The cheapest way to backup your data is to use external devices like CD/DVD or USB drives.
Let us consider the features of the external media currently available:

1. CD-ROM Disks: One of the cheapest backup media available, the CD can store about 700 MB of data. One can easily store data on a CD with the help of CD-writers which are common in most computers available today.
2. DVD-ROM Disks: These are a bit costlier than CDs but considering that one DVD disk can store 4.2 GB of data; the cost per GB is less as compared to CD.
3. USB Drive: Falling memory prices have made these backup media very cost effective. The additional advantage of these drives is that they can be reused many times unlike the CD/DVD. The only drawback is that usually a USB drive is required on the computer which may not be present in all computers.

Data backup to any of the above mentioned devices can be done in one of the two ways:

• You can directly copy data from your ‘My Documents’ folder or any other location to the backup media. This manner of making a backup is the simplest method to backup your data. However, when you take frequent backups, this method creates a problem. It becomes very frustrating to identify which copy of the many copies available with you is the correct file that you want. After all, all of the back ups would have the same name and apart from the backup date there is no way to identify the file that you want.
• This problem can be solved by using data backup software. It allows you to schedule unattended backups which take place at the intervals specified by you. There are a number of such software packages available. One of them is Second Copy (www.centered.com). The important thing to look out for is that the backup media should be stored separately from the original computer otherwise it may not be very useful in case of a major catastrophe. Apart from scheduled backups, these backup software have the ability to backup data spanning multiple disks; a feature not available directly.

Backup to other media is definitely better than backing up on tape media because of the fact that tape backups are necessarily sequential in nature. Hence, you need to restore all the files to get a selected file using tape media.
However, the best backup strategy is to combine ‘backup on external media’ with ‘backup to online storage’. The most critical files should be backed up every day online and the complete data can be backed up on CD/DVD every week or so and moved to a secure location. The chances of data loss are very minimal in this backup strategy.

Services Related to Backup

Back up services can be of two kinds: one which backs up the documents to the local computer or other removable media and other is the backup service which backs up data to the internet. Local backup services refer to the services in built in the computer. On the other hand, online backup services provide us with many options. Let’s see how these services work.

A prior requirement is that you need to have an internet connection to use these services. Then you should sign-up with your preferred Online Backup Service Provider. Example of a backup service provider is XDrive.com (http://www.Xdrive.com). Its backup plans begin at $10 per month for 5GB of storage. You receive backup software that you install on your computer. It creates a virtual directory on your computer. Whatever data you want to backup, you simply drag it to the virtual directory folder. Its software transfers the same to its online web servers. Most online backup services offer the feature of scheduled backups. So, it allows you to setup a daily backup schedule say for example an office worker can schedule a daily backup at 9 p.m.

Another important aspect of online backup service is the ability to share your online data with your friends and relatives. You send an e-mail to your friends with a link to your online file. Then your friends can download the data as and when required. You do not have to wait for them to download it directly from your computer. Also, you can publish it on the web so that it is visible to everyone.

The most important service provided by these companies is security. Your data is stored in 128- bit encrypted format. Even during transfer from your computer to the online service provider’s hard disk, the data is 128-bit encrypted. Then the data is stored in secure location where the architecture is multi tiered, locked down and secured by your own password.

The online backup service companies also enable you to access your data from any web browser. So you can store data in your online account and access it from any part of the world if internet access available to you. This service is very helpful on business and personal trips.

There are a number of services that provide an interesting array of features. For example, some services allow you to restore your computer in the event of a crash and others let you see the amount of data stored online in the form of a gauge. Of course, these additional services come with a cost and hence you should select the services that best suit your requirement.

You can also use the services of backup sites like www.streamload.com which provide 1GB of free data storage. However, there is a 300MB limit to the download of data. The user therefore needs to work out the various features that he wants and select accordingly.

Acronis True Image

The Acronis Product

A disk imaging application from Acronis True Image is for computers for both business and personal use. This application captures images live from Microsoft Windows and Linux. This bootable media also has offline backup and takes images of your operating system by disk partition, which allows you to restore an operating system back to a define state. The application recognizes common files as well as undefined files and can restore the back to a defined state as well. Some other manufacturers have products similar, but not as detailed as the Acronis True Image. You can try a free download of the application before buying the complete package and license to operate.


True Image Version 10.0 is now available and can be downloaded from various recommended sites which offer discount coupons as well. Since the software can be freely tried before you purchase it, it is good to give it a try and then use the discount coupon code.

How it Works?

How Acronis True Image works is it copies your hard disk exactly and permits for a restore instantly. This restores your data, applications and operating system in case of a crash that leaves your computer down. With the application you do not have to reinstall anything, it is all restored. This works well for protecting your videos, music, photos, emails, tasks and calendar reminders. This application also restores your media player, iTunes, MS office and other important applications you have on your computer. The application protects you from a complete loss of files and important information.




The biggest benefit with this software is that it does not just creates back up of your files but in fact creates an exact replica of your drive so that not only your files but all your installed software are also saved in their true form.
Installation of Acronis True Image software is also quite simple and easy. At the end of the installation, you would be prompted to create a backup CD before the system reboots. The reboot is necessary as it installs a ‘virtual' network adaptor that enables the user to mount an image to browse the Explorer. It facilitates recovery of a complete file or even a folder.

What's New?

The new version of Acronis True Image 10 works with Microsoft Vista when you try the upgrade as well as providing protection for your applications. This new version also allows you to save your backup data anywhere you want to, even on a FTP server. This is truly a magnificent image application rated highly by CNET and PC Magazine. It rates higher then any of its competitors for performance and design. It has an affordable price while offering a tremendous savings if you would lose everything and have to start over.

Big Benefits of Acronis True Image

Both businesses and personal computers benefit from the Acronis True Image. By having the application installed on a computer or a mainframe, you have the ability to back up data and applications daily in the event of the virus attack that causes you loss of information and applications. It would cost a fortune if you lose valuable information, not to mention the time you would spend trying to restore your software and application back from scratch. The application is very easy to use and considered user friendly. This means even the novice computer person could use the software to protect their computer operating system and everything associated with the computer.
Other features of the Acronis True Image are an automated scheduler so you never forget to back up the operating system; information is saved to your hard drive in a place that is not affected by crashing. It has a workable and easy recovery manager and allows you tom had a new hard drive without any further configurations by you and it has a wizard that takes you through the steps with easy to understand directions. Disk imaging and cloning has never been easier with this application software and everyone can use it. 

The References...

Windows Talk recommends Acronis True Image software as "...an excellent program and is a reliable back up and recovery tool." It endorses it as "an excellent, well-designed and intuitive program at a reasonable price. Highly recommended!". 

Major Geeks also gives it a rating of 4.91 which is an excellent recommendation for the users. GPS Information site on GPS also recommends the products and gives detailed overview of the site.

 

Traditionally, backup in commercial offices has been on backup media such as magnetic disks, CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc. When the office administrator decided to backup the data, he had to close all open applications and take the backup of all files in the office server. If there were branches of a company spread over a large area, then in each branch there would be a person who would religiously take the backups.
 
But what happens when the changes made in one branch are needed in another branch? Chances are that the branch would get the latest data only when released by the main office. Nowadays, it is very likely that the BPO operations of a company headquartered in New York take place in several other locations such as Bangalore and Shanghai which are thousands of miles away. Transferring data may take a long time in such a scenario.
 
Yet, the need to backup data and the availability of that data to all users is critical to the smooth running of the enterprise. This is possible by using backup over WAN (Wide Area Network) or Internet. This type of backup works in one of two ways:

• Your data and documents are copied to a centralized backup server only when the systems are connected.
• Your file system information is continuously replicated between distributed systems.

Both these methods of data backup are effective, but each has slightly different requirements and implications. The first type of WAN backup is possible and implemented in an organization where there are a large number of users who connect to the company data system once a day or so. When they connect to the backup server, the files are synchronized and new data is available to the remote user. However, this means that a lot of information has to be stored on the network server. When these are made through the Internet, it is termed as ‘Backup over Internet’.
 
The other method is the distributed file system information. In this type of backup, only the bytes which have changed are backed up. This allows for a smaller memory foot print in the backup server since only the changes made are backed up.
 
The backup strategy used by your organization depends on its data usage pattern. If there are a large number of mobile users who do not make very large changes to the data, a centralized backup server is a good choice. If you have a number of fixed offices with their local servers, using a distributed server to store data is most appropriate. In any case, backup over WAN or Internet is better than using magnetic tapes and other removable media since it allows you to backup your distributed data in a single location and retrieve it from any other location. 

1. http://www.backup-software-reviews.com/: This site has the reviews for the various Windows backup software. With Editor’s choice awards for the best backup software, users can decide which software to use.
2. http://www.backupcritic.com/: The main focus of this site is to provide tutorials as to how a user can perform various backup related tasks and the new trends that are emerging.
3. http://www.argentuma.com/backup/guide.html: An article on the Argentuma company’s website, this article explains about the best practices relating to backup. Although at the end, it pitches its product, the general information provided is good.
4. http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/update/backup.mspx: A backup guide from Microsoft, it explains what data the user should back up.
5. http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/bott_03july14.mspx: This article looks at how the user can use the free backup utility provided with Microsoft Windows XP to backup his data. It includes various screenshots related to the choices that are available.
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backup: An article on the respected encyclopedia Wikipedia, this article covers everything from the definition of backup, the various methods, and the different backup media available.
7. http://www.hp.com/sbso/productivity/howto/tape_backup/lan_backup_solutions.html: This article from Hewlett – Packard examines the various LAN based backup methods and how tape backup can be used in a LAN environment.
8. http://www.download.com/Backup/3150-2242_4-0.html: This webpage contains details about various backup software and software reviews for them.
9. http://www.download.com/3150-2242-0-1-1.html: Download.com is a reputed site to download various free, shareware and paid software. This page will let the user download various trial versions of the popular backup software. After a user is satisfied, then he can buy the software he likes.
10. http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,1738,4798,00.asp: This webpage deals with finding the right backup solution for the user’s requirements. The unique feature of this site is that it allows the user to find the right backup utility by either sorting it by price or type or manufacturer.
11. http://www.consumersearch.com/www/internet/online-file-storage/index.html: This webpage deals with the various issues relating to online backup of data. It contains reviews for all the major online data storage sites.
12. http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,101767,00.asp: This website contains the reviews of the various backup software as compiled by the online new magazine PC World. Expert reviews by the editors of PC World allow a user to take informed decisions.
13. http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/backup.html: This webpage deals with the backup utility provided free with Apple Macintosh computers. Apple users can download the latest version of the backup utility from this page.
14. http://free-backup.info/: A small website, this webpage has all the information needed by the average user regarding backup information.
15. http://www.taobackup.com/: The Tao of Backup is a humorous take on the need to take regular backups. In a refreshing humorous manner, it explains all the concepts relating to backup.