| Hobson's backup
choice
Title : Hobson's backup choice
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..
Hobson's choice is a description which is used and
misused frequently in computer environments. Apologies
if you know what it is because before we continue we
will explain it for those who don't or think they do.
It originated with Mr. Thomas Hobson (1544 - 1630)
from Cambridge. He was a stable owner. In order to ensure
his clients took the horse which most suited his requirements
(muck out, feeding, rotation) he offered them to take
the horse from the nearest stable or take no horse at
all.
In essence it involves offering a choice which is no
choice at all. A close but not entirely accurate example
would be Henry Ford offering you a Model "T"
in any colour as long as it was black. Henry had made
the choice for you. Hobson let you make up your own
mind.
Hobson's choice does not offer two or more perilous
choices, that would be more akin to a dilemma. It is
not a catch 22 which offers two choices which effectively
cancel each other out.
Hobson's backup choice is the option to backup online
or not backup online. If you do you are availing of
cutting edge remote backup services and protecting your
data effectively. If you do not you are not. A horse
or no horse at all so to speak.
Some may say that you can backup offline and this is
an alternative therefore negating any real association
of choice with Hobson.
Is it therefore a dilemma? No, a dilemma would be deciding
between local tape and removable hard drive. Two dangerous
options.
It is only after you decide not to backup online that
you reach the dilemma. Worse to come of course are the
consequences of loosing data after deciding to go with
the dilemma. You the great man (or woman) who sat down
and considered your data backup options because you
cared and felt you understood the importance, ended
up losing all your data because of any number of reasons
and not being able to retrieve it because of your well
meaning choice and considered attempt at protecting
yourself. This is called a tragedy.
The main difference between the modern computer tragedy
and the Shakespearian variety is that the literary subject
can be a tragic hero. When you lose data irretrievably,
you are just tragic.
You have of course multiple options of varying types.
You must make that choice and you must live with the
worry and the consequences. Most people will agree that
it is ridiculous in this day and age to have important
business and client data on tape being ferried around
in cars from the office to someone's place of residence.
It is even more ridiculous to ferry around fragile drives
which are meant to be stationary and are destined to
fail without warning as a consequence of a limited number
of spins to failure even if they do not get knocked
about during transport. Just about everyone knows it
is beyond incompetence to use a key ring drive to hold
any backup as one "flash on entry or exit"
can erase all data irretrievably. Physical loss of the
device means you lose the data and who knows who gains
it.
- The Hobson's choice : Use
online backup or do not use online backup.
- The dilemma : Use tape
or use removable hard drives.
- The tragedy : Saying no
to Mr. Hobson, going with either dilemma and needing
to restore.
- The deserved tragedy :
Using key ring drives to carry data backups.
Humour aside, if you have any concerns about you data
backup system or absence of same, call backupanytime
in a timely manner to discuss and resolve in strict
confidence.
If you found this document helpful you may like to
visit www.backupanytime.com/whitepaper.htm
or our website 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, think backupanytime.
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