If you store important data on your computer, it’s important to have it backed up. Cloud data backup is an effective way to keep your data safe. On top of creating a copy of your critical data, using a cloud solution means the data is off-site. That is an important aspect in the event of a disaster such as fire, flood, or lightning damage.

But there are so many options available, you may ask which solution is best? Simply put, it depends on your particular scenario. There are many factors to consider when researching a data backup solution. That’s where we come in. We have partnered with industry leaders to offer various solutions to meet any need. Call the cloud data backup experts at TekStop and we will get your data safely backed up with the right solution for the right price.

Read on to learn more about the differents type of data backup and the benefits of each.

Why Backing Up is Important

If you’ve never faced the potential of losing your important files such as critical business documents, precious photos, or other irreplicable data, you may wonder, “Why do I need to backup my data?”

That’s a good question – and we want to answer it now. Data backup is like insurance. You hope that you never need to take advantage of its benefits, but you’re happy that you have it, just in case.

A good backup plan can help protect files in case of accidental deletion or hardware failure. Let’s face it – all computers die eventually, and often at the worst time. Additionally, a good backup scheme will allow you to recover complex systems, such as servers, with much less effort than having to recreate the system from scratch.

Local Data Backup

A local data backup is one that copies data to a local storage device such as a server, external hard disk drive, or a network attached storage device. If your data set is very large, you may want to take advantage of a local or hybrid backup solution.

Typically, a “large data set” means data that is larger than 1TB. A local backup can be performed in less time than a cloud data backup. This also means that recovering data from that backup is generally much faster. In the event that a disaster recovery operation needs to take place, you can restore your files from a local backup much faster, assuming the backup media is in tact.

That’s where a local solution shows its biggest weakness. If you face a disaster like we mentioned above, it is likely that your backup data is destroyed alongside your original data. That highlights the greatest benefit of a cloud data backup.

Cloud Data Backup

A cloud backup is a great idea for your business or personal files. It’s a simple and effective way to make sure that, no matter what, you can recover data when needed.

As we mentioned above, the cloud keeps your files and other data off-site. If a disaster strikes your business or home, your information is still safely stored on the cloud.

On top of the increased peace of mind that this solution offers, cloud applications will allow you to easily recover information anywhere in the world. This is especially useful if you need to work from a temporary location while recovering from disaster.

Hybrid Backup

A hybrid backup scheme is just what it sounds like. It is a combination of the previous two types of backups we discussed.

Typically your device, such as a server, will create a data backup to a local device. Since a local backup can be performed more quickly, this can occur as often as every hour (in some cases, even more frequently than that!).

Once your local backup has completed, the information can then be copied to the cloud. The frequency of uploading to the cloud can vary as well, but it is often once or twice a day. A hybrid cloud data backup like this gives you the benefits of both types of backup and can offer many benefits over traditional schemes.

But choosing between a local, cloud, or hybrid backup is just one consideration. Next, we will discuss the contents of the backup. This plays an important role in the disaster recovery process and how quickly you can be up and running after an event.

File and Folder

File and folder backups produce the smallest backup size. This is because many files are left out of the backup, such as your operating system, program files, and settings. For a relatively simple configuration, such as a home computer or a workstation, file and folder backups are ideal.

Due to their smaller size, uploading a file and folder backup set to the cloud is much faster. This also helps if your internet provider limits the amount of bandwidth you can use each month.

To recover from a disaster using a file and folder data backup, you would first need to setup a new computer. Once the computer has been setup and your programs installed, you can restore your files from the backup. This means that recovery time can be increased.

For complex system configurations, this is not an ideal type of backup. For servers and other advanced setups, we recommend an image based backup.

Image Based

An image based backup is kind of like taking a snapshot of your system. The image captures everything on the computer, including your critical data, operating system files, settings, and applications. The image based backup can be restored and have you up and running just like nothing happened.

However, because an image based backup is saving everything from your computer, the size of the backup is much larger than with the file and folder method. So it is usually not feasible to use image based backups for all the computers in your office, for example.

TekStop typically recommends using file and folder backups for workstations and other individual devices, while using an image based backup for servers and other difficult-to-configure systems. But one size does not fit all. We’re happy to schedule a consultation to identify the best way to keep your data safe with a professional backup solution.

Managed vs. Unmanaged

A good backup is only helpful if you can verify that it’s functioning correctly. That is where our Managed IT Services come into play. With our OneStop Cloud Managed Cloud Data Backup solutions, we will keep an eye on your backup to ensure it is always functioning properly.

Managed backup means we get notified if something goes wrong with the backup solution. That way, we can take corrective action and avoid a catastrophic event. The worst time to find out that your backup has not been working is during a disaster.

Are you ready to protect your critical business or personal information? Call TekStop to schedule a consultation today.

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