If you store large amounts of data, you might want to consider using a Redundant Array of Independent Disks, or RAID. RAID is an enterprise level data backup solution that involves spreading information over multiple disks, which gives it the ability to recreate the information on the disks if one of them fails. This ability gives the option to have little to no downtime when it comes to the availability of your data, and doesn’t use up any additional system resources, and actually may improve performance. This type of configuration will require something called a RAID Controller, which generally runs about $100-600, depending on how many disks you would like to use together. Generally, this type of backup setup is only used in servers, so unless you have a small server, you may want to consider the next options.
If you have many files that are often changed, like client information spreadsheets or databases, you might want to consider an incremental backup solution. Incremental backups work in a way that every time you change a file, that file is updated in the backup without having to run a full backup again. It only saves the changes on top, which saves system resources and has a minimal decrease in performance associated with it. If you might need to eventually look at historical copies of a document, a differential backup is a good idea. It works in the same way as an incremental backup, but instead of overwriting the file that was changed, it just makes a new copy in the backup. This would allow you to go through and find any files that were changed previous to the changes made.
The next type of backup you might want to consider is an easily deployable and very cost effective, but very basic in its features. If you don’t make a lot of changes to files, and don't mind potentially getting set back a little bit in the case of a failure, you could use scheduled full backups. This method takes a full image of your data and stores it in another place for redundancy. This is by far the most basic, but is quite effective for what it does, and can easily be paired both with the first and the final backup solutions, as well as paired effectively with a server for increased security and management.
The final backup option that we would suggest is called a virtual backup. Virtual backups work using a server to manage backups, and can additionally benefit from RAID setups and can add an extra layer of data protection if you really need it. This type of configuration uses a server to process information sent to it and catalog it in a organized fashion so that it is not only synced with the computer that it came from real time, but is also easily accessible to other users. This method benefits from a phenomenon called double backups, meaning that if the server were to break, all of the data is stored in the individual workstations, and if the workstation crashes, the data is stored on the server. Pair this configuration with RAID and you can have data nearly impossible to lose.
Proper data security can save you financially, as well as save you a lot of time and stress. Now that you know what kind of business level data security you would like to use in your business, call SofTech Computers at 928-443-8770 or visit our website at http://www.softechcomputers.com for more information about data security, or to schedule a consultation.
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