The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

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Title: The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups
Author: Keith Edmunds
Email: keith@midnighthax.com
Word count: 608
Word wrap: 55 characters
Copyright: Keith Edmunds. All rights reserved.

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The Seven Golden Rules Of Data Backups

Backups of company data are carried out for two main
reasons. The first is to cater for those times when a
document is inadvertently deleted or damaged and you
wish to recover the original document; the second is
as part of a disaster recovery plan in case something
catastrophic happens to your computers (e.g., victims
of a fire or theft).

Backups cost time, money and effort to implement, and
they are of no value right up until the time you need
them. This means they tend to be given a low priority,
but ultimately they may easily represent the
difference between your business surviving and
failing. In this TipSheet, we look at the most common
mistakes businesses make with backups.

1. Backup often

Re-entering data is tedious and frustrating. Backing
up your company data once a week means that the most
you should ever have to re-input is one week's worth
Backing up your company data once a day means the most
you should ever have to re-input is one day's worth.
Frequent backups lessen the impact of data loss.

2. Don't keep any volatile data on desktop PCs

In many organisations, documents are kept on the hard
drive of desktop PCs. It is unlikely that this is
backed up regularly, if at all. A PC can easily be
replaced: last week's quotations may not be so easy to
replace. In particular, check that email is not stored
on the local hard drive (this is very common in small
to medium size businesses). All documents,
spreadsheets, email, etc should be kept on a central
server, which is in turn backed up regularly.

3. Automate the backup process

Backups are tedious to do. At 6:30pm, most people
would prefer to set off home or join colleagues in the
bar rather than stay in the office to find the correct
tape and start a backup. Automating tedious tasks
means they get done.

4. Monitor the backup process

While automating backups is a good idea, do check that
they are running correctly. Make sure new files are
being backed up; make sure the files of new users are
being backed up. A quick check once a week could avert
a much more serious problem later.

5. Keep backups offsite

If your business premises suffer a fire or flood, it
is likely that backup media will be lost as well.
Fireproof safes only protect media for a given time,
typically one hour - if you use one, check the
manufacturer's specification. If you always keep your
backup tape in the server then when it is stolen the
thief will probably throw the tape away. It's worth
nothing to him, but it could represent bankruptcy to
you.

6. Produce a "backup recovery" manual

A major disaster is not the time to try to remember
how to recover data from your backup media. Have an
idiot-proof, step-by-step procedure written - with a
copy stored off-site - detailing how to reinstate your
company data.

7. Test the recovery procedure periodically

Without warning, give the backup recovery manual to a
member of staff and see how long it takes them to
recover data. Many organisations never do this! No one
involved with creating the manual or the backups
themselves should be involved in the test. The results
of the test should be analysed and the manual updated
accordingly. A recovery test should be carried out at
least twice a year. This proves both that the backups
themselves are usable, and that your organisation
understands how to use them if necessary.

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For more information visit
http://www.tiger-computing.co.uk or email
info@tiger-computing.co.uk

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