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Top Ten Data Protection Tips for SMBs
Once upon a time, a small or medium business (SMB) could protect all its important data by copying a handful of important files onto backup media and tossing it in a desk drawer. Things aren't that simple today. The amount of data on business computers has grown astronomically over the past few decades. Many SMBs now have databases, file servers, and e-mail systems with constantly changing data that is crucial to day-to-day business operations. If a company loses this data, business grinds to a halt.
1. Step up to RAID
Storing data on a server disk or a non-RAID external disk array leaves you vulnerable to data loss as a result of hardware failure. A failed disk could cause you to lose all the vital business information created after your previous backup. Storing backups on a RAID disk array, such as the EMC CLARiiON AX150, provides SMBs with a new level of advanced functionality and data protection.
2. Take advantage of shared storage
Consolidate your storage. A shared storage solution is efficient and convenient. A disk array eliminates the need to constantly monitor storage on individual servers. It avoids the expense and inconvenience of acquiring too much storage for some computers and too little for others. Monitor storage for multiple computers from one central location.
3. Be sure your storage can scale to meet your needs
To provide backup storage for other servers, desktops, or notebooks, your shared storage solution must be easily expandable to deliver additional storage capacity. Select a storage option, for example a shared storage disk array, that enables you to easily add extra disks or upgrade to higher capacity disks as available storage space is consumed.
4. Choose iSCSI or Fibre Channel
Whether you opt to use iSCSI or Fibre Channel depends on the needs of your business. iSCSI is a natural choice for most SMBs. It keeps costs down by using commodity cables with standard GigE ports and switches, which are also easier to set up and configure for most IT departments.
5. Protect everything
Select business-class backup software, such as EMC Retrospect, that protects more than just files and folders. Backup software should protect all your computers, support the most popular operating systems, and back up all the data necessary to restore your computer in the event of a failure. A complete backup strategy needs to protect servers, desktops, and notebooks, which can remain unprotected because they are often not connected to the network during scheduled daily backups.
6. Select software that makes backup and recovery easy
Robust data protection doesn't have to be complex. Backup and recovery software should be easy to set up and manage, while still delivering the features you need to protect all your data. Select backup and recovery software with intuitive wizards that streamline setup, schedule backups, and perform restores.
7. Utilize disk for fast backups and rapid restores
You can protect more computers in less time when utilizing disk as a backup destination. Backing up to tape is a cumbersome process. Tapes must be tracked, located, and loaded. It takes time for tapes to start, advanced to the correct position, and stop. With disk, backups can be streamed to the media at a constant speed. Use disk on a daily basis for simpler, faster, more reliable backups and restores.
8. Enable users to restore their own files
One of the most common restore scenarios involves a user who loses or inadvertently deletes a single important file and need to recover that file quickly. Backup software with a user-initiated restore capability enables users to restore their own files without burdening IT personnel.
9. Use two sets of backup tapes
Make two copies of your backup media and store one in a secure, offsite location to guard against catastrophic events such as fire, flood, earthquake, or other disasters that might destroy your onsite backup media. Rotate your onsite/offsite backup media at regular intervals, bringing the offsite media up to date when you bring it onsite.
10. Protect offsite tapes with AES encryption
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