Local Backup versus Remote Backup
Thursday, 11 June 2009 20:19 | 
Author: Kristopher | 
Backing up your data should be an essential part of your daily routine, whether you are a business or home user. Nonetheless, I have found that backing up does not occur to an individual until they have had a data disaster. "Disaster" is a subjective term. For most, this refers to a hard disk crash or a serious spyware or virus infection. For others, it could simply be saving over a version of a file with no way of reverting back to before the save. For most situations, if you experience a data disaster, it is already too late to do anything about it. The data is gone and even spending hundreds and thousands of dollars does not ensure that the data will be rescued or restored. All of this stress and money could easily be saved by implementing a data backup plan and sticking to it. With automation, sticking to it is easier than ever. Once someone decides to start backing up their data, the first question most likely will be whether the data should be stored locally or remotely. There are major pros and cons to both of these.
Local Data Backup
Local data backup involves copying your files either to DVDs or hard drives within the walls of your office building or home. Both DVDs and hard drives provide fast, cost effective storage and are very easy to operate and automate. In the case of any data being lost, it is simply a matter of restoring the data from a previous backup point and then continue working. The data, however, is only as safe as the building it is in. What happens in the case of a fire, burglary, flooding, or storm damage? That is right - you just lost all of your data backups in the blink of an eye.
Remote Data Backup
Remote data backup is the same as local data backup except it transfers your files offsite to a data center that is usually a good distance from your office or home. That way, if something happens to your office or home, your data is somewhere else safe. Knowing that your data is being stored in a secure facility that is deliberately protected against harm allows you much greater peace of mind. The weak point here, however, is the data transfer speed. Unless you are operating a high speed LAN in your company or home, then remote backup can hog up bandwith and take a very long time as you are tied to the maximum upstream speed of your network, which can be surprisingly slow depending on your IT infrastructure. Add in the issue of firewalls blocking uploads on certain ports and it can quickly become a real IT headache. We try to combat this by scheduling backups at night when the office is closed or you are in bed, so that your data transfer can take the time that it needs while you sleep.
How Do You Achieve a Win-Win Scenario?
Blended backup! US VORTECHS always implements both options in a backup plan for you. Our strategy is to have local backups as your primary backup strategy while relying on remote backups for mission critical files. Not only does this save money, but it is quicker to transfer and restore data in this manner. Additionally, in the worst disasters, you still will have the data you need to actually function. That is not to say that bulk data such as archived email is not important, but in a disaster, your mission critical files are going to save the day.
