Backup, backup, backup

Published on Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Backup, backup, backup by Chris Aghjayan of SMH Electronics

Every industry has their more memorable buzz words and tag lines. In the Real Estate business it’s location, location, location. In the Computer business it’s backup, backup, backup. Why three times? Because it is important to have your data backed up at least three different ways and here’s why…

First, think about all of the important information you store on your computer. Computers have almost become the black hole of data storage. We continually cram all this stuff onto the hard drive with no thought given to what would happen if you couldn’t get it back. Ask your self this, “What can I afford to lose?” Pictures of the grandkids, your 1000 iTunes songs you meticulously downloaded and grouped into play lists, your tax returns for the last ten years, the great American novel you have been plugging away at? Go ahead and pick something to just delete from your PC and then attempt to recreate it. How much would it cost you in time and effort? Now think of a worst-case scenario; what would happen if your home or office burned to the ground or was flooded and everything in it was ruined beyond recovery. Now what? Well, that is where backup, backup, backup comes in. If you don’t have a backup plan in place, you are playing Russian roulette with your data.

Backup # 1 – Backup your data to CD / DVD

The first line of defense in the battle to backup is to copy data to a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. Some points to remember when using this type of storage:

 Files such as pictures and documents that you wish to keep and are unlikely to change over time are good candidates for this type of backup.
 Once you have created the disks put them in a sleeve or binder and store them in a safe place. Keep in mind that prolonged storage of certain media will cause it to degrade over time so this is not a perfect solution for long term storage.
 Also, this type of solution takes up space somewhere so if storage space is at a premium, this may not be the ideal solution
 If you store your disks at home or at work, the same problem applies in the case of a catastrophe. Try to store off site if possible.

Backup # 2 – Backup your data to an External Drive

If you have files that frequently change, or if you change computers regularly, consider an external drive, such as a Flash or Thumb drive, or an external hard disk drive. External drives typically use a USB, or Universal Serial Bus, type connector to attach to your computer. Most computers now have multiple USB ports available. USB 2.0 is currently the fastest type of USB connector but most USB devices are backwards compatible. USB 2.0 has a rating of 480Mbps (Mega or Millions of Bits Per Second), and it is rated 40 times faster than its predecessor interface, USB 1.1, which tops out at 12Mbps. Because they are transportable, external drives are excellent for things like documents or spreadsheets which you want to work on at the office and finish up at home. Some points to remember when using this type of storage:

 Store files such as documents or spreadsheets that you tend to change regularly.
 Excellent for regularly backing up data files such Quickbook data files. Remember to disconnect the disk from your PC after backing up. Leaving the disk plugged in could cause your PC not to boot properly because the PC may detect the drive during a restart.
 Carry the external disks in a padded or crush-proof case; Flash disks especially can be damaged beyond repair if abused. Also, high heat can cause disks to fail; don’t keep them in your car.
 If you store your disks at home or at work, the same problem applies in the case of a catastrophe. Try to store off site if possible.


Backup # 3 – Offsite Data Storage or Vaulting

Consider offsite data storage to be the fail-safe weapon in your arsenal and the “when all-else fails” recovery tool in your backup plan. There are a number of compelling reasons why you need and should have offsite backup.

First, and foremost, you get your data back. When all other mechanical methods of storage fail, including tapes, cd’s, external drives, etc, you will still be able to recover your data from an offsite provider.

Second, once the backup is set up, it requires little or no user intervention on your part. Just like Ron Popiel of kitchen gadget fame says, “Set it and forget it”. Let’s face it; nobody wants to backup their data until it is too late. This makes it too easy and there is no excuse not to do it.

Third, your data is secure, no TJX calamities here. Your data is encrypted and compressed before it leaves your computer and remains that way while it is in storage. Nobody can just randomly browse your data while it is in storage. Data storage takes place at a secure site with multiple backup and safety systems.

If your hard drive crashes, your PC just doesn’t feel like booting up or your laptop goes for a walk with strangers, once your PC is back on line your data can be easily restored over any Internet connection. There are no moving parts, no tapes to insert, no tape drives to clean, no disks to insert in order, just point, click type in your password and restore.

So, are you a believer yet? If you take anything away from reading this it should be this: your computer will fail at some point. The likelihood of you being able to recover your data from a crashed drive is slim to none. Most people would pay any amount not having to deal with the hassle of trying to recover their files.

This recent case from First Coast News via Switched.com highlights why you want your data off site and secure…

Afraid of Losing Job, Florida Woman Deletes Office Files Worth $2.5 Million by Tim Stevens, posted Jan 24th 2008 at 12:29PM

People can get awfully paranoid when it comes to their jobs. Some people can't help but think that everyone is out to get them, which seems to be the case for Marie Cooley of Jacksonville, Florida.

Cooley is currently in jail after confessing to deleting files worth an estimated $2.5 million at her former employer, all because she thought she was about to get fired. As it turns out, she wasn't getting the boot, but we're not entirely sure she's the one with the most questionable judgment in this story.

It turns out that Cooley saw an ad in the classifieds for a job that sounded a lot like hers posted by her current employer, Steven E. Hutchins Architects, also in Jacksonville. She got angry, went in to work, and deleted all the company's work from its servers. She cleaned out seven years' worth of designs and drawings, designs the owner of the company estimated were worth $2.5 million. Cooley confessed to what is a second degree felony, potentially punishable by a five-year sentence.

She obviously wasn't quite right in the head when doing this, but we're inclined to think that the owner of the business isn't all there either. Despite estimating the worth of the company's files at $2.5 million, the architecture firm had no backup systems in place. That's a recipe for disaster regardless of the sanity of your employees. Even the local Sheriff's office knows better than that, issuing the following statement:

The lesson to be learned here is that you can't depend on having just one set of records or files and having your employees have access to them. You've got to have some kind of backup.
Thankfully the files were able to be recovered, but backups of important files are not something you should take lightly. These days, backups are easy to implement, regardless of what kind of computing you do. On the Mac, OSX 10.5 Leopard includes the Time Machine functionality which, when stored on an external USB drive, makes backing up easy. On Windows you can copy your important stuff to an external drive yourself or invest in a Windows Home Server box to automatically and securely back up your stuff daily.

Oh, and that job posting that sent Cooley off? Turns out it was for another company run by the boss's wife. Go figure.

This information has been brought to you as a public service by SMH Electronics in West Wareham. We have provided data storage solutions to a number of South Shore and Cape Cod businesses. We are now a partner with Vault USA for off site backup and disaster recovery solutions. If you are looking for a partner to help you develop a backup plan, give us a call TOLL FREE at 866-661-4SMH (4764).