BizCard Search

 Everybody knows that performing regular backups is highly important to avoid data loss due to any factor; from hardware failure to a burned down office. The reality is, however, that only a small percentage of computer users actually perform backups - most of these users are ones that have experienced the tragic loss of their business data, personal pictures or a music/video collection.

Performing regular backups is something that should not be taken lightly, but not too heavily either. Generally, the operating system itself and the applications that run on it do not need to be backed up. It is the data that needs the attention. When a computer system crashed beyond repair, a new computer can be purchased. The operating system -such as Microsoft Windows- can be replaced and the applications -such as Microsoft Office- can be re-installed from the installation CD's. This will bring back an exact copy of the broken computer, except for the most important part: the data.

The data is what makes a system 'yours'. Everybody has Windows XP with Word, Excel and Outlook. What sets that computer apart from your computer are your emails (in Outlook), your finances (in Excel) or your communications (in Word).

Therefore, when setting up a backup schedule, start simple. If documents are the only things that need to be backed up, a writable CD might be sufficient. When pictures come into play, a DVD offers more storage space then a CD. Backups to tape offer huge amounts of storage, but are slow and can be costly. External storage in the form of a USB harddisk or thumbdrive could also prove to be a solid solution.

Whatever you decide as a good backup solution, keep the following things in mind:

• Make sure that all your information is backed up and perform regular audits of new data that might be stored in unconventional places, by newly installed software.

• Perform regular restores to make sure that the data you need is actually available and usable.

• Keep your backed up data in a separate physical location in case something happens that destroys your office, like a fire. Having a copy of your data at home or at an off-site facility will increase the chances that you can continue to operate after a disaster like this.

• Rotate media. This is very important! Make sure you have (at least) 2 sets of media (CD/DVD/hard disk/tape) that are used in turns. This way you can roll back more then one period if your last backup failed or contained corrupt information.

The best way of performing backups is by having it done automatically by using a backup system (program). There are many different backup systems for many different purposes. Some will only back up local files, some will back up a complete network of different operating systems, some are specialized in backing up databases such as MySQL. A backup program can be free/open source or it can be proprietary, it can even be a simple copy script that is launched on a regular bases.

You should choose the system that works for your specific situation, the amount of data to be stored and the type of data to be stored. Whatever you choose, make sure that you follow the guidelines above. When doing so, your chances of surviving a severe issue will increase drastically.