There are several options available for backing up important data. The best option for you depends on your specific needs and budget.
Quick Answers
Some quick answers to common backup questions:
- The main types of backup storage are external hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs/DVDs, tape drives, and cloud storage.
- The 3-2-1 backup strategy recommends keeping 3 copies of your data, on 2 different media, with 1 copy offsite.
- Online/cloud backup services provide offsite backup and make it easy to restore data when needed.
- External hard drives provide a balance of large capacity and fast backup/restore speed.
- USB flash drives are small, convenient for transporting data, but have lower capacities.
- CDs and DVDs are very cheap but slow for backing up large amounts of data.
Types of Backup Storage
There are a variety of storage media you can use to back up your important files and data. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
External Hard Drives
External hard drives connect to your computer via USB, Firewire, eSATA, or wirelessly. They typically have large capacities of 500GB to 5TB or more. The average external hard drive can store over 100,000 photos or songs. Because they use the same disk technology as your computer’s internal hard drive, external drives are fairly fast for backing up and restoring files.
The main advantages of external drives are:
- High capacity – Can back up entire disk images and large data sets.
- Fast transfer speeds – Quickly back up and restore files.
- Just connect and go – No need to insert disks like DVDs.
- Random access – Can directly access any file like on an internal hard drive.
The downsides are:
- Must be connected to computer to access files.
- Less durable than flash drives – Disks can break down and corrupt data.
- Less portable than flash drives due to larger size.
USB Flash Drives
Also known as thumb drives, USB flash drives use flash memory chips to store data. They easily plug into any USB port on your computer.
The advantages of flash drives include:
- Very portable due to small size.
- No moving parts – More durable than external hard drives.
- Reusable – Flash memory can be erased and rewritten.
The limitations are:
- Lower capacities typically less than 100GB.
- Slower transfer speeds than hard drives.
- Not ideal for full system backups.
Overall, flash drives work well for individual file backups you need to take with you. For complete system backups, external hard drives are generally a better option.
CDs and DVDs
Optical discs like CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs were once very popular for backup. Their main advantage is being very cheap to purchase even in large spindle packs.
However, they have largely been surpassed by USB drives due to limitations such as:
- Low capacities – 700MB for CDs, 4.7GB for single layer DVDs.
- Slow write speeds – Much slower than USB drives or hard drives.
- Easy to damage – Discs get scratched and can become unreadable.
- Not reusable – Cannot erase and rewrite data on CD/DVD-R media.
CDs and DVDs are still useful for very small backups, but flash drives and external hard drives are better options today for personal backup. However, some servers still use optical discs like Blu-ray for archival storage due to their longevity.
Tape Drives
Tape drives use removable magnetic tape cartridges to store backup data. They were once a popular choice for enterprise level backup but have mainly been replaced by disk and cloud storage.
Advantages of tape backup include:
- Very high capacities – Tape cartridges can store terabytes of data.
- Long shelf life – Tape can retain data for decades.
- Low cost per gigabyte compared to HDDs.
Disadvantages are:
- Very slow data transfer speeds.
- Sequential access – Must scan through to find files.
- Easy to damage tapes.
- Durability and reliability concerns.
For personal backups, tape drives are overkill and have been surpassed technologically by hard drives and flash storage. But a few organizations still rely on tapes for archival storage due to their high capacity and long shelf life.
Cloud Backup Services
Online or “cloud” backup services provide storage space on remote servers accessed over the internet. They make it easy and affordable to automatically back up your files offsite without having to worry about purchasing and connecting drives.
Advantages of cloud backup include:
- Offsite storage protects against local disasters like fires or theft.
- Automatic scheduled backups – Set and forget.
- Access files from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Some providers offer data versioning and snapshots.
Potential downsides are:
- Monthly subscription fees can add up over time.
- Initial backup can take very long for large amounts of data.
- Dependent on internet connection speed and reliability.
- Privacy and security concerns over cloud storage vulnerability.
Overall, cloud backup services are simple to use and provide an affordable offsite storage solution for personal backups. They complement onsite options like external hard drives.
Choosing Backup Media
Here are some tips for selecting the right backup media for your needs:
- External hard drives – Best for full system image backups and entire music/photo libraries.
- USB flash drives – Convenient for individual important files and documents.
- Cloud backup – Affordable offsite storage for disaster recovery.
- DVDs/Blu-ray – Only suitable for very small amounts of archival data.
- Tape drives – Overkill for personal use but still used by some organizations.
- Use multiple media – Combine onsite and offsite storage for best protection.
- Consider capacity, speed and convenience – The right media depends on your specific needs.
Analyze how much data you need to back up, any special requirements like frequent access or portability, and your budget. This will help you select the ideal media for your situation.
Backup Strategies
Just having backup media isn’t enough – you need an effective backup strategy. Here are some recommended approaches:
3-2-1 Backup Strategy
The 3-2-1 strategy is a best practice for complete backup protection:
- 3 copies of your data – Keep the original plus two backup copies.
- 2 different storage media – Protect against failure of any single media.
- 1 copy offsite – Avoid catastrophic events like fires, theft.
For example, you could follow the 3-2-1 rule by having:
- Original data on your computer
- 1 copy on an external hard drive
- 1 copy on a cloud backup service
Or for extremely critical data:
- Original data on your computer
- 1 copy on an external hard drive
- 1 copy on a USB drive kept offsite
- 1 copy on a cloud backup service
Full vs Incremental Backups
Another decision is whether to perform full or incremental backups:
- Full backup – Copies all selected files each time.
- Incremental backup – Only copies new/changed files since last backup.
Full backups take longer but are simpler and provide discrete restore points. Incremental backups save time and space but require more management to restore data.
For personal backups, full backups are generally recommended at least weekly. More frequent incremental backups can supplement them.
Versioning and Snapshots
Some backup systems and cloud services provide snapshot and versioning capabilities:
- Snapshots – Saves state of data at a point in time.
- Versioning – Retains previous versions of changed files.
This protects against unintended changes and gives you access to older versions of files. It does utilize more storage space however.
Backup Frequency
Finally, you need to determine how often to perform backups. A good starting point is:
- Full weekly backup – Back up everything once a week.
- Incremental daily backup – Back up changes since last full backup daily.
For business critical data, daily full backups may be recommended. The more often you back up, the less data you risk losing.
Test Restores
It’s important to regularly test that your backups were successful by restoring sample files. Otherwise, you may discover at the worst time that your backups were not working properly.
Top Backup Software
Backup software helps automate and manage the backup process. Here are some top options:
| Software | Details |
|---|---|
| Acronis True Image | Full disk imaging, mobile backup support, ransomware protection |
| Genie Timeline | Intuitive interface, versioning capability, mobile access |
| IDrive | Cloud-based, file syncing across devices, deleted file recovery |
| Carbonite | Affordable cloud backup, mobile apps, hybrid backup option |
| CrashPlan | Cross-platform, unlimited cloud backup, bare metal restore |
The right software depends on your specific needs. Read reviews and compare features like versioning, restoration, scheduling, encryption, and price.
Offsite Data Centers
For business-critical data, offsite backups at a colocation facility or disaster recovery site provide an added layer of protection against catastrophic data loss. This involves replicating data in real-time to servers at a remote location not susceptible to the same risks like natural disasters.
Benefits of offsite data backup include:
- Isolation from primary site disasters.
- High bandwidth for fast data replication.
- Optional data recovery services.
- Increased compliance with regulations.
Drawbacks can include:
- Higher costs for separate facility and bandwidth.
- Data sync may have minor lag vs local backup.
- Can have minimum commitment terms.
Mission critical systems like financial services and emergency response systems often utilize offsite data centers for enhanced data protection and uptime.
The Cloud
Backing up to the cloud simply means using an online internet-based service. This includes:
- Consumer backup services like Carbonite, IDrive, Backblaze.
- Business backup services like CrashPlan, Acronis, Asigra.
- Sync services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive.
- Any backup software that stores data on internet servers.
Cloud backup advantages:
- Offsite access protects against local disasters like fires or theft.
- Access files anywhere with an internet connection.
- Managed by the service provider – Less work for you.
- Scalable to large amounts of data.
- Often budget-friendly pay per GB/month.
Potential cloud disadvantages:
- Upload speed relies on your internet connection.
- Initial backup can take very long.
- Security/privacy risks with 3rd party hosting data.
- Recovering large amounts of data can be slow.
But for an easy, affordable offsite option, cloud backup services are very appealing to both consumers and businesses. They provide the offsite copy called for in the 3-2-1 strategy.
Backup Security
An often overlooked aspect of backups is ensuring your data is safe and secure. Here are some backup security best practices:
- Encryption – Encrypt backup files to prevent unauthorized access. Use strong passwords.
- Limit physical access – Use locks, ID badges, security cameras for onsite hardware.
- Multi-factor authentication – Require extra credentials to access cloud services.
- Access controls – Restrict who can access, delete, modify backups.
- Testing – Perform regular tests to verify backups can be restored.
You don’t want to go through the trouble of creating backups only to have them compromised or unavailable when needed. Treat backups as critical business data and secure them accordingly.
Conclusion
There are many approaches and media available for performing backups. The right solution for you depends on factors like:
- Amount of data that needs protection
- Minimum acceptable data loss if disaster strikes
- Access needs – how often backup data needs to be accessed
- Security requirements for the backed up data
- Technical abilities to manage and restore backups
- Budget – cost constraints
Ideally, a 3-2-1 strategy should be followed using a combination of onsite and offsite media. For home users, a common solution is local external hard drive backup combined with online cloud backup. Enterprises often also utilize offsite data replication.
Regular testing and security measures are critical for successful backups. Overall, the key is finding an automated, efficient backup strategy that provides comprehensive protection within your means.