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| Posted: 23 Apr 2010 04:10 AM PDT
By Melissa Scroggins Have you put off backing up your work? Too complicated, right? Like many, backing up your work becomes a chore that is put off and put off and finally, put out of mind. When you realize you need a backup, it's probably too late. A glitch occurs in the middle of a project, and you don't have last week's video files. Maybe you've lost a whole month or more of photos, vector art, or numerous hand coded website templates, and are left with an error code blinking on the screen. First things first, don't wait until there is a problem. A good idea is to implement a simple backup strategy now. Don't fuss over every detail, since doing so will prolong the process and reduce the likelihood that you'll make use of the backup strategy.The following article is intended as an information resource for those of you who haven't gotten into the habit of backing up your work, are not concerned with every technological detail, and want to develop a backup solution right now. The backup info on hardware, software, and online companies, is simplified to take the fuss out of the whole backup process and to get started on the process of backing up your work now instead of later. PrepareA simple answer to the following question is the best preparation. What do you need to back up? A backup is a copy of data. This copy is used in case the original data is lost, corrupted, or as a method to restore your system after a disaster. In order to fully prepare for a backup strategy, the primary focus should begin with what needs to be backed up. Let's look at some common backup needs which may include: daily files, large (media) files, a hard drive backup, and a bootable backup from which you can restore your system. A good idea is to think of all the data you work with on a daily basis. In one day, you may check your e-mail, write e-mail, save e-mail attachments, write a business invoice, modify a calendar entry, add bookmarks to your browser, screencaps of a website your working on, upload a few photos, and a ton of other little things. Your needs may differ, but here are some ideas to get you started on what you may need to backup: Daily Files
Media Files
Security Sensitive Files
By addressing your backup needs, you'll discover whether your data storage requirements are minimal or quite substantial. For some, the data change each day is less than 1GB, while others may find their files exceed 10GB on a regular basis. In either case, you'll have a better grasp of how much storage space you'll need. Further Reading
Choice #1: Hardware(Already have your hardware equipment? Skip ahead to the Software Section.) Your first choice is to choose some kind of hardware equipment to backup your work. There are a ton of hardware options (iPods, magnetic tape, etc.), but the less complicated you make your backup, the more likely you'll use the backup strategy. Let's begin by limiting the hardware options to CD's, DVD's, USB flash drives, and external hard drives. Since these are common data storage mediums, the hardware is easy to find and fits most budgets. We'll start by examining some pros and cons of each data storage medium. This is a quick primer on common backup equipment. Compact DiscsCompact Discs (or CD's) are a common storage medium. Two common types of CD's are the CD-R (CD Recordable) and the CD-RW (CD Re-Writable). Basically, the CD-R (write once read many aka WORM) is burned once and can hold about 700MB of data storage, while the CD-RW can be burned multiple times. An advantage of the CD-R is the data can’t be modified from the original since the cd is burned only once. Other advantages for using CD's are: the longevity (depends on handling, labels, storage,etc.), universal media format (so in the future, family members can have access to the data since the format is not obscure), and the inexpensive price of discs. A common disadvantage is the possibility of scratching or damage to the surface of the disc. Let's face it, CD's are cheap, portable, and available for almost any budget. Digital Video DiscsDigital Video Discs (or DVD's) are another common storage medium. The advantage of DVD's over CD's is that they store around 4.7GB (common capacity) of data, which reduces the number of discs needed to backup and allows larger chunks of data to be saved. Two common choices are DVD-R and DVD-R+, which allow data to be burned once. DVD's also share the longevity, portability, and universal media format of CD's. Another advantage for DVD's is that they are a common format for movies. However, DVD’s also share the same disadvantage of being scratched or damaged as easily as CD’s. USB Flash DrivesA USB Flash Drive is essentially, a small external storage device with a USB interface. They can be called pen drives, flash drives, jump drives, thumb drives, and a variety of other names. The drives can come in a standard brushed metal case or a novelty case (like a plastic replica of sushi) that can be worn on a keychain or a lanyard. The capacity of data storage can range from a 1GB to over 250GB's. The disadvantages of flash drives are the possibility of misplacing the drive due to their size, failure due to overwriting, and the expense per GB in comparison to other storage media formats. The advantages of flash drives are that they are convenient, portable, less fragile than some formats, removable, universal media format(since most computers have USB), and re-writable. External Hard DrivesExternal hard drives are portable computer components, separate from the main computer, which store data. The external hard drive is likely connected to the main computer by a USB, Firewire, or other cable. The drive can sit on the desk or work surface, and can be easily stored offsite for security and safety. Disadvantages of external drives are the likelihood of damage when moving the drive and power requirements. The advantages of the external drive range from the storage capacity of the drive (available in TB's now), speedy transfer rates for data, long-term storage capability, security, and ability to move offsite. Further Resources
Once you know how much data you need to copy, you'll have a better idea of how much storage space you'll need for your backups. After reviewing the different storage format mediums, a good choice for daily files might include CD's, DVD's, and/or USB flash drives, which are quick and often inexpensive solutions. For large media files and bootable backups, an external drive might be your best bet for providing the safety and security for your data. However, the choice is yours to make as these are simply guidelines to help get you started. Choice #2: Software(Already have your backup software, skip ahead to review the Online Backup Services or Strategy Sections.) Now that you have your hardware, you need backup software. Backup software often comes bundled with external drives, which is convenient but may not offer the features you need. However, you can also find freeware, shareware, donationware, and commercial backup software online. Of course there are online backup services too. Often times, a combination of some or all of these is the best compromise. FreewareParagon Backup & Recovery Free Edition 10.1 (Win)
Easeus Todo Backup 1.1 (Win)
SyncBack Freeware 3.2.20 (Win)
TrueSafe Personal Edition 3.51 (Win)
Cobian Backup 8 (Black Moon) (Win)
FBackup (Win)
SilverKeeper (Mac)
JaBack (Mac)
Get Backup (Mac)
SuperDuper (Mac)
Shareware/Donationware Acritum One-Click Backup for WinRAR (Win)
Carbon Copy Cloner (Mac)
Déjà Vu (Mac)
Some Commercial Software
Further Resources
Online Backup Services(Feel free to skip ahead to the Strategy Section.) Online backup service companies are like those orange self storage units, where you pay to store all the stuff that won't fit in your garage or apartment. In this case, the self storage is supplied by a company in a remote place with a multitude of servers. The location of these facilities? Unknown for the most part, with the country of origin sometimes provided. So, why choose an online backup service? Backup service companies provide offsite data storage, which offers another way to have an additional backup copy of your data in case of a disaster, stolen laptop, or hardware failure. Not only that, but an online service provider is sometimes less labor intensive, requires no additional hardware (in most cases), and is a great addition to your backup strategy. When choosing a backup service provider, keep in mind the following questions and concerns: History Compatibility Speed Security Fees Expansion Backup Service Providers MozyHome (Win, Mac)
Carbonite (Win, Mac)
DropBox (Win, Mac, Linux)
Acronis True Image (Win, Linux)
Jungle Disk (Win, Mac, Linux)
BackBlaze (Win, Mac)
SpiderOak (Win, Mac, Linux)
CrashPlan Central (Win, Mac, Linux)
SugarSync (Win, Mac)
Backup via MobileMe (Win, Mac)
iBackup (Win, Mac)
Memopal (Win, Mac, Linux)
iDrive (Win, Mac)
Comodo (Win)
Remember, an online backup service should NOT be your only means of backing up data. This is a secondary means of data storage and not an alternate to the common methods already discussed. Further Resources
Choice #3: StrategyAfter deciding on your hardware, software, and reviewing online backup services, it's time to develop your own backup strategy. Now, there might seem like there are too many methods to choose from, and every one of them might seem complicated. Let's return to the original "Keep it Simple Strategy." Baby steps before the sprint. Bare MinimumBurn, label, put away. Repeat daily. If you only have 15 Minutes to spare and have a CD, DVD, and/or flash drive: begin by backing up all the files you used today on a CD, DVD, or flash drive. Make this a daily habit. For instance, you could create a burn folder on a Mac and then burn that folder at the end of the day. This creates a copy of some of your daily data. You're off to a good start. Well-Prepared“Bare Minimum” + Create initial bootable backup on external drive, move to offsite, and repeat incremental backups on a regular basis. If you have a couple of hours to kill and an external hard drive: You've developed a good habit of backing up files on a daily basis. However, it's now time to create a clone or bootable backup of your entire drive to an external drive. This will likely take quite a few hours for the initial backup. Once completed, you need to move the external drive to either a different room, or better yet, an offsite location (relative's home, safety deposit box, fire safe). The best part of creating the clone of your hard drive? Incremental backups take far less time than the initial hours spent on the first backup. Depending on your needs, the incremental backups can take place once a week, monthly, or biannually. Just remember that you'll only have the data from your last backup. If your last backup was on the first of the month and it's now the 15th and you need to restore your drive, you've lost all data that has changed between the first and the 15th (unless you've developed the “Bare Minimum” backup habit, which will lessen the loss). Extra Cautious“Well-Prepared” + Create initial bootable backup on spare external drive and schedule incremental backups daily. If you have a couple of hours to kill and two external hard drives: Follow the "Well-Prepared" method, but add a spare external drive. Use this external drive to create another bootable backup that you don't move to an offsite location. This drive will serve as a daily incremental backup that you can schedule to occur as often as you like. Then, alternate your external drives. Have you already implemented another backup method and still feel unsure you’ve covered all bases? Research some online backup service providers and sign up as a secondary or tertiary means of data storage. This offers yet another layer of protection for your data. Some service providers offer automatic, scheduled, and incremental backups that can run in the background and automate your backup strategy for you. Try a few methods and see what works best for you. Choosing one backup method, or a combination of any, will insure that your data is safe, secure, and available in case of a disaster. Further Resources
In ConclusionAt last, you're ready to begin backing up your data. Don't think of backing up as a chore anymore. Doing so results in procrastination. In fact, don't think about backing up at all. The thing is, you need to take action to make your backup strategy work. Just do it and then repeat on a regular basis. It's that simple. Further Reading
About the AuthorMelissa Scroggins is a freelance graphic designer and co-founder of PeachPoPs. She loves designing icons, creating vector illustrations, and playing survival horror video games. Follow her design adventures on Twitter and feel free to send a tweet. |
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