Backups & why they are important

Regular backup of all your data (and programs) is one of the most important tasks that you should be performing on a regular basis. Important as this task is, most people neglect this task and are filled with helplessness and remorse when things go wrong. What are backups, why are they important, and why do people neglect to take regular backups?

As you are aware, a backup is a copy of the data that you have on hard disk that is kept in a separate external medium such as magnetic tape or CD so that in case the hard disk fails, or part or all of your data is accidentally deleted or modified, you can restore the original data from the backup.

Importance of backups

Data loss can occur for a number of reasons, most of which are simply not under your control. In other words data loss is just like an accident that can happen anytime to anyone. There are many reasons why data gets lost, of which the following are some of the most common.

• With the extensive use of the Internet almost all systems are exposed to malicious attacks from outside that include viruses and other destructive tools. Some of these attacks can cause permanent damage to your system and/or data and can delete entire files or even wipe out your hard disk.
• Hardware failures such as disk crashes resulting from bad media, power fluctuations and so on. You can get the hard disk replaced if you are under warranty, but that doesn’t restore the data.
• Accidental deletion by users: Untrained users, and in some cases even highly trained users, may inadvertently delete files while performing some operation.
• Deletion as a deliberate act: If you have disgruntled employees or people who love to create trouble just for the fun of it, you may faced with a situation in which your data may be lost.

There could be many more reasons, but the point is that anyone can lose data and therefore, regular backups are very important to almost everyone. AVR Ltd undertakes nightly Rsync backups to our remote server in New York for all customers which ensures complete safety and recovery.

The process of backups

Backups can be taken in a variety of ways that include alternative storage devices, storage locations, periodicity, types and so on. The following principles should be followed when taking backups

• Take a number of backups. The usual number is three. When taking a new backup overwrite the oldest backup. Why should you have three backups? Sometimes the media in which you store the backup also gets corrupted. It is also possible that you made some mistake while processing your data and this mistake has been carried forward over a period of time. If you have a number of backups, you can restore the earliest backup, which was taken before you made the mistake, and then you can process it correctly.
• Keep backups in safe place, preferably in a place that is physically away from the server. This will ensure that if the server is damaged because of some event that has damaged the entire building (such as fire or earthquake), the backup remains safe.
• Take incremental backups on a daily basis, and whole backups on a periodic basis such as weekly or fortnightly.
• Databases have their own backup utility, which should be used in addition to the full backup of disks. This will restore data within the databases in case the database gets corrupted (in this case the data is not lost, but the database will not start for lack of integrity of data)
• It is preferable to maintain backups in more than one type of medium
• Develop and maintain a schedule for taking backups so that there is no chance of forgetting or skipping the job
• The responsibility for backups should be handed over to a qualified and responsible person, so that all the rules and procedures that have been laid down can be followed strictly. This person should also be invariably involved when a restore becomes necessary.
• Encourage users to periodically take their own backups.