3 Places You Can Store Your Server Backup

It is estimated that 50% of all businesses that lose all of their data will experience such a financial toll that they will close within one year. Now that almost everything related to your business is computerized, the risks associated with not performing Server Backup are as great as they will ever be. But a Server Backup is a tricky system – many of the less technology savvy businesses tend to store their backup files on their server.

This can be a problem. If your server crashes, there may be no way to restore all of your data. Instead, you need a place to keep your Server Backup that is safer and more reliable than storing your data on your server’s hard drive. There are three different methods people use to save their Server Backup.

1. Separate Computer

Some people save their Server Backup on the hard drive of a separate computer, not hooked up to the network. This is not a bad place to keep the backup file, as it is unlikely to be affected by viruses or the hard drive crash of your server. There are still risks, however. If fire, flood, or theft is what caused you to lose your data, the alternate computer is still at risk. In addition, you will need to manage the separate computer in order to perform the backup, which can be time consuming.

2. Portable Storage

Another option is portable storage, such as a USB drive or external hard drive. These are also good places to save a Server Backup and can potentially be safer for maintaining your backup than a computer that stays in-house. It does suffer from the same downside as a separate computer – you will need to be around to complete the backup before you can move it to the portable storage device. In addition, should you not be around when your server crashes, there is no way to retrieve the data until it can be brought back.

3. Remote Backup

A third option is a remote Server Backup. This is when the backup occurs automatically and the file is saved online through a third party system. A remote Server Backup is your safest option, as it allows you to ensure that your files cannot be corrupted or destroyed before a restore can take place. However, these options do cost a monthly fee with an outside company that may be a slight expense for smaller businesses.

These three options are all good places to save your Server Backup. Which you choose will depend largely on the size of your business, the amount of data, and the IT staff that you have on hand.

Benefits of Online Backup

The goal of backing up your files is to save your data if anything should happen to your hard drive. If your hard drive crashes for any reason, simply open the backup file (using the Backup Program used) and all of your data will be restored as new. A successful backup will make it as though your hard drive crashing never occurred, taking much of the stress out of what can be a stressful incident.

However, backups can be imperfect. When you have performed a backup, our backup is saved as a file. Once you have that file, you have a few options:

• Save the file to your hard drive.
• Save your file to an external hard drive.
• Save your file to a memory card.

Each of these options creates a problem, however. If your hard drive completely crashed, you will not have access to the file in order to restore it. And if anything happens to your memory card or external hard drive (which, if your hard drive crashing was due to environmental problems such as a flood, is very possible), the same problems occur.

One of the solutions to this problem is to Backup Online. When you Backup Online, your backup file is saved on the Internet, where it can be accessed from any computer at any time. This file cannot be damaged by the environment, nor can it be harmed by a potential virus or other problematic computer issues.

To Backup Online, all you need to do is sign up for one of the many services available. A variety of companies, especially anti-virus companies, allow you to Backup Online for a nominal fee. You can also schedule a weekly or even daily backup to occur in order to ensure that all of your files can be restored.

When it comes to the safety of your files and documents, no amount of precautions is too great. While the availability of options for backing up your computer are plentiful, many of these options still present risks that can occur when the backup file is on a single location.

However, when you Backup Online, you have the opportunity to make absolutely sure that your file is and will be available in the case of emergency. Only when you Backup Online do you have that kind of confidence, and it is a confidence that, when it comes to your data, you should not be without.