Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009 - (Page 15)

with the software backups, remember to include activation and license numbers as well as username/passwords for online applications or solutions. Another form of critical data that might escape backups is e-mail. For many e-mail client applications such as Outlook, emails and contact lists are indeed “backed up” even automatically. However, this backup ﬁ le can be difﬁcult to locate. It is usually stored with your program ﬁ les, not your data ﬁ les. Online e-mail clients such as Google, Yahoo, Gmail, etc., can be advantageous for this reason. In addition to easy access from anywhere, your emails are stored and backed up offsite and you are not using your resources for ﬁ le storage. When? “How much time do we have to devote to backing up data? How often should we back it up?” Your time schedule for backing up data is determined by the amount of data you have and how much time you can afford to lose recovering ﬁ les. Some guidelines… Daily backups of critical data or emails would be necessary if your volume is high and the nature of attention needed is urgent. Organizing the folders on your computer to reﬂect the urgency of ﬁ les can save time when you back up. CDs work well for small to medium volume daily backups, but can become expensive. Online storage solutions are a great choice for daily backups as long as there is not a huge amount of data to copy. Tape storage that is external and automatic works well for larger volume daily backups, but retrieval can be difﬁcult. Having your folders well organized to begin with is imperative for backups that are necessary daily. Weekly backups are very similar to daily backups, but with a greater threshold for larger volume, less critical data. Some data is not necessary to back up daily but important enough to do more often than monthly. Again, analyzing your situation; organizing folders to facilitate ease of backups is a must here. Weekly backups are most common and popular in the struggle between risk and convenience. Monthly backups take more resources, both time and hardware. However, they can be worth the extra time. Depending on the amount of data, good options could include online backup or external hard drives carried to offsite locations. Annual backups are a good idea regardless of whatever other time schedule you choose. In addition to verifying data and backing up software, you could take the opportunity to clean out your hard drive, delete old ﬁ les that are archived elsewhere, reorganize directories to ﬁt your backup schedule, and defrag your hard drive. It is vital that these backups are stored offsite with the most permanent medium available. Where? “What media do we use to store our data? CDs? DVDs? Tape? What hardware or software do we need to do this?” Here is where you have to take a look at your speciﬁc situation. Combining different media and hardware solutions on different time schedules can be helpful. Here are the most common types and their advantages and disadvantages: Offsite storage is a must for effective data backup and recovery. Choose a location that is likely to survive a major physical disaster, such as a bank vault, underground cave or a location in another state. Regarding software, often the hardware you purchase comes with an application you can use. If not, there are many solutions available, some at cost and some equally good for free. Do your research and read reviews of software on sites such as cnet.com or download. com. Here are three possible free options for small and medium sized operations: • VuBrief www.vubrief. spb.ru/eng/index.htm • Good Sync www.goodsync.com/index.html (there is a free version; PRO version that can purchased) • WinBackup 1.86 www.backupanswers.com/ freewinbackup How? “How do we know which to choose?” According to Chris Hubbell, managing software systems engineer at Westar, “Any shop that has moderate or large amounts of critical data is going to look at tape storage. It has the best combination of beneﬁts and cost.” Even for smaller systems, tape can be affordable and practical, especially Media Optical media like CDs/DVDs Pros Easy, quick, require inexpensive hardware, and somewhat inexpensive if you use RW, very easily portable for offsite storage More permanent, scalable, very reliable as a backup, but not so much as an access replacement; can be portable to offsite location Offsite location backup, great for physical disasters or hardware problems Small, compact, easy to use, very portable for offsite storage, very affordable Can be spinning hard drive type or tape type, can be portable for offsite, can be inexpensive; one-touch solutions are easy to operate Cons Limited life span as they can become unreadable over time, more so with use, less so if stored carefully Can require more expensive hardware, retrieval of speciﬁc information can be difﬁcult as data is stored sequentially Can be difﬁcult and slow in speed during backup or restore Not good for large amounts of data, i.e. over 1 gigabyte Somewhat fragile and not as portable as other media Tape Online storage Thumb drives External hard drives First Quarter 2009 • 15 http://www.vubrief.spb.ru/eng/index.htm http://www.goodsync.com/index.html http://www.backupanswers.com/freewinbackup

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009 Contents From the President Question & Answer: Water Conservation in the Home Avoiding the Humpty Dumpty Approach to Data Backup From the CEO What the Future Holds Asset Management for Small Communities Understanding Your Surface Water Source: The Rivers Hydraulic Models Expeditionary Water Packaging System Graces Delta The Rural Water Rally in April Training in Hawaii Regulatory Update Rural Water Releases Report on Water Infrastructure Projects and Economic Stimulus Legislation Throwing My Loop Advertisers.com Index to Advertisers

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2009

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