While online backup services would seem to be the answer to all computer users’ data storage needs, in reality, they are not without their flaws and drawbacks. In fact, the fallibility of some online backup services has made some users wish they had instituted a second backup for more important files—even if only on less-trustworthy tapes or disks. And while not everyone will suffer catastrophic data loss, if it ever does happen, you may wish you had taken additional precautions.
For example, some online backup services will only allow one initial complete backup of a hard drive. This means that should the information of subsequent hard drives need inclusion, you may need to sign up for a second service. Additionally, some online backup companies have yet to find a way to backup files that are in use at the time of the backup.
Also, experts suggest that some thought be given as to what data is being backed up. Application files are not retrievable from a backup, for example. Meaning, if your hard drive crashes, you will have to re-install your programs using their respective installation files or disks. Additionally, some applications use their own archiving feature with a restore command that will not import data from another file. Also, consider that any files that have been altered by an individual user become unique to that individual computer and thus should be backed up through other storage means—making online storage redundant.
Additionally, in that many online backup services duplicate files in their original formatting, if those files are not filed in a logical, easy to distinguish manner, confusing file structure or files with obscure names can impede a clean and quick restore. This can be further complicated when applications store information in files with ambiguous names or obscure locations by default; email programs seem especially prone to this issue.
One other thing to consider is that since many of these online backup services are relatively new, some still haven’t worked out some of the technical bugs. Case in point, in 2007, 54 Carbonite Online Backup Service customers were unable to retrieve their data. Carbonite later attributed the problem to the Promise servers they were purchasing in 2006 and 2007 which use RAID technology to spread data redundantly across 15 disk drives so that if any one disk drive fails, data isn’t lost. Carbonite contends, however, that the RAID software that makes all this function was embedded as “firmware” in the storage servers; firmware, Carbonite believes, which had bugs that caused the servers to crash. And while 99% of backups were completely restored without incident, 54 customers had their PCs crash before their re-started backups were complete. Since they weren’t completely backed up when their PCs crashed, these customers were unable to restore all of their files from Carbonite. And while these statistics may seem acceptable, or this scenario unlikely, if you were one of those losing important files, it’s no consolation that most other customers were not affected. And this is but one of a few important reasons to combine online backup with a solid local backup strategy.
Thus, many experts now suggest that you seriously consider the value of the data stored on your computer. A week’s worth of changes and additions to even a single file or database can have greater value to you or your company than the entire network on which it is stored. And as both individuals and companies use networks for more and more of their business communications and data storage, the value of the information being stored increases dramatically. That’s why many of the computer-savvy agree that online backup alone simply isn’t enough. In fact, many say your best bet is to have three. Here are some viable options to consider in addition to online services:
1. Local backup
For your daily backup and restore needs, an external USB drive works perfectly, providing a fast and easy to use backup location.
2. Near-line backup
Utilize another system–whether a second computer, or those of family or friends. Have a trusted location you can physically access should the worse case scenario occur. That way if that USB drive fails after your computer crashed, you can still drive over to a friend’s house and retrieve your data.
3. Cloud backup
There are many “cloud” storage options available, including Mozy, and SugarSync (which offer both pay services as well as free online storage services). While it shouldn’t be your only backup system, it’s certainly worth utilizing for your most important files. Always backup locally in addition to “cloud” storage.
4: Optical and magnetic drive backup
CD or DVD drives, additional hard disk drives, or even a removable Zip drive is still worth considering. Additionally, magnetic tapes come in several formats including digital audio tape (DAT), digital linear tape (DLT), and quarter inch which while perhaps not super-convenient, will provide a degree of security.
You can get up-to-date, detailed online backup reviews by visiting: OnlineBackupTopTen.com. You’ll find useful videos and a comprehensive online backup comparison chart to help you choose the service that’s right for you.
