Backup, backup, backup!
Always keep your data stored in at least 3 places. (RAID is not a Backup) – No one can predict a system failure. There are too many moving components that can cause data loss, that the best option is to have your data backed up to multiple locations, for peace of mind. (e.g Power supply is damaged due to a power fluctuation; Motherboard capacitor blows due to a power spike; Hard Drive ceases up and you get the click of death; or the OS [while updating] destroys its bootup process; etc)
- 1. Your workstation alone is the first location everyone stores their data.
- 2. Local Backup - Have either Windows Backup, Acronis, or EaseUS as an automatic Image level backup to a USB External Hard Drive or Network Attached Storage (NAS). This is important, as it allows for your data to be recovered quickly, and potentially moved to another workstation on the network. This option would allow another workstation to become your primary while attempting to fix the old workstation when it fails.
- 3. Online Backup - Use an online backup as a final cold-storage location for your data. This will prevent data loss if your home floods, your computer is stolen, or an electrical grid issue occurs. Online recovery is slow at best. If you have terabytes of data stored, it can take weeks to recover. It’s always best to use a local backup if you can, for a quick recovery.
If you need assistance to find what the best backup solution is, based on how much storage you are currently using, and on a specific budget, please contact us at
[email protected] or call us at 310.695.1742.
