Data retention strategies for SMEs
Published: 22 Mar 2007
Backup strategies and network design
Backup strategies should be based on the actual volume of data that needs to be backed up, rather than simply taking the maximum volume of available storage as a guide. Typically, office workers with PCs that have been in use for a couple of years are likely to be using no more that about 30GB of storage. Although individual workers' machines may be fitted with, for example, 80GB hard drives, in this case any backup solution only has to cope with just over a third of the total disk capacity. If sensible archiving strategies are used, then the volume of active data actually in use could perhaps be reduced by 50 per cent, down to 15GB per PC. This makes regular backups even of the entire volume of data stored on individual disks much more manageable.
Small offices of three of four people often have PCs set up as a peer-to-peer network, sharing a common gateway router for internet access. Although peer-to-peer networks are easy to set up, they don’t make efficient use of common data, such as address lists and client databases. There is a break-even point where a central office server makes more efficient use of storage and is more convenient in providing a centralised mechanism for backup and archiving.
For small-office peer-to-peer setups, a single external large hard disk or an external DVD writer can be used for backups. For offices where the network includes a server, the server can be fitted with a DVD writer and/or a SATA hot-swap drive cage.
Off-site Internet backup
One option that avoids the cost and inconvenience of installing and maintaining backup hardware and software is subscription to an off-site internet backup service. Of course, this does require an internet connection, but most businesses will already have an internet service installed. There are quite a number of companies offering off-site backups, via a local software client running in the background that encrypts the subscriber data and sends it over the internet for remote storage. These services operate on a monthly fee basis, which is scaled according to the amount of data stored. Typical subscription charges are around £10 a month for 0.5GB or £35 a month for 10GB. With no capital outlay, no setup fee and little staff time needed for training or operation, an internet backup service can seem a simple and attractive solution to the backup problem.
The advantages of these remote backup services are that they provide a measure of protection against local threats such as fire, flood or burglary by storing data off-site. However, this may also be seen as a disadvantage in that subscribers' data is no longer under their direct control. Customers must rely on the internet backup company to keep their data secure and always available. And what happens to your data if, for example, the internet backup company goes out of business?
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