Backing up your data. It is a habit we all should have, but one that is frequently neglected and forgotten about until you have a crash one day and you get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach that your data may be lost! Performing a regular backup is a smart idea, but what type of backup strategy should you use?
P3C Technologies works with its clients regularly on setup of backup strategies. Items to consider include:
- How frequently should you backup your data? This question is often influenced by how much data you can afford to lose. Large businesses with critical databases can backup in minute intervals incrementally to avoid any data loss. Most home users and small businesses can afford a daily or once a week backup schedule as their data does not change as frequently.
- What type of media should I use? For most home users and small businesses, this is a no brainer: hard disk drive backups are the way to go. It used to be that the only way to backup was to large tapes as these were a moderately cheaper alternative to disk and were easily managed / rotated. Not so anymore! Hard drive prices are very low and easily rotated now, which leads into the next point…
- Storage / maintenance of your backup media: Where are you storing your backups? Are they right next to the computer you are backing up? Does your computer backup to the same internal hard drive you have in your computer? You need to consider whether keeping a copy of your backed up data offsite away from your office or home should be a required part of your backup strategy.
The setup of a backup does not have to be costly. P3C Technologies can recommend hard disk drives for you to purchase that are easily rotateable, setup an automatic backup job for you, and provide you with the right tools to backup and syncrhonize your data. Contact us today to setup an appointment to ensure you are backing up your data properly.