Data Backup Solution: Why You Need a Backup Plan in Place ? Part 2

In the first part of this article series, I talked about the three main threats to the data on your computer. I talked about the need for a data backup solution that protects your data properly. In this article, I'll outline the most common data backup solution options available to you.

A simple data backup solution

A simple way to backup your data is to save everything to CD. By burning your vital information to a CD-ROM, you can have another copy of your data if something goes wrong with your computer. Burning your data to a CD-ROM will provide rudimentary data backup protection. There are some problems with this approach however.

Burning your files regularly to CD requires human intervention and effort. It isn't automatic. You have to take time out of your schedule to do it. People get busy, things happen and before you know it, you haven't done a data backup in over a month then BAM! Your data is lost.

The second major threat to using CD's as your data backup solution is that there are limitations to CD media. The first is that they won't survive a fire. If your place or office burns down and you've stored your CD's on site, your data is gone too. The second problem with CD media is that the media itself degrades over time. A recent study found that even CD's that were advertised to last for 100 years were loosing data after just two or three years.

Burning your data to CD is certainly much better than doing nothing but it has limitations.

Saving Data to a Web Server

With the advent of inexpensive online data storage options, it is now possible to archive your most crucial data online. This option potentially protects you from theft and it is an off site option so it protects you from fire. The only way theft could risk your data is if your computers are not password protected by default and you choose to save all your passwords automatically in your applications. If this is the case, someone who gains physical access to your computers could certainly gain access to your data. This issue aside, saving your files to a web server is certainly an option.

The limitation to this data backup solution usually revolves around the cost for the web server storage. While it is usually cost effective for up to 2 GB of data, it isn't appropriate for backing up an entire hard drive worth of data.

In House Hardware Data Backup Solutions

Another data backup solution is to equip your computers with RAID compatible motherboards and install multiple hard drives in each computer. This option protects your computers from hard drive crashes. It will usually require the services of a computer hardware technician to setup. Done properly, it can pretty much protect you from all hardware failure type data loss.

This solution doesn't usually protect you from theft as the extra hard drives for RAID storage are usually installed in your computer or in other equipment on site. It usually won't protect you from fire either so this method does have its limitations.

Use a combination of all three data backup solutions

For maximum protection, you should consider using a combination of all three data backup solutions for maximum protection. Burn critical documents to CD on a regular basis. Get a web hosting account with lots of storage and upload critical files to the web server. With this option however, keep in mind that unless the data is encrypted on your end, an administrator of the web server could potentially access all your data.

Finally, along with burning a CD and using an off site web server, get a qualified computer technician to install a RAID system in your computer systems. If cost is an issue, get at least one of your computers installed with a RAID capable hard drive and at least one other hard drive.

Using these three data backup solutions, you will minimize the risk to your data and to your livelihood.

Joe Duchesne is the webmaster of Gotocompare.com a computer hardware information site with links to hardware drivers, manuals and lots more. Reprint freely as long as you maintain the live keyword rich links in this resource box.

---

Data Backup Solution: Why You Need a Backup Plan in Place ? Part 1

Is a data backup solution part of your computer plans?... Read More

Data Recovery: Beginners Tips

Right now you probably in a lot of mental pain,... Read More

The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

Backups of company data are carried out for two main... Read More

Data Recovery

Every person who uses a personal computer will eventually face... Read More

The Best Data Recovery Choice For You

The best defense against a loss of data is a... Read More

Bill Gates Made Data Recovery Easy

Bill gates provided a ready made option in Microsoft windows,... Read More

9 Things to Look for when Considering Data Backup Solutions

It's one thing to loose data and money because of... Read More

5 RAID Data Recovery Prevention Tips

If you have spent the time to increase your computer's... Read More

Data Recovery The Easy Way

If you aren't prepared in advance, you will most likely... Read More

How to Effectively Back Up Your Data

What to backup, and what to loseThe oldest "computer expression"... Read More

HasYour Computer Hard Drive Ever Crashed? Are You Challenged by Backups?

The following scenario's have probably been repeated thousands of times,... Read More

How to Survive an Operating System Crash

"We apologize for the inconvenience, but Windows could not be... Read More

Computer Data Backup - Data Backup Solution Will Give You A Peace Of Mind

Imagine that you have been working on a file for... Read More

Sea-Front or Action-gate

June 25, 2005Seagate Technologies' web site now indicates the company... Read More

How To Limit Hard Drive Data Recovery Costs

With the value on information rising day by day, one... Read More

Backup 101 - How To Pick The Right Backup Software

Vision Backup http://www.deprice.com/visionbackupenterprise.htmVision Backup 10 Enterprise is an advanced and... Read More

Big Time Disaster Recovery Solutions Available for the Little Guy

There was a time - not too long ago -... Read More

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery - Reducing Your Risk Profile

Like all plans, there is an ultimate goal to achieve.... Read More

Its All In The Planning - Surviving Disaster

ITS ALL IN THE PLANNING - PREPARING FOR THE UNTHINKABLE*... Read More

Computer Data Recovery Options

Losing files on your computer can be a frightening experience... Read More

3 Simple Steps To Organize Your Critical Online Home Based Business Directory

If You are running an Online Work at home Business... Read More

Disaster Recovery Made Easy With Online Backups

Whenever disaster strikes the most critical asset that every company... Read More

Did You Loose Your Windows XP Password? What Should You Have Done Before it Happened?

There is a common problem that happens with lot of... Read More

Comparing Data Recovery Software

Software programmers recognize the importance of data files, and thankfully,... Read More

Want To Beat The Odds? Disaster Recovery Planning is Essential

Statistics show two out of five businesses go out of... Read More