Thursday, 01 July 2010 05:08
We all know how important it is to back up our data on a regular basis. Yet many people put off backing up their data because there's always something more pressing to accomplish. If this describes you, it's time to sit down and get serious about backups. This month we will start with the types of backups. Next month we will look at backup and recovery processes. Hard drive based systems are now the norm for most businesses (they previously used tape-based systems). Individuals mostly use optical discs.
BACKUP TYPES
- Full. A full backup is a copy of all the target files stored on your computer. Target files can be all the information on your computer or just a subset you select, such as all your documents.
- Incremental. An incremental backup works in combination with a full backup. Incremental backups only copy data that has changed since the last full or incremental backup
- Continuous. Primarily used in businesses, a continuous backup copies every change made to the file system. One advantage of this is that there's no schedule. The backup is done in real time while your computers are in use.
STORAGE TYPES
- Tape. Long considered the standard backup media for businesses, tape is often used for full plus incremental, and standalone full backups for archiving. Tape doesn't lend itself to any type of real-time backups.
- Hard Drive. Hard drives are used for all type of backups except archiving, because the long term durability of a hard drive as an archival media isn't well known. Hard drives excel at just about all other type of backups, however.
- Optical Discs. CDs DVDs, and Blu ray discs that use a write once system can be used for archival purposes. The write-once capability ensures that the data can't be altered after it's written. The longevity of the media is determined by the quality of the dyes and the manufacturing process. If long-term storage is the goal, be sure to use only high-quality (or archival) optical media.
- Remote/Online. Remote storage can consist of a device in another physical location and is used mostly by businesses. Online storage is similar to remote storage except that a third-party provider offers the service. As stated previously this type of storage brings concerns about trusting your data to a third party. It is a good idea to ensure that all data in an online system is sent and stored in an encrypted format.
