How to Approach and Implement Backups

How to Approach and Implement Backups
By George Cherere

In the present information age, the success of a business is particularly vested in its ability to manage and store information. This is very true and arises from the fact that the sheer amount of data and information that a business handles is just humongous. The data even without going into the particular details will have to do with both the confidential and the non-confidential information. The biggest challenge for any business is coming up with a strategy to keep up with the ever growing amount of data. The success of a business once again will be in finding the right technology and the best backups for data and information which the business has in its possession.

The introduction of storage systems to a network should be based on the evaluation of need and addressed with the most appropriate solution in terms of technology and the management of the storage system going forward to ensure that data is never compromised. We get to look at the issues which must be taken into consideration and that will ensure that data storage especially within a network is well set up and that it is the best available option. The points to be discussed will apply for all forms of data storage whether they are required at a small scale level, for the very bid enterprises and business or even for the departmental LAN. The final choice is a product of meeting the data storage need for whatever business or organization through the matching or finding the best possible combination of hardware and software. The different available options and technologies are as different as the needs of clients and hence factors like capacity, reliability, performance and cost come into play when making this important choice.

A business owner should look through the following goals before setting out to find the best data storage to meet the needs of the business. The goals are the provision of a storage capacity which is adequate and which will be scaled as the storage needs of the business continue to expand. That the storage option chosen must provide fast access and this should happen without interruptions. The next factor is that of the technology being cost effective both at set up and throughout its lifespan. The last two goals to look at are the system carrying the capacity to prevent data loss and that the system should also be prepared for equipment failures.

The need for storage is based on data and information being preserved for long periods of time and hence the solution should offer permanence. Hence the need here becomes more complex in that storage may be needed in terabytes and it is important also to sift through the data to classify its importance and the measures to be accorded to each class. It is to be remembered that data is a very important resource which can never be recreated when lost or even corrupted and all these measures are aimed at keeping its integrity at all cost.

Beginning with capacity, the storage system chosen has to be in a position to handle the quantity of data in question and that projected as its growth figures in the near future. When looking at capacity, it has to encompass the present data storage need as well as the expected growth rate. Always exceed the present storage capacity and plan for growth keeping in mind the technology chosen and its longevity in operation and its suitability to the system.

The other factor is that of performance which has to do with the deliverance of information to the user at the click of a button. The technology chosen should provide high performance capabilities and it gets more complicated with the size of a business or an organization and the number of users using the stored data.

Cost is to be considered and the rule of thumb is usually to find inexpensive solution but which will effectively meet the objectives in question. Cost does not only count for the hardware and the maintenance but also factor in personnel costs.

Scalability, manageability and the reliability of the storage system are the other three factors which are equally important. The storage system should outpace the growth of data within the business and the system be made with adequate redundancy so that in the unfortunate scenario of equipment malfunction, data is never lost.

Maintenance is an ongoing concern and hence the data storage system has to be managed with very operational concerns.

It should be remembered that not all issue concerning data storage can be resolve through the use of technology but some policies and practices have to be kept straight and particular when it comes to individual handling the data.

There are companies which are committed to provision of Data backup and storage technology. GNS specializes in providing the ultimate solutions in order to prevent devastating losses of data. Pay us a visit for reviews and useful tips for your backup solution.

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