The Need to Choose the Right Data Backup Service
Regular backups ensure that a business can restore its revenue-earning operations as soon as possible in case something bad happens. However, it is important to note that there are numerous back-up methods with their own particular upsides and downsides, meaning that businesses cannot ensure the best results without choosing the right one for them.
What Are Some Common Examples of Data Backup Services?
Here are some of the most common examples of data backup services that we can provide to our customers:
Cloud Based
Cloud based backup means that the relevant data is sent to an off-site server over the Internet for storage. In most cases, a piece of client software is responsible for collecting, compressing, encrypting, and transmitting the information on a regular schedule, thus minimizing the need for input on the part of the customer. Combined with the fact that such backups can be retrieved whenever and wherever over the Internet, this makes cloud based backup one of the most convenient options for businesses.
Disk Array
A disk array consists of a storage controller that is responsible for coordinating a number of hard disk drives, resulting in a system that is not just faster but also more resilient to data corruption and data loss. As a result, disk arrays see a fair amount of use in storage networking, which is when storage devices are connected to create a central repository for data that can be accessed by a number of users at the same time. Something that makes them well-suited for storing backups.
RAID
RAID stands for redundant array of independent disks, so it should come as no surprise to learn that it is a system consisting of multiple disk drives that have been combined into a single unit for the sake of superior performance via striping, which is a technique that sees data distributed over more than one disk drive. It is important to note that RAID systems use a number of different architecture, which means a number of different forms of data distribution across their disk drives. For example, Level 0 means that the data is distributed over the disk drives without redundancy, which makes reading it faster but also means that if one disk drive is lost, all of the data becomes useless. In contrast, Level 1 means that the data is mirrored on the other disk drives, whereas Level 4 means that the data is distributed over the disk drives but if one disk drive is lost, it can be restored by using the data stored on its parity disk drive. Technically, the use of a RAID system is not considered to be a form of backup, but it can serve a similar purpose in making data more resilient to data corruption and data damage.
Off Premises
Sometimes, data is lost because of computer problems. Other times, data is lost because of a disaster that tears through a business’s physical location. As a result, businesses often choose to have backups stored off of their premises at secure facilities, which will keep the relevant data safe and sound even if their offices are compromised by fire, flooding, or some other form of disaster. Often, off premises backup is done over the Internet, but there are still cases when businesses choose to send physical copies rather than digital copies of their most important information.
Tape
Tape drives still see use by businesses that want to back up large amounts of information for a long, long time. In part, this is because tapes are cheap compared to most storage devices, meaning that they are an affordable solution for businesses that need large amounts of storage space. However, it should also be noted that tapes are stable, meaning that businesses can expect them to remain readable for a long, long time to come. Unfortunately, the tape comes with a serious drawback in that it runs one way, meaning that it is not suitable for routine use.
Daily Secure Data Pickup and Vaulting
In some cases, backups are so valuable that businesses want to make sure that they are as protected as possible, which is where daily secure data pickup and vaulting come in. In brief, the relevant data will be backed up so that the resulting backups can be picked up through secure means and put in an off-premises vault for storage on a daily basis, thus resulting in up-to-date information as well as the most peace of mind that money can buy.
Contact Us
Interested in learning more before making a final decision? Please don’t hesitate to contact us as at Firewall Technical.