You should implement a data backup and recovery plan in order to protect your company’s data. Backing up files protects against accidental data loss and natural disasters. When creating a plan, consider the following factors:

 

 

 

 

• How important the data is
• The kind of information the data contains
• How frequently the data changes
• How quickly you need to recover the data
• The type of equipment you need
• The best time to schedule backups
• Where you need to store backups

• Differential backup is a process that starts with one full backup, and then backs up all changes that have occurred since the previous full backup. This allows for much quicker backups and makes more efficient use of your storage capacity.
• Incremental backup is very similar to differential backup, but is different in one important way in that after the initial full backup, subsequent backups store changes that have been made since the previous backup cycle.
• Mirror backup is a real-time duplicate of the source you back up. With mirror backups, when you delete a file in the source that file is eventually also deleted in the mirror backup. Because of this, you should use mirror backups carefully.

Cloud backup solutions focus on copying data files to a physically remote location, but hybrid backup combines cloud backup and local backup to deliver system recovery, disaster recovery, and file restores. The local backup is usually a USB drive or network shared drive. The best hybrid backup solution integrates these forms of backup in an automatic, easy to use utility that runs invisibly in the background. While local backups are typically enough for protecting your data and other information on a computer system, the cloud backup adds an extra level of assurance.

According to the United States Small Business Administration, twenty-five percent of businesses never recover from a natural or manmade disaster. You can, however, design a plan that protects against worst case scenarios by implementing at least 2 backup strategies. A couple of fantastic choices are the Cloud and Sneakernet.

Cloud backup is a strategy for backing up your data by sending a copy of it over a proprietary or public network to an off-site server. A third-party typically hosts the server and charges you a fee based on bandwidth, number of users, or capacity. Choosing a reliable network solutions provider with a good track record can ensure that your data is available even after a major disaster.

A Sneakernet system is the channel by which your electronic information transmits from 1 computer to another. The transmission methods include carrying it on a floppy disk, CD or other removable medium. It provides basic website and email access to anybody anywhere regardless of the telecommunications infrastructure.

Network-attached storage synchronization allows you to bring data backups home with you daily if necessary. It works particularly well if you are a sole proprietor or a very small business. But, that arrangement is not appropriate if your organization grows and the demands of running a business increase. If your business has several office locations, you can deploy two compatible network-attached storage devices at each location, and set them to synchronize or back up to each other over the network. Today practically every new NAS model does this. Look for NAS devices that support block-level sync, which conserves bandwidth by transmitting only the changed portions of a file.

A managed service provider can monitor your existing systems and, when the time is right, help you migrate to better ones. They can also provide support and repair services on a time and material basis when you need it.

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