A company should back up its data because they are the lifeblood of the business and rarely can be recreated from memory. And even if they can, valuable time and resources can be lost in the effort.

Functionally, backing up data and applications or archiving them is the same. Both backups and archives can rely on the same technology, give the same peace of mind, and be stored in the same media. Backup files are not typically retained as long as those meant for archiving. Additionally, files that are archived normally are deleted from the source, for example, the primary storage disk on which they reside.

Copying data is a manual, time-intensive, one-to-one process that requires a lot of storage space and media; the original file size dictates the amount of space required for the copy. For these reasons, multiple copies of data are seldom kept for any length of time, often leaving individuals who use this approach to protect data resources without copies of past versions of data. If this week’s data are copied over last week’s, for example, you will not be able to restore a file from last week if you need to do so. A similar problem occurs if a copy is made of a corrupted file. Backing up data is far faster and more efficient than copying it, and backups take up less space on the storage media because you can make backups only of new or changed data. As a result, it is easier and more cost effective to make frequent backups of multiple versions of data.

Backup software automatically copies data from any application — or multiple applications — into a single file in a format that cannot be directly read by the original applications. It then compresses this file and prevents unauthorized access with the protection of passwords or encryption. The backup file can be made on any media, such as a local hard disk, a remote hard disk, blank CDs/DVDs, or magnetic tape.

If a large percentage of your backup data is on one tape, and that tape fails, the data are lost. To avoid this unfortunate scenario, tapes should be rotated. In other words, rather than using tape A for three consecutive weeks, for example, use three tapes, one for the first week, another for the second, and another for the third. Then, at the end of this interval, at week four, reuse tape A.

Absolutely not. Backup operations can also be performed to a hard disk or even CDs or DVDs, although tape is still a very reliable and economical medium for managing multiple file versions and for offsite storage. Often, to achieve a balance of performance and protection, it is in your best interest to combine both disk and tape backup operations. This can be achieved by implementing a Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape strategy.

Yes, they do. But these native utilities only support local, no-frills backups. This means that if you have multiple servers or multiple PCs, or a single server and multiple PCs, each device will require its own separate backup. Each of these backups needs to be managed independently, and so, too, do the tapes or CDs/DVDs from each device. Also, native utilities are slow, backing up only one file at a time, in series. Consequently, backing up large amounts of data can take a long time, sometimes exceeding the “backup window,” the amount of time your systems are idle. Like any window of opportunity, this idle period, during which a computer isn’t in use and is able to be backed up, often doesn’t stay open as long as you’d like.

If speed, automation, and efficiency are concerns, then a third-party backup solution is the only way to go. Depending on which of these solutions you purchase, you should be able to back up multiple servers and workstations to a single backup device. Equally important, the solution should back up multiple data streams — from multiple applications and/or devices — concurrently. This means that these solutions can be far faster than serial native utilities. In addition, third-party solutions typically offer easy interfaces that simplify and automate backup processes. Finally, if native utilities can only back up files from applications that are closed, some backup software products offer modules that can back up open files as well. This enables active databases to be fully protected without having to shut down business-critical operations.

You should back up your data as often as it changes, if those changes are business-critical. This means that backups for some data may be done several times each day, others only weekly. Deciding which files to back up and when is important. Some backup software simplifies this task with wizards that guide you through the creation of a backup schedule that sets policies and priorities.

If you start a backup program, you should back up all business data and applications that you want to protect in a process called a full backup. For security, this full backup may need to be repeated periodically, maybe even weekly. But in between you can do what are called incremental backups, to protect only data that are new or have changed since the last full backup. Incremental backups save time and space because they are smaller than full backups.

Backup solutions maintain records, also called backup databases or catalogs, which keep an index of all files that have been backed up, including the date and time of creation, file size, and location on the backup media. By browsing this catalog, you can locate and select the files you wish to restore and they will be automatically restored, or recreated, to the primary storage in its original location. Alternatively, you can restore the data to a different location, or even restore the data under another name. The more often you back up your data, the more versions you have to restore from.

If a server, PC, or laptop fails completely, you will need to perform a system recovery. This process calls for fixing or replacing the damaged hardware, reloading the operating system, reloading all applications and device drivers and settings, and finally restoring the data. To speed and simplify these processes, some backup software offers a disaster recovery feature that creates a bootable CD, including a bare-bones operating system and a lightweight copy of the backup software that is then used to restore the full system to the state it was before. Because the backup contains the full operating system, including all the customization that was done, and all the files associated with the various applications, this form of recovery is extremely attractive for those who need to get up and running again quickly.