Advantages of Data Backup

Imagine you are working on a presentation late at night and poof… suddenly the hard disk of your computer crashes. This results in the loss of a hard disk which may be replaced or repaired by the manufacturer depending upon when you bought it. However, what cannot be replaced are the documents, address book, maybe financial information and the presentation that you need to present to your boss in the morning. It may take you weeks to retrieve all this information.

Well don’t panic, there is a solution to this problem. Regularly take data backup. Data backup refers to copy of the data which is stored in a safe place so that the loss of original data does not affect you.

Let’s consider the damage that can occur if backup is not taken. Some years ago, a major fire broke out in a bank in Paris. All bank records were maintained in the computer systems of the bank. The system administrators of the bank had to run into the burning building to retrieve the computer disks because the backup did not exist in any other location and it would have been catastrophic for a bank to lose all its records.

Backups should be followed by storage of the backup disks away from the original computer so that in case of fire or electrical surge, the original and the backup disk are in different locations.

The data backup storage media can be external hard disks, CD’s, DVD’s, USB drives and online in the data backup services provider’s hard disks. These different choices have their own advantages and disadvantages. Data backup storage media like CDs and other removable media are cheap to use but they cannot store large amount of data. Also you have to physically move the media in and out of the location if you want to protect it from fire or other accidents. On the other hand, online data backup services cost so much more per GB that it’s not possible to back up all your data online.

Data recovery takes place by the restoration of data in the old or new hard disk. The other advantage of backup is that the data can be restored even in a second computer. Sometimes it becomes necessary to restore data in a computer other than the computer from where the backup was taken.

Data backup can be useful only if done in a consistent manner. This is a precautionary measure that needs to be taken. The advantages of backup are evident in the event that the original computer hard disk crashes. Since the chances of that occurring are very high, when it occurs, the backup is very useful. Hence apart from what you need to do is to make sure that the backups that you have taken can be restored. Data backup without data recovery is not very useful. Hence you need to regularly check that recovery is possible too.

Backup Services

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.

Mozy Backup Service

Mozy Backup Service Review

It is important to take backups of your data but it can be surely a daunting task. You can easily backup your data on a remote location but the monthly storage fee can be a limiting factor. However, you can opt for a Mozy backup service that offers free remote location backup of your data up to 2GB for Windows users and also backup’s changes automatically. If you need more space, you can easily pay nominal fee and acquire more space for your data.
Mozy not only offers free backup service but also proves to be cheaper than any other backup service. It lets you opt for unlimited storage at just $5 paid service. You can easily schedule your incremental backups via its interface. Your data is encrypted each time it is sent over the internet. The best feature about Mozy is that it uses your computer’s idle time to take backups. This eliminates any possibilities of slowing down your computer due to any backup processes going on in the backdrop. This greatly adds to system performance as well. It is well compatible with all versions of Windows OS, however, a MAC version is also available.

What Is Required From You?

In order to use Mozy and all its features you need to sign up with them. Signing up with Mozy, gives you 2GB of free space for your storing your data on remote location in encrypted form. This information is used to send targeted advertisement to your mail box once in a week. Moreover, this email is always from Mozy directly as they do not sell your email address to the advertiser. In preview of the benefits offered by Mozy, this seems a cheaper price to opt for. Mozy backup service offers only encrypted data storage at remote location. It does not offer data migration, file exchange, etc. Thus, it offers only four to five restorations per month.

How Does It Work?

You can start by creating your account with Mozy that shall enable you to download Mozy software. You can install the software and configure the backup as per your requirement. The download and installations takes less than 30 seconds in all. You can select your files for backup and also specify the locations on your hard disk about your files and directories that you want Mozy to take care of.  

What You Get?

Your free account with Mozy gives you 2GB of free and secure storage service. You can also opt for unlimited storage space for $4.95/month! You can also lock or open the file support system and opt for block level differential back up service for your data. You can easily opt for continuous or scheduled backups as per your requirement. The data sent over the internet is completely secured by 128-bit encryption. Moreover, your data is also secured on the server with 448-bit Blowfish encryption.

Alternatives to Mozy

Like every other services, there are other alternatives present for Mozy as well. It is up to you to weigh your feasibility. You can choose to burn a DVD or CD every weekend for your data and store the same on a secure place. You can also opt for other backup services but they might prove to be more expensive than Mozy. You can also buy an external hard drive to take your backup and store it at a safe location. Thereafter, you can take incremental backups manually whenever required.

What Are The Key Features?

Open or locked file support, 448-bit Blowfish encryption on the server, 128-bit encryption for data transfer, automatic scheduling of backups, detecting new or changed files are some of the key features of Mozy. Apart from this, Mozy also offers public or private key encryption, versioning of files, bandwidth throttling, block level incremental backups, etc. that are very suitable for taking easy backups

Easy To Operate

It is one of the most easy to operate backup software. You do not need any specialized training or knowledge or networking administration to handle Mozy. A novice can also easily handle Mozy and its operations. All you need to do is to download and install the software on your system. Initial set up would automatically ask you to choose your files and folders that need to be backed up. You can choose your entire documents, spreadsheets, presentations, music, videos, emails, etc. that are important. You can even choose all your photos, images and other file formats that need to be accessed again and again and are important. Hereafter, Mozy would automatically take periodic incremental backups whenever you system is idle for more than 30 minutes or the CPU usage is less than 20 percent. Lastly, you would know Mozy exists only via the small taskbar option on the lower right corner of your computer. It is completely non-intrusive as well.

Why you need to backup

Need For Backup

"Such a thing can never happen to me! It happens to others only!" So goes the mindset of most of us towards life in general. And the story with personal computers is not a tad bit different. In today's internet age a lot of our professional life and, to some extent, our personal life as well revolves around internet and computers. And hence this habit of taking things for granted although has rare but nonetheless serious repercussions when you lose your precious data.

Data is one of the most important aspects of our computer systems as you accumulate it after months and sometimes years of efforts. The probability of a failure is lower these days due to upcoming technologies and improved reliabilities. Still you don't want to risk your most coveted documents, music, emails, addresses, bookmarked sites, logs, software utilities, man hours of settings and customizations etc. In a flick of time you can get a personal feeling of emptiness without the data and a professional backlog in work.

Such loss might befall on an unprepared user by a spectrum of events such as hardware failure, software bugs, natural calamity, and accidents. Mishandling and sheer ignorance on user's part are also responsible for causing data loss. Though it is alleged that 90% of data losses are attributed to data corruption or user errors, other factors also pose a risk and apart from being a smart user, you should also go for data backup. Server backup is equally important for information systems which are mission critical, as in the corporate world, in production lines running 24/7, in global financial establishments, in academia, research, etc.

Traditionally PC backup procedures have been pretty demanding on time, money and efforts on the user's part. It being human nature to be lethargic towards such causes, the rescue lies in a system so convenient and flexible which eliminates intervention on her part towards such mundane jobs. And herein data backup service comes to your rescue!

PC backup and server backup can save lots of hassles, business potential, time invested in creating data and wasted in recovering it, costs of data recovery, etc. Perhaps another very crucial thing for businesses is reliability and market image in eyes of customers, not to mention the importance of personal data to its owners. And data backup is the only cheap, fast and most prevalent way of saving data. It also provides fast, unattended recovery and integrity of saved data. Since backups can be stored in a different location from the original data, it is safe from physical accidents and natural calamities too.

Hence, if your data is critical for you, then the need of the hour is to avail a good PC backup service that meets your requirements and suits your budget.