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June
2001
EFFECTIVE
DATA BACK UP
Computers are
getting cheaper everyday, but one cold fact remains. Your data is
increasing in value. When is the last time that you thought about
how valuable your data is to your company? Backing up that data
is one area that is often overlooked in the day-to-day operations
of many businesses until a hard drive crashes or your computers
get a virus. This is when you wish you had a backup of your data,
and more importantly a backup plan to recover the data that was
lost in the crash. This article will explore data backup options
for small businesses, and how to recover your data through an effective
backup plan.
A data backup
is simply the copying of data from your computer to a second medium,
like a tape, zip, or hard drive. There are three primary types of
data backup:
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Full Backup
- This is primarily the simplest form of backup. It involves
transferring all of the data from one computer to another computer
or storage device, also called mirroring, because the data on
one drive or computer is exactly duplicated on the mirror drive
or computer. |
| • |
Differential
Backup - A differential backup is a copy of all the files that
have changed since the last full backup. When doing a differential
backup you must maintain two sets of backups, a full backup,
done every one or two weeks, and a differential that is done
every day. Since the daily differential backup is only a record
of the changes, it takes much less time than a full backup,
and the differential backup can be usually stored on a "regular"
media like a floppy disk or CD. Restoring lost data when you
use a differential backup is slightly more complicated. You
must first restore all the data from the last full backup, and
then the changes from the differential backup. If you choose
this method, we would advise that you seek professional assistance
when attempting to do this. |
| • |
Incremental
Backup - Unlike a differential backup which is a copy of all
the files that have changed since your last full backup, an
incremental backup is a copy of all the files that have changed
since your last incremental backup. An incremental backup means
that you have to keep a series of disk, tapes, or CDs. To restore
the data from a series of incremental backups you must restore
the last full backup of your system, then sequentially restore
each incremental backup. Incremental backups take the least
time to do, but are the hardest to restore. Once again, professional
assistance may be needed to restore your data with this method.
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Now that we
know the different forms of data backup, let's take a look at hardware
and software used to backup your data. The most common form of hardware
to do a full backup is the tape drive. There are two common forms
of tape drives - the DAT and Travan Drives. A Travan drive is usually
cheaper than a DAT drive, and holds around 8GB of compressed data
on a single tape. If you do have fewer than 8GB of data to backup
when doing a full backup, then this may be a good solution for you.
If you have over 8GB of data to backup, then a DAT drive may be
the answer for you. A DAT drive is usually more expensive than a
Travan drive, but the tapes are less expensive and can hold up to
24GB of compressed data per tape. Without the proper software to
restore your data, your hardware is useless. We would recommend
speaking to your network administrator or consultant for software
suggestions that will meet your individual needs. A few popular
backup software programs are Retrospect Workgroup Backup, and Veritas
Backup Exec Desktop Pro.
Having the right
hardware and software installed on your system is a big part of
effectively backing up your system in case of a crash, but a well-developed
backup plan is KEY to successfully recovering your data if the unthinkable
happens. Here are Six Key Backup Steps:
| 1. |
Develop
a backup plan - Identify the files that you need to backup,
both the location and quantity, and determine how much data
you can afford to lose. Use this to choose your hardware and
software needs. One rule of thumb is " Let your habits
and needs develop your backup solution." This leads to
step two. |
| 2.
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Automate
your backups - Backups are only useful if you do them on a regular
basis. Make sure that the software that you choose to backup
your system does so automatically with little effort or administration.
Also, assign someone the responsibility to monitor the backup
function. |
| 3. |
Backup
every machine - Don't just backup files on your server. Many
important files are kept on the server, but your employees may
have critical data on their local computers and laptops that
need backed up. |
| 4.
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Backup
more than just documents and spreadsheets - Don't limit yourself
to only documents and spreadsheets, be sure to backup any programs
that you do not have an original disk for. Also, backup all
your e-mails and database files. In summary, if it is important
to you, Backup! |
| 5. |
Keep
a backup set offsite - You never know what will happen in case
of an earthquake, fire, flood or theft. Always keep a full backup
and any other backups offsite. We would suggest assigning an
employee the responsibility of physically taking the backup
data home with them every night. This will eliminate many headaches
in case of the unthinkable happening. |
| 6.
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Test
your backups BEFORE you need them - There is nothing worse than
finding out that your backup is no good at the time that you
need to restore your data. You are left with nothing. Avoiding
this problem is simple. Once a quarter, try to restore your
full system yourself, or with a professional. Then you will
positively know that your backup data works. |
In closing,
please remember that your data quite possibly be one of the most
valuable assets in your company. Please take a moment to think of
the "what if". Developing an effective backup plan will
pay off in the end.
If you would
like to review last year's completed tax return with future planning
in mind, please feel free to give us a call and set up a time when
we can meet an discuss this matter.
Veres
& Company
Certified Public Accountants
Freedom Square Office Park
4401 Rockside Road, Suite 406
Independence, Ohio 44131
(216) 524-8422
Fax (216) 524-2624
e-mail: staff@veres.com
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