| Backup System
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Title : Backup System
Audience : Small business principals and managers. Non
technical staff with an interest in backup systems.
User I.T. Knowledge 3/10
Source : http://www.backupanytime.com/whitepaper.htm
Posted : May 07
Reviewed n/a
Updated n/a
Copyright : backupanytime original content.
Redistribution as is : No permission required (with
credits)
Modification : With written permission from backupanytime.
A backup system is the sum of your entire backup inventory.
Regardless of your business type or scale it should
include some or all of the following:
Backup system software:
The actual program or programs you use to backup data.
The backup software you use should be backup specific
software designed and produced by backup specialists.
It should be intuitive and work ongoing with minimal
user input requirement. It should come with support
and have a proven track record.
Backup system hardware:
The device(s) such as servers and workstations which
your backup software runs on.
Where possible, your backups should run on systems
which have no other or limited other functions but which
have access to all areas requiring backup. In a very
small office environment this may not be considered
a viable option but given the massive reduction in costs
pertaining to almost all things I.T. This should at
least be considered.
Backup media:
The tapes or drives your backups are incremented to.
While tape comes under much criticism as a backup media,
this is generally when compared to online backup. If
online backup is not an option then tape has to be given
serious consideration. D.V.D. is not a preferred option
unless online is not possible and tape is considered
too expensive. Removable mini drives are not a backup
and should never be used as backup. USB drives are not
reliable enough and often “flash” on entry
or exit causing a complete irretrievable deletion of
all contents.
Backup storage area:
A part or device on your network on which backups are
held.
Again, the reduction in costs of N.A.S. (network attached
storage devices) and stand alone R.A.I.D. (redundant
array of inexpensive disks) devices have made these
a viable option for small business. The important thing
here is to choose a quality option which will be utilized.
All too often small business are impressed by storage
capacity beyond their needs and purchase quantity they
do not need at the behest of required quality.
Backup procedures:
The rules by which your backups are managed and maintained.
These should be simple and strictly adhered to. They
should lend themselves to ultimately having multiple
copies of all required data and zero excess unneeded
data. They should negate the possibility of a backup
being missed or failing without notifications being
read and dealt with. A number of persons should have
the ability to step in to each others shoes to allow
for sickness, annual leave and staff turnover. Outside
help should be available as required and without notice.
The task if supported correctly should not be intimidating
or cause worry and stress.
Backup personnel:
The in house person(s) who are responsible for managing
backups.
These individuals should be trustworthy given they
will have access to and responsibility for the company
data. Ideally they should be long term staff who through
time have developed their own genuine vested interest
in the business. Backup should not be seen as a chore
but as an essential task which only trustworthy individuals
would be appointed to.
Backup support:
Outside or in house individuals who have expertise and
can provide same as required.
Backup support is absolutely essential. If it is not
in place before a disaster recovery requirement it may
at worst be unavailable and at best very expensive after
a disaster recovery requirement. Limited or zero prearranged
backup support will make backup “a task to be
avoided” in your organization further increasing
the risk of critically needing something you do not
have. Also, the best backup support is only as good
as the backups it has to work with. Decide now, who
you would call if you suffered serious data loss and
involve them in your data loss avoidance plans.
A backup system is more than a device, a media set and
a procedure. It does not need to break the bank. It
does need to be self verifying and continuous. Backup
is not an action which helps after the fact. Do not
wait till you lose data to establish a quality backup
system. Call backupanytime today and we will backup
your data tonight.
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.
"If you don't get it on paper,
you probably won't get it"
backupanytime, a remote-backup team that makes and keeps
commitments.
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