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Selecting a Backup System |
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One of the great truths about computers is that sooner or later, you will lose data. Good backups are essential. In order to get the best backup system for you, consider the following questions: Do you need to protect all of your data, or only critical data? This determines the capacity of your backup system. How many days of data can you afford to lose and then re-enter? Whatever the answer is, that's the maximum amount of time you should have between backups for your critical data. Do you have time to do backups manually? If you don't have time, or can't commit to doing backups regularly, you need an automated system. Is your biggest fear a computer crash, a fire, or a break-in? On-site backups protect you from computer crashes, but if you're concerned about catastrophic events like fire, you should store backups off-site as well. Once you've answered these questions, you can decide on your system. If you don't mind doing backups manually, you can buy a CD/RW or DVD/RW drive and rewritable CD's or DVD's. It's inexpensive, and easy to store the disks off-site, but you have to be present and have time to do the backups. You can also use another computer as your backup server. Backup software runs automatically, copying files from your computer over a network to the backup server. This is reliable and automated, but if your backup server is in the same building, it doesn't address off-site data storage. Another option is online backups. At a selected time, your data is sent over a network or internet connection to a backup company. If you lose data, it can be restored either over the network or via CD's or DVD's. This is automated and off-site, but it is an ongoing expense. Larger companies often use tape drives and other specialized backup devices, but those devices can be quite expensive and more difficult to administer. Once your backup system is in place, it's important to test it regularly. Check to make sure the system is running, and restore some data to be sure it was correctly backed up. If all these options seem overwhelming, don't despair. Start with what seems manageable, and adapt as you go along. Ultimately, any backup is better than no backup!
Click here
to listen to Diane Henders talk with Hugh Reilly of ThatRadio.com about
backups. (Approx. 2 minutes 55 seconds). By: Diane Henders, Bright Ideas Personalized Learning Inc. For more information or computer training services, please call Bright Ideas Personalized Learning at (403) 692-2255. |
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