Remote Data Backup- Is it worth your money?

We all know the importance of data and the risk of data loss in the digital world. We also understand the importance of data backup. But, is it really worth to pay someone hundreds of dollars to have your data backed up regularly? And then end up paying them in thousands for recovering the data, when data loss strikes? Let's go ahead to analyse the pros and cons of offsite data backup services before we draw a conclusion.

Advantages of Remote Backup Services

Ok, let's face the fact! Today, there are so many companies doing excellent business in the field of offsite data backup services. Which means that there are so many other companies who pay them hundreds of dollars to do the job! If it is just a waste of money, why would the companies be spending their buck on backup services? Let's give the service providers their fair share of credit and discuss the benefits of opting for remote backup services.

1.  You do not have to be bothered about data backup. You can concentrate in your business without going through the pain of data backup or living with the fear of data loss.

2. Since, the data is stored at different site locations, your data would remain safe even in cases of natural calamities or site failure.

3. You can have an access to the backed up data online. So, in case of data loss, you can just open your web browser and access your data whenever you want.

4. The backup is carried out by running automated program. So, you can set the automated program to run after-office hours, so that it does not hinder with your work, in any way.

Disadvantages of Remote Data Backup

Let's now see the downside.

1. The service providers do your work of data backup. It might sound pleasant but it comes with a heavy price tag.

2. If the offsite data backup happens through internet, there is always a risk involved. Your data could be hacked and misused.

3. In case of offsite data backup via internet, you might have to pay your ISP for data transfer. This would only increase your overall expenses towards data backup.

4.  If the data backup company closes down, you would not have access to your backed up data.

The Verdict

It's quite simple! If money is no problem and you have a lot of work on your hand without having to be bear the extra burden of data backup, then data back services would be the way to go. On the other hand, if you are just a start up company and wouldn't mind putting a few minutes of extra work every day to save a few hundred bucks, then it is better to stay away from these backup services. Instead, just remember to put in a disk and copy your data by the end of the day. And more importantly, make multiple copies and store it at various offsite locations. This simple backup task done everyday could save you a lot of money.

Offsite Data Backup

Offsite data backup is a process in which data backup is carried out at a location different from the location where the data is entered and used. This process is also referred to as remote data backup or online data backup. The remote location is usually connected to the main location through a leased line. To get a clearer picture, let us see in detail about remote data backup.

How it works?

Data is stored in the main location. A client software program runs on the computers situated in the main location. Once the program is run, all the data to be backed up is compressed, encrypted and transmitted to the servers present in the remote location . The data is then stored in these remote servers. The number of times you need to run the client software program during a day is automated. However, it can even be run manually, if required.

Things you need to ask your Service Provider

In today's market, there are so many companies that offer offsite data backup services. Each of these companies in turn offer different packages. So, it is mandatory that you do an extensive research to find the one that meets your requirement. Here are a few things that you might want to know before selecting a particular service provider:

1. Data Safety:  It is essential that to ensure that your data is safe during transfer and storage at a remote location. Hence, check if your data would be in encrypted format during transmission as well as while it is stored in their remote server.

2. Turn Around Time:  Time frame within which you get your lost data back from the service provider is very important. Some providers offer to send your backed up data within 3-7 days and there are business that cannot wait for so many days to have their data back. There are some service providers that allow online access to your data saving your wait time. Hence, choose a company with Turn around time suiting your requirement.

3. Multisite Capability: If your data is extremely important, it is always a good idea to store it in more than one remote location. In case of a disaster at one remote site, your data would be safe at other locations. Also, even if server at one of the remote sites is down and you want to access your data immediately, you can have an access from other remote sites.

4. Cost Factor: This plays an important role in choosing a service provider. The cost of the services might vary depending upon various factors such as the reputation of the provider, TAT and the storage device used to store the backed up data.

It's time to put an end to your data loss and data backup worries. With so many providers in the market, you should be able to get a good bargain. So, choose the right remote data backup service provider and relax.  Goodluck in finding the right service provider for your business.

If you have any further questions, just drop a message in the comment section and I will get back to you at the earliest. Goodbye!

All about Data Backup

Let us begin with the basics. Data backup is the process in which you make duplicate copies of your documents or files. This is done since data loss is a common problem faced by almost every computer user. So, if you end up losing your data accidentally, there is always this duplicate copy to help you out. Remember to make these copies on a different storage device because if data loss happens due to failure of one storage device you can always use a copy of the file present on the other device.

Data Backup Media

These days, there are so many data storage devices available in the market. CDs, DVDs, USB Drives, secondary hard drives and servers are some of the data storage devices that can be used to store backed up data. Choose a storage device based on your requirement. You can also store your data online. There are a lot of sites that offers free web space for storing your data. http://docs.google.com/ is one such site offered by Google.

How to Backup Data

Data backup is just a copy and paste work. You locate the file, copy it and paste it in your destination folder. However, it might get a little tedious if you want to be back up your data every time you store a new file on your computer. Also, it might be seem a little complicated if you want to create a back up of your entire hard drive. This is when data backup software and hardware available in the market will come in handy.

Data Backup Software

Data Backup Software are sold online. You just need to purchase them and install it on your computer. They are automated programs that can check your hard disk for any new data several times a day and back up when any new data is found. These software can also be used to backup all the information on your hard drive including your files, emails, registry, favourites and even your computer font settings. There are also free data backup software available online. But, make sure you check the reliability of the software before downloading it on your computer.

Data Backup Hardware

This is primarily used when you want to create a mirror image of your hard drive. You can purchase hard drives that have been designed and sold especially for the purpose of data backup. These hard drives come with the necessary backup software installed on them. All that you need to do is to plug in the external hard drive to your computer. You would automatically be guided through the backup procedure step-by-step. Seagate is one of the companies that sells external hard drives providing easy data backup solution.

Points to Remember

Before I end this article, I would just like to reiterate a few points. If data is important, then maintain multiple copies of those files on different storage devices. Also, in cases of highly important data, it would be a good option to maintain the backups at different locations. This way if any unforeseen natural calamity strikes at one place, your data at another location would be safe. And, more importantly do not procrastinate the task of backing up your data because in the electronics world you never know when data loss would strike.

Resources & Links

Is it possible to recover lost data?

A lot of people wonder if it is really  possible to recover the lost data. Is it possible to get back the data that you have deleted even from your recycle bin? What about the data that you haven't even saved on your computer? For example, if you have been typing a long letter and closed it accidentally without saving it, is it possible to recover that? Can you recover data from a damaged storage device? The answer is a simple yes. Yes, a lot of times you actually can!

Where does all the lost data go?

First, let me explain to you in simple terms as to what happens to your lost data. Whenever you work on your computer every detail that you enter is stored on the storage device. The computer assigns an address to the location where the data is stored. Because, this way it can quickly retrieve the data whenever you need it.

When you delete a file from your computer, you are merely deleting the address that has been assigned to the location. And, your data would still be in tact on the storage device.

The Catch

However, there are two things that you need to remember. By deleting the address, you are telling your computer that the particular location on your storage device is free and you can store fresh information in there. So, if you are not quick enough, your computer might overwrite that particular data with fresh data and you might end up  losing your data permanently.

And, secondly since the address to the location is lost, it is not easy to look up the data present there. It is more difficult than trying to find a person in your city without having any contact information of that person. So, when you lose data, you might not be able locate it on your own and have to take up professional assistance to recover the lost data.

Data Recovery Methods

You can recover your lost data but it comes at a price. You are left with two options. You can take the help of data recovery software that are available online. These are mostly DIY software (Do-It-Yourself). You can just need to purchase any recovery software online and run it on your computer. The software can retrieve the data for you. 

If you are not comfortable handling it on your own, you can resort to the services of a data recovery expert. There are a lot of companies that helps you with data recovery. You need to send them your storage device and they would be able to recover the data for you.

Word of Caution

If you have lost your precious data and want to get it back at any cost, try to avoid storing fresh information on your computer. This would only make data recovery more difficult or even impossible. Although, data recovery is possible in most instances, it can never be guaranteed. Also, whether it is a data recovery software or data recovery expert service, you need to do your groundwork before choosing the right one to suit your needs.

In subsequent articles we can see discuss in detail about data recovery software and services, pros and cons of each method and so on. Until then, if you have any questions or suggestions on the topic, please don't hesitate to leave your comment on the blog.

Data Loss

A lot of times I have come across new computer users who assume that data saved on their computer is extremely safe. So, they save all the important files on the computer assuming that the data would live there forever and they could use it whenever needed. Unfortunately, the safety of the data is not guaranteed. Because, there are a lot of factors that could harm your data. Let me give you a few examples.

1. Hardware Failure: If you have stored your data on the computer hard drive, there is always a possibility of hard drive failure. Sometimes, even a new hard drive could fail causing data loss. Although, your computer manufacturer might replace the hard drive free of cost, you might not be able to do anything about getting back your precious data.

2. Failure of Operating System: Your computer could pick up a virus anytime crashing the operating system. Else, even addition of an incompatible hardware could also disturb your operating system. Although, a repair or a clean installation of the operating system could be done to get the computer back and running, your data might still be lost.

3. Accidental Deletion: There are times when we might accidentally delete important data. Sometimes, we might be lucky to find the deleted data in the recycle bin. But, when we use the 'Shift-Delete' key combination, the data would be permanently deleted from the computer.

4. Natural Calamities: Natural factors such as lightning, hurricane, fire, earthquake and floods could damage the computer and in turn cause data loss.

There are also other common factors such as power failure and lose of data storage device that can result in a data loss.

So, it is always advisable to store data in more than one device. Even if the data on a device is deleted, there would be an alternative device containing the information. Also, if the data is extremely important, it is better to save the data on multiple storage devices and keep them in different locations. This can help avoid data loss due to natural calamities.

Having realised the threat of data loss and the importance of data backup, its time for us to learn simple ways to back up data. We can see about it in my next blog. Bye till then.