Backups for Small Businesses

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The Background

Data backups are essential to avoid the loss of information in the event of the failure of the device the main copy of the data is stored on.

For many small businesses this will be one or more PCs in the workplace and / or at home. For some organisations, this could include a server providing services that could include file storage and email services.

Information on approaches to backup, including online services, follows...

Disks and Other Media

One option for backup is to copy your files and folders to other media, which could consist of a separate hard drive in your PC, CDs, DVDs, USB sticks or external devices including disk drives and tapes.

Copying the data can be done manually, by copying the files in Windows Explorer. An automated process can be set up, though this is where you need to get to know some of the "under the cover" parts of Windows.

If you've bought external storage - usually a USB attached disk drive - you may find that this comes with some fairly easy to use software to help automate the backup process.

Getting the Backups "Offsite"

Taking the backup of your data is the first step in the process. The next step it to store the copy of the data in another location.

In the event that your PC is damaged by fire, flood, theft, etc, it's quite possible that the same fate may befall your backup store, if at the same location! To make sure that the backed up data is available to load onto a replacement PC, it needs to be stored somewhere else, and you need to take a copy away from your PC on a regular basis.

Testing Testing...

Finally, after you've taken your backup and stored it offsite, you neet to test it on a regular basis to ensure that it will work when you need it.

You'll need to make sure that your files and folders can be copied back to another PC and that they are accessible and usable.

Software Backups

Having your files and folders backed up and available on a new PC doesn't mean that they're usable. You might need specific software to access them.

The most common types of files may well be documents and spreadsheets, and you'll need the installation media - usually CDs or DVDs. If your PC came with the software installed, do you have the media to reinstall? Does the license allow you to do this on a new PC? The time to find out about this is NOW, before you need to rebuild on a new PC.

If you're using Word, Excel and other Microsoft Office products, it might be worth looking at LibreOffice as an alternative.

Online Backups

With the increase in broadband speeds, "online backups" are now the preferred option for many PCs.

These remove the burden of running regular backups and taking the backup media offsite.

They use available broadband capacity - usually they're busy when you're not - to regularly check and copy your files and folders over the Internet to a central store.

There are several companies offering this sort of service, but one that gets good reviews on a regular basis - and that we've used for some years is Carbonite. As PC Pro Magazine commented "...the only one that makes backup a complete no-brainer." - read the review.

Dropbox Replication

Dropbox (http://www.dropbox.com/) is software that replicates data between two or more machines, keeping files and folders synchronised.

With a PC in the workplace and another at home, consider using Dropbox to synchronise data between the two.

With the same, or compatible, software on each PC, in the event of the loss of one, the other should be available to pick up with services immediately.

Once a replacement PC is available, data can be replicated to the new machine to bring it into use.