As discussed in my previous PowerPoint presentation on Slideshare regarding Online Backup, I have received feedback from a couple of people regarding what things should be look into before going for Online Backup. This prompted me to make a list of a “must haves” for Online Backup.
1. Reliability
You should know how long the service provider is in market. Check their testimonials on their website or you can check their reviews provided by existing users. There are many review websites available on internet which gives analysis and features of the service provider. You can come to know their strengths and weaknesses.
2. Affordability
Backup Service should be cost affordable and help you save time. Imagine the amount of money that you shall invest in purchasing media / dedicated hard drives or built a backup server. Do the calculation of how affordable it shall be?
3. Data Storage Facility of Service Provider
Check the data storage facility.
§ How is the datacenter environmentally located?
§ What are the power facilities at data center
§ Cooling facilities at data center
4. How can you access your data
§ Is your data available 24x7
§ What about down time
§ Check the past down time analysis. In case, if required is there
a option you can collect your data physically or can be send
to you.
§ Is the data remotely accessible?
5. Security practices followed at Datacenter
§ How secured is the Datacenter
§ How can the customer or any external person get access to
their Data servers
§ What security checkpoints are implemented
§ Is the Data center protected with CCTVs / Bio-metric finger
print access and other latest security measures
6. Support
Support provided by Service provider shall be vital in your smooth functioning of Online Backup. Especially, when there is a restore of data required or a new configuration setup required. Inquire about support options.
§ Whether it is paid or free support
§ What are the means of support for example, chat, phone,
email or on-site
§ What is the response turnaround time frame
7. Ease of Use
The Software should be easy and convenient to use. The Software should be “one and done” setup and also check restore of data should be simple.
8. Software Features
Prepare your list of features you would require in the Software. Apart from the standard features of the Software for example, if you are looking to backup database of Oracle or MS-Exchange you should check whether the software is compatible to backup those.
9. Initial Backup
Initial Backups are large. If you decide to go for Online Backup plan how you would transfer your first initial backup. If you have data of about 500 GB that can take days or you may have to do transfer at evenings and nights. Some backup providers offer the facility of sending you a encrypted disk and transfer initial data thru the disk to their data center, their after the further backups are quick as generally they are incremental.
Hope the above post gives more in-depth about Online Backup.
I would like to suggest to go for “Online Backup Service” for Data Backup”. The Advantage is “you can retrieve your data anywhere, anytime”. I am using SOS Online Backup (http://www.sosonlinebackup.com) to protect my data.
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