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| What to Look for When Choosing Backup Software Andrew Whitehead is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular Amazon S3 based online backup service -- Back2zip. This article available at http://free-backup.info/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-backup-software.html Choosing Suitable Backup Software Does Matter.Choosing suitable backup software is as important as choosing the right house or the right car - you will have to live with it daily. Choose a good backup software package and you will get regular and reliable backups, with the wrong one you will get unreliable backups or none at all.Why Buy Commercial Backup Software?The simplest answer is that you only get what you pay for. Freeware is available, most operating systems have some sort of backup software, and most backup hardware bundles some basic backup software package. This is frequently a stripped-down version of a commercial package tempting you to upgrade to the full version. They work, but are much less full-featured than the commercial package. You can always try free software to see if it meets your needs.Backup Software Features to Look for.Media Spanning: Seen by many as the definition of 'real' backup software, media spanning is the ability to backup large files onto multiple pieces of media. Backup Verification: Any decent backup package must have a verification mode. To ensure that the backup is correct and viable, the software compares every file that it backs up to the original file on your hard disk. Scheduling and Automatic Operation: A helpful feature found on most commercial software. The backup will run automatically at a preset time, so you don't have to be around to do it. Wide Device Support: How many hardware devices does it work with? As a rule, software support for new devices is less common than for established ones. Check if they provide updates as new drives hit the market; some do not. Operating System Support: Does the package support all the features and requirements of your operating system? Backup Type Selection: Even basic software should provide full, selective and incremental backup options, good ones allow the use of search strings or patterns to select files and directories. Disaster Recovery: An important feature mostly limited to more expensive products, with names like one-step recovery, single-step restore, or similar. With this, a disk is created with a special recovery program that lets you restore your system without reinstalling the entire operating system. This can save a lot of time and trouble. Compression: Software compression is very useful, saving space on your backup media. Media Append and Overwrite: You should have options to always append to the existing files on the backup media, always overwrite, or prompt the user. Tape Tools: If you backup to a tape unit, will the backup software allow you to format, rewind, retension, or view the catalog on your tape? The tape drive manufacturer often supplies software that does this, but it is more convenient if the backup software supports it. Security: Can you password-protect your backup set? Backup Configuration Profiles: You will probably want to do different types of backups for different situations, better software packages allow you to avoid changing the settings every time by saving different profiles.Zen and the Art of Computer Backup Walter Stevens is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular tool for personal online backup -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/zen-and-the-art-of-computer-backup.html Computer BackupComputer backup involves the process of storing data in a location apart from your hard drive, on any possible medium in order to ensure that you always have a copy of that file. We all know that damage can come to a computer resulting in a loss of data, and having proper backups can greatly ease the pressure off of us in the event that such a thing does occur. If you have a loss of data on your machine for any reason, you can easily restore these files through the use of your previously made backups.Zen and the Art of Computer BackupZen is an ancient Asian philosophical system which arose in China and then traveled to Japan. It is a combination of the teachings of Siddhartha Gotama, the Buddha (enlightened one) from India and the Taoist philosophies which had grown up in China from the teachings of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching. One might wonder how Zen could play any part in the modern technological world of computers, especially such a seemingly mundane task as computer backup. However, zen can play a great part in computer backup. Zen is the art of becoming one with that which you are doing. It is a form of meditation that puts you in a state where you are sure of exactly what is going on around you. It is a way of life, and can become a part of all aspects of your life, especially something as essential as computer backup.Practicing Zen and the Art of Computer BackupWhen you are backing up your computer, do not just consider it a mundane task that must be performed. Allow yourself to become one with your data, and with your computer. There are many different methods of computer backup, and you can practice zen with any different method of computer backup. Traditionally, floppy disks were used in the performance of computer backup. However, floppy disks are becoming increasingly obsolete. After all, a floppy disk can only hold 1.4 megabytes, while a CD-R can hold 800 megabytes. It is easy to see why such a method would be seen as ineffective. Zen is all about effectiveness, and living properly. While computer backup is a very important thing, and a practice that should be performed often, it merits us nothing to take much more time and disks to backup on floppy disks than to backup on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other medium which holds a great deal more data. Another form of backup that is becoming very popular is the use of what are called key drives. Key drives are tiny drives which can fit on your key chain but can still hold up to a gigabyte or more of data. You then plug these drives into your computer, and on most newer machines your key drive will automatically be read by your computer, without the need for any device drivers, the perfect conception of plug and play technology. Oooommmmmm....Why Do I Need to Backup My Files? Walter Stevens is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular tool for online backup and recovery -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/why-do-i-need-to-backup-my-files.html What is Backup, Anyway?Backup should be an essential part of your computing experience if you spend great amounts of time on your computer and/or use your computer for important personal or business dealings. There are too many stories of people who have lost all of their files due to system crashes or computer viruses to ignore. When you backup your files, you are storing your files separately from your computer. In this way, if your computer crashes or is infected with a virus that results in a loss of files, you will still have access to your files on backup disks or whatever other backup program you choose to use, such as online backup. You can then restore your files to your computer proper from these backup sources.Why Do I Need to Backup My Files?Don't fall into the old paradigm of "it will never happen to me." While there is certainly a chance that you will never have a need for the backups you make of your files, if something does happen to your computer you will certainly be glad that you have them. And you do not have to backup your entire computer, although this is certainly something that many people do, but only the files that are of the most importance to you. Some things are easily replaced, and there is no need to backup these sorts of things, but those irreplaceable documents or files that are yours and yours alone should be saved in a place where they cannot be damaged. That way, no matter what happens to your computer, you can have security in the fact that all of your files are available in backup.So How do I Backup My Files?There are many possible methods for backing up your files. Floppy diskettes are a very common way, although this is somewhat falling by the wayside as computers are using floppy drives less and less. It is not uncommon to not see a single computer with a floppy disk drive on display when you go to the computer store to buy a new computer. CD-Rs are an excellent method for backing up your files. CD-Rs and CD-RWs allow hundreds of times more storage space than a floppy disk could ever hope to have, and with increasingly faster CD burners they are becoming faster and easier to use all the time. It is possible to save 800 MB of data onto a CD in only minutes, and for many people they can backup every file of import on their computer onto a single CD. This is far easier than have stacks of floppy disks lying around your computer desk which you must dig through any time you are trying to find a particular file that you have saved in backup. Online backup is another excellent method for the backing up of your files. This allows you to store your files online, where there are no need for disks or CDs, and you can simply download your files back onto your computer whenever you want. Whatever method you choose, remember that backing up your files is very important, and make sure that you do so to protect against the worst.Undelete and Data Recovery Walter Stevens is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular tool for windows online backup -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/undelete-and-data-recovery.html What is Undelete?Undelete is the most basic form of data recovery. It is exactly what its name implies: the restoring or undeleting of files that you have previously deleted. One of the most basic undelete programs is recycle bin, which is included with Windows operating systems. Normally when you delete a file, it is not actually removed immediately from your computer, but is placed into the recycle bin. You can then delete the files from there so that they will be removed from your computer, or the program will automatically empty itself at certain intervals. This allows you a chance to restore files that you might realize that you actually need or deleted accidentally.What is Data Recovery?Undelete is a part of data recovery. Data recovery is the process wherein you recover data that is seemingly lost from your computer. This can be caused by a variety of different catalysts: system crash, physical damage to the disk, computer viruses, etc. Undelete is a basic form of data recovery, but there are far more advanced methods for recovering lost data.What Programs Are Available for Undelete Data Recovery?There are many different undelete programs out there, beyond the recycle bin. They come in two fundamental kinds: some, like the recycle bin, must be installed prior to the deletion of a file, and will allow you to recover deleted files from the program. Executive Software makes a very powerful undelete utility that works along these lines, and replaces your recycle bin with a recovery bin. Unlike recycle bin, which only accepts some files that you delete, the recovery bin will hold every file which you delete from your computer, allowing you to undelete them easily and quickly. It also has a secure delete function which will allow you to delete a file and know that it is no longer on your computer. Other undelete programs may be utilized after data has already been deleted. Oftentimes when we delete files, these files are still in existence somewhere on our computer, we are just not able to access them. More advanced undelete programs will allow you to search your computer and find these files to restore them on your computer, if they are still there and accessible.How do I Find an Undelete Program For my Personal Data Recovery?As mentioned before, there are many different undelete programs out there. One of the best ways to find undelete programs for your personal use is through www.download.com. Many undelete programs are actually freeware utilities, which cost you nothing to use. You will be able to find these on www.download.com. They will have reviews on different programs, and you will be able to determine which you think is the best for you. If you would like to work with a more advanced, non freeware program, you can also find trial and shareware versions of many programs on download.com. This will allow you to try a program prior to making the monetary investment to purchase one for yourself. This is an excellent way to make sure that you buy the best program for your undelete needs.The Principles of File Recovery Andrew Whitehead is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular tool for windows online backup -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/the-principles-of-file-recovery.html Why File Recovery is PossibleFile recovery is nearly always possible, if you spot the mistake and do something about it fast enough. Luckily, if you do mistakenly delete a file, the file has not been physically removed, the operating system just doesn't know where it is anymore. This is easier to understand once you realize that there is more to storing a file on your hard drive than just finding space for the information and writing it there. The operating system must also keep track of where it put the file, without this it would be unable to find it again. When a file gets deleted, this record is altered and the disk area containing the information is marked as free space. The information itself remains intact until some other information is written over it. The effect is similar to rubbing out the name of a video tape - you know you can use that tape now, but the original film is still on there until you do it, and should you change your mind you can do your own 'file recovery' by writing the name on the box again. Commercial file recovery programs do exactly the same trick with computer files.File Recovery ProgramsThere is no shortage of file recovery software to help you out if you delete the wrong file. There are numerous commercial file recovery programs, DOS has its own 'Undelete' command, and Windows has the familiar Recycle Bin. Except for Recycle Bin, they all work on the same principle of searching the hard drive for files that have recently been marked for overwriting. More advanced ones will also tell you how much of the file is recoverable by checking how much has been written over. The seemingly simple Recycle Bin has one advantage over any third party file recovery program: it doesn't allow any overwriting of deleted files stored in there. This means that files from here are recovered in their entirety, and will function exactly as before once they are restored.Obstacles to File RecoveryThe biggest obstacle by far is time. The longer you wait, the higher the chance of a deleted file being written over, unless it is safely in the Recycle Bin. Once this has happened file recovery is still possible but it will take a lot more than a bit of commercial software to do it. Operating systems are continuously creating files, every web page you visit does the same, and so does every application you open. With this in mind, the time to start your file recovery process is the instant that you realize you needed that file. If you are extremely security conscious enough to be running encryption software this will also reduce your chances of file recovery, as the majority of file recovery programs need to read the file to know it is there. If the encryption utility doesn't offer its own built-in undelete function then file recovery is going to be very difficult and very expensive.Top Ten Disaster Recovery Tips Andrew Whitehead is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular tool for online backup and recovery -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/top-ten-disaster-recovery-tips.html Disaster Recovery is 'make or Break'Research shows that most firms hit by a catastrophic event, without no disaster recovery plan, go out of business within two years. Even a basic disaster recovery plan will increase the chances of recovery.Disaster Recovery Tips1. Store your system passwords in at least two separate secure locations. only one of which is in the same building as your IT equipment. At least two staff have should have access to them. 2. Document, document, document! Make sure that the whole recovery process to get you up and running again is documented, and includes the locations of system recovery and other critical discs. Make sure that key key staff are familiar with with these. 3. Establish an automated system to notify critical staff of disaster by text. These staff should be thoroughly trained so that they can perform basic disaster recovery/back-up tasks unsupervised. You may be able to do this through an arrangement with a third-party service provider. 4. Practice your disaster recovery plan on a quarterly basis or more. This not only hones your disaster recovery team's skills but it will also familiarize new staff with the procedure, and ensures that your disaster recovery strategy is kept up to date by revealing any issues with new equipment or software. 5. No matter how good your disaster recovery plan, it cannot recover data if you neglect to back it up. Make sure there is a routine for backing up data regularly, and ensure it is done. Using at least Raid Level 5 (Raid Level 10 if the budget allows) to ensure data duplication ensures fault tolerance. Build as much redundancy in your system as possible to remove any single points of failure. This includes a multi-path data route to the system, so that you can still access your data if one path fails. 6. Arrange to have spare hot hard disk drives already in the system, or at least physically available in the same room as your storage system. 7.A tape archive strategy is crucial. Tapes used on a daily basis should be replaced every six to nine months to avoid deterioration - backups are no use if they cannot be recovered. Other tapes should be replaced on a regular, less frequent, schedule based on the frequency of use. Being able to back up to a remote location is worth almost any price, a fireproof vault is not an alternative to an off-site location. 8. Get yourself the best, longest-life, most uninterruptible power supply you can. Then get an additional battery back-up for your cache to go with it. 9. Don't neglect to protect yourself from random theft, vandalism and employee malice, they can be just as disastrous as anything else. At the very least ensure that the door to your data/server room is locked, day and night. 10. An automatically closing fire door to the data/server room will keep fire and smoke out of the room for a surprisingly long timeCommon Faults in Disaster Recovery PlansMost disaster recovery plans that fail do so from lack of backups, lack of practice, or lack of documents. A basic but documented plan with recent backups and practiced staff will work better than a grandiose scheme let down on any of these points.What Exactly are Online Backup Services? James Fohl is a contributor at Free-backup.info -- the home of the popular Amazon S3 based tool for online remote backup -- Back2zip. This article can be found at http://free-backup.info/what-exactly-are-online-backup-services.html An Overview of Online Backup ServicesOnline backup services are perfect for users who are answer yes to the following questions. Do you have several small files that you need to always have access to? Perhaps you have important documents from your work, or school assignments that you need to have accessible on every computer?Online backup services are better than traditional backup media such as CDs, because you always have access to them.Several options exist, as you can put the files on a CD, floppy disk, or one of those little flash drive key chains. But what happens when you forget your CD, floppy disk, or key chain at home? Enter the world of online backup. Thanks to the internet, there are now several online services that offer free or low cost backup services. With these such services you can easily upload your files to a server, and later access the same files from literally any computer that has internet access.Online backup service providers offer users the ability to gain access to their files from literally any computer, anywhere.Most online backup providers have really simple yet powerful services. Not only are the services simple, and powerful, but they are also easily accessible in any web browser window. What this means is that you can do all of your sending and receiving of your files through a web browser. You do not need any special software, or drivers installed. What's more is that several online backup services have some really nifty features for their users. Features such as the ability to email anyone a copy of your files can really come in handy in a work environment. Other really nice features include the ability to password protect your files, and the ability to share your files with anyone. Online backup is not for everyone. It is made primarily for small files, unless you are going to be connected to the internet with a really fast connection. Also many online backup service providers also give their users a limit on the amount of space they may use. So even if you have a really fast internet connection, you still won't be able to use the services to create an online backup of your three gigabyte file. Remember to consider all of this information when you use a online backup service. Each service provider has their own policies, along with their own amount of space given to users, as well as their own pricing plans. Be sure to shop around to find the best bang for your buck service. Also make sure that each service you look into offers a service which fully fits your needs. It's not a wise move to use an online backup service to store digital video, when the service provider only gives you fifty megabytes of storage space.Free trials often exist for many online backup services.Be sure to try them out to see if they meet your needs. Finally see if the online backup services that you are interested in offer a free trial. Some services will offer a seven day trial, while others (such as .mac) will offer you a sixty day trial. Be sure to use the trial to see if ordering a subscription to the service would be worthwhile. |
