As discussed in Part 1, data backup & recovery should be prioritized by every business. If there is no system in place, data recovery will be extremely challenging, if not impossible, when there is a loss of information caused by a manmade or natural disaster. Part 2 will discuss Offsite Servers and Independent Drives.

Offsite Servers and Independent Drives

Suited for data backup & recovery, offsite servers are capable of providing large volumes of data storage at reasonable monthly fees. They are especially affordable considering how much time, cost, and effort an organization would save if an data disaster occurred. Maintaining a secure and safe location for storing data is crucial for every business.

Typically, carrying out the data recovery process does not take much effort when using offsite servers. In addition, an offsite server rarely crashes because they are usually well maintained. In the case of a rare crash, the offsite server would have already backed up its data onto other drives, keeping the customer’s business data safe.

An alternative effective backup method is the utilization of independent drives, also known as external drives, for storage. Nowadays, drives providing storage of several terabytes are affordable when purchased from a discount vendor. These drives are typically plug and play, making the implementation of data backup & recovery relatively easy with the use of software. In addition, multiple storage volumes are available.

Backing up data can be carried out daily, weekly, or monthly as determined by the requirements of the business. The majority of companies backup on a daily or weekly basis. In the case of financial data, a daily backup will certainly be a minimum requirement.

The decision of whether to implement offsite servers or independent drives will be determined by the requirements of the business. An important factor is whether a short-term or long-term solution  is needed.

The costs involved with either option will also be a consideration. Offsite storage is capable of providing more storage, but there will be recurring monthly payments. In contrast, the implementation of independent drives will typically be a one-time purchase.

Part 3 will discuss Cloud Backup & Recovery.

Alpha Engineering Business Support

Choosing an expert computer technology-support provider is an important decision for your business. Alpha has been a trusted partner of many companies in the Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Annapolis areas since 1990. For affordable client-focused network consulting services and solutions, please call Alpha Engineering Associates today at (410) 295-9500.