Business assets stored as digital data are now the norm—virtually everything is saved on a computer or server.
As technology makes the file cabinet a thing of the past, it can also create management headaches for business owners. When the core of business operations sits on a computer appliance, it must not only be backed up, but also easy and quick to restore. To insure against an onsite disaster, the data must be moved offsite.
Until recently, the common best practice was to copy data onto tapes and physically transport it offsite. Careful organizations got a safety deposit box; the less cautious stacked tapes on their network administrator’s kitchen table.
Now, data management requirements have surpassed what tape can do. Beyond just raw data, applications and integrated server environments also have to be backed up and ready to restore.
Additionally, the amount of data many organizations store has exploded: hundreds of gigabytes or even multiple terabytes are not unusual. Rapid restoration of specific information requires the utmost organization when this amount of data is on tape.
Most business owners just want to know their data is backed-up and accessible to restore quickly. Fortunately, data management and protection solutions are keeping pace with needs. With new technology, the backup process is largely automated, and restoration is facilitated by software applications.
Online data backup is now the business standard for data protection and management.
Online data backup solutions transfer data via the Internet and store it in remote servers. This process eliminates the cumbersome requirement of handling tapes and getting them offsite.
With software applications, you can customize what data is backed-up—and how often. It is said that your data protection is only as good as your last backup, and this technology allows you to control the frequency of incremental changes so your backup files are always updated.
In essence, online data backups automate the process of both creating the backup file and transporting it to a remote, offsite location.
Online data backup is a convenient and reliable method for getting data offsite. However, there is a disadvantage: it is very time consuming to recover large amounts of data.
For this reason, a complete data protection solution has components designed for both rapid restoration of data and disaster recovery, so you can continue to work in the event of a physical disaster with minimal delay. Features include:
• An onsite server appliance that is the first tier of data backup. This device backs-up data onsite and allows for quick restoration after simple emergencies.
• Offsite backup. A service should store data in multiple locations so your backups are backed up. Internet connections must be encrypted for secure transfer, and data centers are vaults with the highest level of security and redundancy.
• Disaster Recovery. Beyond just a backup of raw data, you need to have applications and infrastructure maintained offsite. This way, in the event of a disaster, employees can access their entire desktop and application suite via an Internet connection. This step is the difference between being back in business in hours or a few days as compared to weeks or even months as you wait to rebuild your onsite infrastructure.
Industry reports show that many businesses never really recover after a major data loss. According to a report done by Garnter, half of all small and medium size businesses go out of business within 3 years if they have a major data loss and cannot access their backups within 24 hours.
There is also increasing regulation which requires that critical information be backed up in an offsite location. With legislation like HIPPA and Sarbanes-Oxley in place, many businesses have no choice but to have a verifiable data backup and disaster recovery plan in place.
Data backup and disaster recovery plans are like insurance: in a perfect world you’d rather not have to deal with it, but they’re a savior when imperfection rears its ugly head.
You insure your building against loss. However, in the digital age we live in, data is often more vital than bricks and walls. With a fully integrated online solution, you backup your entire business, and have insurance that work will go on even if the worse case scenario arises.
By: Scott Yoder, Colorado Freelance Web Writer