It’s no secret that backing up data on your computer is vital… or at least it should be. Failing to do so could be potentially devastating; whether it is personal photographs, business documents, or financial records, losing such data could be disastrous. In fact, businesses that have suffered loss of data have a very hard time recovering and most are ruined as a result.
Here are some solutions and things to think about for your data recovery solutions…
Disk-to-Disk
With the decreased cost of hard drive space, disk-to-disk backup solutions have become more viable in today’s backup solution space. Disk-to-disk is the most reliable, fastest, and most secure form of data backup. Disk-to-disk solutions are typically automated and are able to restore data faster than any other solution in the market.
The downside to using a backup method such as CD-ROM or an external hard drive is that it defeats the purpose if it is not kept in a completely remote, different area. Fire, theft, flood, and natural disasters are still possible threats, which, if the backup material is damaged can be very frightening news and make data recovery difficult for any computer owner.
Online Backup
An online data recovery and backup solution provides a location in cyberspace where you can securely backup your critical data. Online backup services offer a number of benefits over alternative backup methods: they are easy to use, affordable, and the most practical solution in backup. Simply download and install a web-based service (there are a myriad to choose from) and all the documents, music, and photos of your choosing will be safely backed up at a secure and remote location.
The benefit of an online backup solution is that it is generally cost-effective, easy to use, and automated. Another advantage is the online backup is all done in the background of your computer during sleep or standby mode, without interfering with regular use.
One downside of an online backup solution is that data recovery can only occur at the speed of your Internet connection. Another downside is that your Internet connection becomes another point of failure in your backup solution; if you lose your Internet connection, you cannot perform any immediate backup or recovery functions. To put this in perspective, 1GB of data (about 250 average MP3 songs) would take almost two hours to recover over a standard T1 line provided no other resources were using that Internet connection for any other purpose such as email, web research, online applications, etc.