Data storage and backups are more important than most people know. There is no worse feeling than working on a project and suddenly losing everything in the untimely event of a computer hardware failure. This is especially relevant for businesses and corporations dealing with sensitive files that are necessary for their operations.
Fortunately, there are ways to prevent and solve this problem. Here are all the important things you’d need to know about data disaster recovery.
Have A Plan
The easiest way to prevent a problem from occurring is to have a plan prepared. When it comes to preventing data disaster, there are a few options available. The first one is to have a backup. A backup is a copy of all your files stored in a different location for safety. The different kinds of backups will be explained further down below.
When discussing backups, location is key. You have options regarding where you’d like to store your backups. Online backups are getting more and more popular as these can be accessed anytime and anywhere as long as you have internet connection. However, these backups can be vulnerable to cyber attacks due to the internet connectivity.
Backups can also be stored locally, these can be in a separate server, or in hard drives. While both have advantages and disadvantages over the other, it should be noted that having both is recommended. At least have an online backup for most part and then have a local backup for the more important things.
This is because you can put your local backups such as hard drives into other geographic locations for added safety.
Another option for when you get into trouble is have your hardware sent to a data recovery center like Datasite Colo. These are facilities that specialize in retrieving data from faulty storage devices such as hard drives. Having one of these centers in mind should be part of the plan as you could very well need one in the future.
Know The Different Types Of Backups
Having a backup is a surefire way to be prepared for data storage and recovery problems. A backup is basically a copy of all the chosen files stored in a different place from the computer itself. To be more familiar with data disaster recovery, it would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the different types of backups to have an idea which ones would suit best for you.
A full backup is the most essential as it is a complete copy of everything inside the computer. A person can have multiple full backups, but for most people, a full backup is only done once – usually as the first form of backup.
After having a full backup, people can then opt for a differential backup system. This is when after a full backup is made, all the changes done thereafter will be saved as well. This is more efficient as it will only save the new changes done, instead of having to save everything again. This allows for faster backup and better space management.
A mirror backup is a real-time copy of everything inside a computer. Compared to a differential backup that typically happens periodically, a mirror backup will automatically save any new changes in addition to your full backup. As the name suggests, think of it as a mirror: everything in your computer is automatically copied onto a secondary location.
However, while a mirror backup has its advantages, so does it have disadvantages as well. One major feature of having a backup is when a file is accidentally deleted, you can just retrieve it from your backup. However, when a file is automatically deleted from a computer with a mirror backup system, the file is also deleted in the mirror backup as well.
Protect Everything
When it comes to protecting files, most people think in terms of hierarchy and prioritize their files – what gets protected and what doesn’t. However, it is recommended to cover all your bases and protect everything. Unless you’re a very computer savvy individual, you may not be familiar where all your files go.
Not all software store files in the same place and not covering all your bases might have you overlook these places. It is best to have all your files in mind when it comes to protection.
This goes even more for business owners because their files (or worse, their clients’ files) are way more important as these keep their business going. It’s a very small thing but when a problem comes up, you’d be glad you have it. Like how the saying goes, “better have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.”
When Backups Fail
Despite all the steps and precautions you can take, backups can fail. However, this is when data disaster recovery comes in. Data disaster recovery is a definite lifesaver for these times because these specialists have the skills to retrieve data even from faulty hard drives.
One thing to consider is how fast you can get your files back. It is important to test your data recovery plans every now and then so that you have an idea how the process is. For a business that heavily relies on their files to operate, the amount of time it would take to fully retrieve the necessary files is the same amount of time the business can afford to lose. The faster you can get your files back, the faster operations can resume.
Getting a data recovery plan will benefit you personally or your company the most. There are different kinds of plans for different situations. It is highly recommended to find a plan that is best suited for you.
Conclusion
Data disaster recovery is a powerful tool and service that allows individuals to retrieve their important files. Even with multiple backups, one cannot discount the chances of the worst case scenario where all backups fail and data recovery is the only option.
