quick check once a week could avert a much more serious problem later.
5. Keep backups offsite
If your business premises suffer a fire or flood, it is likely that backup media will be lost as well. Fireproof safes only protect media for a given time, typically one hour - if you use one, check the manufacturer's specification. If you always keep your backup tape in the server then when it is stolen the thief will probably throw the tape away. It's worth nothing to him, but it could represent bankruptcy to you.
6. Produce a "backup recovery" manual
A major disaster is not the time to try to remember how to recover data from your backup media. Have an idiot-proof, step-by-step procedure written - with a copy stored off-site - detailing how to reinstate your company data.
7. Test the recovery procedure periodically
Without warning, give the backup recovery manual to a member of staff and see how long it takes them to recover data. Many organisations never do this! No one involved with creating the manual or the backups themselves should be involved in the test. The results of the test should be analysed and the manual updated accordingly. A recovery test should be carried out at least twice a year. This proves both that the backups themselves are usable, and that your organisation understands how to use them if necessary.
About The Author
Keith Edmunds has been helping companies get the most from their IT investment for over twenty years. He is the Managing Director of Tiger Computing Ltd (http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk) and may be contacted at keith.edmunds@tiger-computing.co.uk
MORE RESOURCES:
Data Recovery Service as a Solution American Chronicle, CA - Data recovery is the solution of it but in the rare cases even the data recovery associates nod their head to ´No´. These are the cases when the users ... The Way to Spot Out and Handle a Hard Drive Crash |
Regardless of Industry, Lack of a Real Time Data Recovery Plan is ... eCoustics.com (press release) - This familiar scenario can be avoided with the proper implementation of data recovery software that includes Microsoft® Office File Versioning. ... |
Data Recovery Services and Restoration Corsavoo.com, France - Data recovery relates to the many ways to extract data from inaccessible or otherwise damaged magnetic medium. Data recovery involves recovery of missing ... iPod Solutions: Software for MP3 Data Recovery Hard drive recovery: Gives you a second chance! |
 Business Wire (press release) | DriveSavers Unveils Most Sophisticated Data Recovery Cleanroom ... Business Wire (press release), CA - (BUSINESS WIRE)--DriveSavers, the worldwide leader in data recovery services, invested over $2 million to build the most technologically advanced and ... |
Who are Data Recovery Experts? American Chronicle, CA - If you have ever lost your precious data and have searched the solutions of data recovery, then you must have encountered the term data recovery experts. ... |
CBL Data Recovery Offers Unlimited Data Recovery Coverage to UK ... PR-CANADA.net (press release), Montenegro - CBL Data Recovery Technologies Limited (CBL) today announced a new service offering which shields computer users from the expense of data recovery when data ... |
6 Rules To Follow For Data Recovery Corsavoo.com, France - What you need to do is always be prepared for the worst and think of data recovery systems. 1. Do not use your system. When you use the computer the chances ... |
IBM to spend $300M to expand data-recovery service The Associated Press - And he said the cloud-computing method would be cheaper and more effective than traditional data-recovery techniques, which can include storing data on ... |
Data Recovery At Initial Stage Is Possible Only If You Adopt ... Corsavoo.com, France - The time for preventative upholstery cleaning pittsburgh has gone - the issue at hand is data recovery. Firstly, a simple tip could save you a lot of money. ... |
Exploring the Term- Data Recovery American Chronicle, CA - The term data recovery runs in this respect only. As you can´t agree to lose the data and data recovery ensures you that it will be maintained. ... |
Data Recovery
Every person who uses a personal computer will eventually face the challenge of data recovery. Computer hardware and software can be temperamental from time to time.
5 RAID Data Recovery Prevention Tips
If you have spent the time to increase your computer's performance by setting up a hardware RAID array, you owe it to yourself to invest a little extra time and effort in maintaining the hard disks in your setup. Following these tips will help limit the need for data disaster recovery in the future.
3 Simple Steps To Organize Your Critical Online Home Based Business Directory
If You are running an Online Work at home Business it is very critical that you create a well organized directory structure. The Obvious advantage of an organized Directory structure is it makes it easy to find what you need.
HasYour Computer Hard Drive Ever Crashed? Are You Challenged by Backups?
The following scenario's have probably been repeated thousands of times, on computer systems of all kinds and sizes, operated by all levels of users from complete novice, to expert user.· You log on and your computer will not boot to your operating system.
Computer Data Backups: Test Now or Cry Later
If you're like most small business owners, your computer data backups are one of those things that you rarely pay attention to. Computer data backups are kind of like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods? everyone knows what they're supposed to do? but how many REALLY do these things religiously?!?Unfortunately when it comes to your computer data backups however, complacency can be very dangerous.
How Secure Are Online Data Backups?
Processing DATA is what all businesses do. Protecting data is what SMART businesses do.
9 Things to Look for when Considering Data Backup Solutions
It's one thing to loose data and money because of hackers and thieves of various kinds; it's a different thing again when it's because you didn't back up your data properly or not at all. Value your data! Whether it's that critical business document, your thesis, your website or your home accounts and precious photo's.
The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups
Backups of company data are carried out for two main reasons. The first is to cater for those times when a document is inadvertently deleted or damaged and you wish to recover the original document; the second is as part of a disaster recovery plan in case something catastrophic happens to your computers (e.
The Importance of Data Backups
All computers and their components are subject to failure. In fact sooner or later every business will be confronted with some type of computer failure.
Backup Your Data Or Lose Your Life!
Oh the perils of collecting those precious photos on your PC for years, only to have your hard drive crash one day, and not have made a SINGLE BACKUP COPY of any of your priceless pictures. Well, now is the time to backup your hard drive.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Reducing Your Risk Profile
Like all plans, there is an ultimate goal to achieve. The goal in a business continuity plan is simply that: to continue your business in the face of a disaster or a disruption.
Backup -- But Where To?
We all know we have to backup regularly, but those backups files can get huge. Add that to your existing your files and your notebook computer hard drive seems to have shrunk overnight.
Do I Really Need To Backup?
Okay, computers a machine, right? Okay, maybe not yours. You have this special relationship, but that a subject for another article.
Online Data Backups for Newbies
How long have you been doing business online? Whether you are new or an old timer you need to understand the one important truth of the e-world. That being that the largest threat to business survival is data loss.
Big Time Disaster Recovery Solutions Available for the Little Guy
There was a time - not too long ago - that Data Disaster Recovery solutions were available only in the domain of multinational corporations and big business in general. However, with the proliferation of high speed internet access and the ability to store large amounts of data in a much more cost effective manner due to plummeting storage costs, the ability to perform a secure backup of data to a remote location engineered specifically for the purpose of securely storing massive amounts of information is now in the reach of the general public.
Comparing Data Recovery Software
Software programmers recognize the importance of data files, and thankfully, they have been able to create products that demonstrate their understanding of how often people accidentally delete or lose important data. Thanks to software programmers and development companies, people have a variety of data recovery software programs available to purchase in the event they've lost vital data.
Backing Up Personal Computers
Backup on business computers is typically not the user's concern unless it's a small business. A business should have a policy in place for managing backups especially due to Sarbanes - Oxyley.
Data Recovery The Easy Way
If you aren't prepared in advance, you will most likely have to use a data recovery service or data recovery software solution to help get back as much as you can of what was lost. This can be a very good idea if there is no other way to recover your files, but it doesn't have to come to that in most cases.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - A Business Not a Technology Issue
Hackers, hurricanes, fires, flooding, power outages, denial of service attacks, application failures, employee error, sabotage and now terrorism are helping companies to focus on the necessity of a business continuity plan.Through the late 1990s as companies prepared for Y2K, many IT executives, risk managers, CFOs and corporate managers realized that recovering computing systems, networks and data was not enough.
Disaster Recovery- Managing the Risk
Helping your business survive in the event of an unforeseen disaster: Most business failures are not from bad business but from bad business practices.Most companies that fail are the ones that have not planned how their business will continue to function in the event of a disaster.