Backup Methods
BACKUP METHODS
One of the important aspects of data security involves protecting data from loss or destruction. In this short paper, I will cover the backup methods we can use to protect our data and reduces the chances of data loss. Popular hardware devices used for making hard drive backups on standalone personal computer or small servers include tape, Zip, and Jaz drives. In business environment, however, if a PC is connected to a file server, the most practical backup approach is to back up data from PC’s hard drive to the file server, and this file server most likely uses its own automated backup utility to back up to either tape or a larger mainframe computer. Tape backups are more popular than others (zip, jaz backups…) because tapes offer an useful combination of respectable speed, high capacity to contain an entire backup, and cost-effectiveness. Although a tape drive cannot act as a separate drive as some other backup media can, tape backup is widely supported by tape-backup software (including the backup programs installed in Windows 2000, Windows NT). When making backups on any medium, it is key to back up regularly and often. It is also practical to back up only the data and not the software. The backup method I’d recommend is “The child, parent, grandparent method.” This method is designed to reuse tapes and to make backup process more efficient. It also requires to use the combination of these types of backups: full backup with incremental backup; or full backup with differential backup. A full backup backs up all data from the hard drive. An incremental backup backs up only files that have changed or that have been created since the last backup (whether the last backup is itself an incremental or a full backup). A differential backup backs up files that have changed or been created since the last full backup. A child backup is made daily from Monday to Thursday and stored on-site. We have to keep these
One of the important aspects of data security involves protecting data from loss or destruction. In this short paper, I will cover the backup methods we can use to protect our data and reduces the chances of data loss. Popular hardware devices used for making hard drive backups on standalone personal computer or small servers include tape, Zip, and Jaz drives. In business environment, however, if a PC is connected to a file server, the most practical backup approach is to back up data from PC’s hard drive to the file server, and this file server most likely uses its own automated backup utility to back up to either tape or a larger mainframe computer. Tape backups are more popular than others (zip, jaz backups…) because tapes offer an useful combination of respectable speed, high capacity to contain an entire backup, and cost-effectiveness. Although a tape drive cannot act as a separate drive as some other backup media can, tape backup is widely supported by tape-backup software (including the backup programs installed in Windows 2000, Windows NT). When making backups on any medium, it is key to back up regularly and often. It is also practical to back up only the data and not the software. The backup method I’d recommend is “The child, parent, grandparent method.” This method is designed to reuse tapes and to make backup process more efficient. It also requires to use the combination of these types of backups: full backup with incremental backup; or full backup with differential backup. A full backup backs up all data from the hard drive. An incremental backup backs up only files that have changed or that have been created since the last backup (whether the last backup is itself an incremental or a full backup). A differential backup backs up files that have changed or been created since the last full backup. A child backup is made daily from Monday to Thursday and stored on-site. We have to keep these