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Title : Business Backup
Source : http://www.backupanytime.com/whitepaper.htm
Posted : Aug 07
Copyright : backupanytime original content.
Redistribution as is : No permission required (with
credits)
Modification : With written permission from backupanytime.
We at backupanytime believe yes and that the distinction
is far more broad than backup being a term for any non
business user and business backup being the term for
business users. Business backup is a type of backup
which many non business users should use. It pertains
more to the importance of and respect for the data held
by an individual or organization rather than weather
or not they are in business.
If you are an amateur photographer, a budding novelist
or a frequent e-mailer you may have data on your computer
which you absolutely can not lose. In that event you
require business backup.
So what is business backup?
In its' simplest form business backup is a combination
of software, suitable hardware, a dedicated backup service
and a good relationship with your local I.T. Specialist
or advisor.
How do I organize this?
You need to speak with your computer advisor. Explain
that you are concerned about data loss and you want
to start backing up online. Your computer advisor may
be a large corporate organization with a detailed contract
or a local person who calls on an issue arisal basis.
Your reason for involving them in your business backup
is so they will be familiar with your chosen provider
and can develop a relationship with them pre disaster
recover requirement.
It will help you, your backup company and your current
technicians if everyone is involved from the outset.
Your computer advisor may know more than you do about
your data types and locations and therefore what type
of business backup to use.
For the remainder of this document business backup
will be assumed to be backup for a business and will
therefore assume a need, a willingness and budget appropriate
to backing up business data. Personal user data backups
may apply the same principles with amendments where
required.
The cost of business backup.The cost of offline business backup equates to
the physical cost of backup related hardware, media,
backup operator time and safe off-site data removal
and storage costs. This can be as simple as adding a
tape system and media to your backup inventory and giving
a team (or one person with office substitutes) the responsibility
of operating it and taking tapes from work to a fire safe,
depot or home. Don't underestimate the personnel cost
as they will need to complete this task at the behest
of any other function which arises no matter how important
the unexpected day to day non backup tasks are. They
will also have to be trained initially and ongoing by
your provider and supported in this role.
The cost of online business backup is more tangible
in reference to what you are backing up. The important
variables here are:
- The quantity of business data
you intend to backup.
Your online business backup provider will have a set
cost for various data ranges and discounts for bulk
users at different levels. This affects the providers
space requirements to hold your data, mirror it and
back it up.
- The speed of your broadband:
The speed of your broadband is important because you
want your backups to in the main be completed out
of hours and not to be in progress when users arrive
in to work to log on. If your broadband pack can not
achieve this you may need to move to a higher broadband
pack.
- Any cap on broadband usage:
Many broadband providers put a cap on the total amount
of data transfer allowed per month. You need broadband
capable of transmitting all of your backups.
- Always on or pay per connect.
Some older or very basic broadband packs may be always
on but incur a charge for usage beyond specific time
online periods. Moving from this type of pack should
not require you to change provider or incur any additional
expense. In most cases it should save you money as
these types of method broadband accounts are in the
main superceded by far more competitive account types.
- Your required retention period.
The amount of data versions and associated retention
period affects the providers store for you and therefore
the associated costs. Avoid low retention periods
such as thirty days. Reputable business backup providers
will offer a min of ninety days with the better ones
offering 365 days default and configurable to unlimited.
Free backup.
It cant be free or else it cant be backup. The theory
here is that users will read third party adds and the
advertisers will pay costs. Costs are obviously at a
minimum which results in mirror not backup. Technical
support is not financially viable in a free backup scenario.
If it is possible to get support (most unusual with
add based mirrors) it is chargeable and the provider
has an interest in you having difficulties. This is
not conducive to effective business backup. If you were
seriously considering using free backup for your critical
information you would not be reading this article.
International provider.
Service may or may not be good. If excellent it is worth
considering but be aware of the impossibility of the
provider being there for you when it all goes wrong.
It is one to one desk side support that you will require
in a worst case scenario.
Local provider.
Service level needs to be measured carefully. They should
be backup specialists and do little else. If they start
offering you non backup related products and services
you should look elsewhere. If they are specialists and
want to engage with your general computer technicians
without competing with them than this may be the best
option.
Do it yourself backup.
Off line backup can lend itself to this if the system
is professionally installed and your people are trained
and supported. D.I.Y. Is not an option for online backup
as the cost of implementing and managing the system
for one company would not be viable unless the client
was a very large corporate user and they do not have
a D.I.Y. Approach to backup.
Your expectations and provider suitability.
When checking out different business online backup packs
please consider the following.
Any savings made now should be as a result of like for
like comparisons and not have any negative effect on
service. Ideally you want someone who is independent,
in the same region as you, available to speak directly
to you without a song and dance. You want a company
which will not require you to buy, self install or self
restore online and which is prepared to engage your
general computer maintenance people in a positive manner
from the outset. In essence you want to backup with
someone who could end up in your office late at night
assisting you and your general computer providers in
putting you back on track. If you do not believe they
would do this (with or without charges) then look elsewhere.
Business data backup differs from backup with regard to the
effect data loss would have and the cost of any related
downtime. There is no such thing as a free lunch and
the dearest is not always the best. Assess any considered
providers on merit with regard to their ability to call
to you in an emergency and then compare general service
and price. Seek written, verifiable references and call
them. Get a free no commitment trial and test by seeking
an assisted restore early in the trial and without appointment.
Treat the occasion with the importance you would a critical
data loss and systems down scenario. If they don't they
won't. Don't be unprepared to say no and look elsewhere
even if it involves more of your time. Remember that
business backup is not something you can put right after
the fact.
If you found this document helpful you may like to
visit www.backupanytime.com/whitepaper.htm
or our web site proper at www.backupanytime.com
If you are a system administrator and would like technical
details please register your interest on our contact
page requesting membership of our private white
paper area for I.T. Professionals.
"Data outages can not be totally
avoided. They can and must be prepared for"
Think backup and think backupanytime.
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