Computer Basics

Here's is where we put everything we've learned to good use and design a backup scheme that fits your needs.  In other words...how do we do a good backup and how do we make sure the data we think we put in the backup is actually there?  To find out continue here...

So what are the steps to a good data backup?

1. Identify all the data to be backed up! I know, as simple as that sounds it’s the one thing most folks don’t do. The trap is that it’s easy to think some data isn’t worth backing up. For instance, you’ve spent an especially large amount of time to install software and configure your computer just the way you want it. It works great, doesn’t it? Everything is handy. It just fits you perfectly. But a lot of backup systems don’t take your operating system into account and you can’t restore that portion. You end up having to reinstall your operating system and all of your applications all over again! And spend hours reconfiguring your system. There’s any easy solution to that…use a backup utility that allows you to completely restore your computer…operating system, applications and data.

If you own a network do your computer users save documents on their local drive or on the server? If the data and documents are stored on their local computer’s hard drive are you backing that up? It’s very easy to overlook important files like those for HR or that incredible new marketing scheme the VP of Sales has been working on and when that hard drive fails on that users computer what are you going to do? If you’ve prepared in advance it’s no sweat, huh? Just restore that document from the last backup! But if you haven’t prepared? Guess your team gets to create those documents all over again, don’t they? It’s much easier to prepare in advance and set policies that save all user’s documents to the server to be backed up properly.

2. Decide on the method of backing up your data. If you’ve decided the best thing for you is to do your backup locally what kind of media will you use? Once you’ve answered that question what process will you use to make the backups? Obviously you’ll need some kind of backup software utility. But what’s best for your needs? Personally I use a backup utility that creates a full system restore. My complete business is online and I want the flexibility that when something happens…remember calamity can and does strike unexpectedly…I can be back up and running in a very short amount of time. Your needs may be different.

3. Decide when to do the backups. While that sounds simple I can still remember the days…not so long ago…when automated backups didn’t exist. And believe it or not there are businesses that still shut down operations in the middle of the day to do backups! Hopefully you’ve picked a backup utility program that allows you the flexibility of scheduling when to do backups on a regular schedule.

4. Verify that the backup completed successfully! Take nothing for granted. Good backup utilities have methods to alert you to the fact that a backup was successful or not. That may be something as simple as a message on your monitor, an email, fax or a message sent to your pager.

5. Do a test restore! Yes, do a test restore at some point. How else are you going to verify that the data you’ve backed up is any good? Again, take nothing for granted. Whether you do a test restore daily, weekly or monthly make it a part of your schedule. Don’t restore the whole thing, just a file or 2 in order to assure yourself things are working as they should.

6. Send your backup media off site. Don’t just stick your backup media in your desk drawer! Taking it home is better than nothing. Well, that is unless you work at home…take it somewhere else! Even better is putting it in a bank vault. How often? Again, that’s your personal decision but mine goes off site each day. You may decide weekly or monthly is right for you. It’s your choice and that decision has to be based on your personal or business requirements.

Data backups are a requirement if you place any value on the data you’ve spent hours collecting and compiling. If the data you own is important to your business it’s even more important that you take the time to do backups.

While we’ve covered a lot of territory in this article it doesn’t come close to covering all the possible data backup strategies or business requirements that you may have. This is especially true if you are a business owner or manager who is reliant on the data contained on your computer or network. This document was written primarily to serve as an outline to what is needed for a good backup.