If you're like most small business owners, you probably don't pay much attention to your computer data backups. Computer data backups are like flossing your teeth and eating low-fat, high-fiber foods: everyone knows they should do them, but how many people actually do them every day?
But when it comes to backing up your computer data, it can be very dangerous to be too lazy. Of course, it's always a good idea to have a local computer service company you can turn to for advice on how to choose and take care of backups for your computer data. But if you don't want to hire a full-time PC support person for your business, it's important that you at least know the most important things about computer data backups.
So, here are some really important tips on backing up computer data that I've put together after helping small businesses protect their valuable computer data files for nearly 15 years.
Regularly test your computer's backups and keep an eye on their log files.
Computer data backups need to be highly automated so that jobs are always started correctly and on time. However, your computer data backup system also needs to be closely watched to make sure it keeps working well.
Sadly, most people don't pay much attention to the computer data backup system until something goes wrong. It's too late by then... "Test Now or Cry Later!" says the title of the article.
People tend to set up a system to back up their computer data and then forget about it. Automation has many clear benefits, but a hands-off approach can be very dangerous if no one is watching over the process of backing up your computer data.
It's VERY important to test and test again when it comes to computer data backup systems.
Don't assume that everything will work right out of the box with a new computer data backup system. Even more important, don't assume that your backup system will keep working forever. You need to restore some folders and files from your backup media every so often to make sure that your computer's backup system is still working.
If your automated computer data backup system is set up so that each backup job includes a test run, testing a sample restore job once a month should be enough. But if you don't like taking risks at all, you might want to simulate a restore job once a week.
Computer backup systems can be dangerous because they have moving parts and an open design.
Why do you need to take these precautions if you're already buying a reliable, business-class computer data backup system? A tape drive or other backup device is usually one of the few parts of a computer or server that still has moving parts.
Because of this, it's more likely to break down. Also, because a backup device is usually open, while a hard drive is usually sealed, it's easy for a lot of dust to build up on the inside of a computer data backup system device in a short amount of time.
Computer data backup systems: Examples of Restore Jobs and Cleaning Tape Heads
If your backup system needs this kind of maintenance, testing a tape for a sample restore job is a great time to clean the heads of the backup drive.
It shouldn't take more than 15 to 30 minutes to restore a few hundred megabytes (MB) of data to a scratch directory and run a head-cleaning tape.
When running a test restore job, you should always restore the data to a different server folder path so that shared folders don't stop working.
Making a list of steps for backing up and restoring a computer system
In a crisis, the most important thing is how quickly you can get your data back on your system without it being damaged. So, when you set up your computer data backup system, make sure to write down your testing steps on handy checklists.
This documentation can also be very helpful for cross-training and is essential for keeping people calm in an emergency. Make sure you have a hard copy of this documentation next to your system and off-site with your backup media.
Keeping an eye on the log files of your data backup system
You must also check your computer data backup system's log files every day, in addition to running test restore jobs. When setting up the backup system for the first time, you should spend some time getting used to how log files look when everything is working. This way, if something goes wrong, you'll be better able to figure out what's wrong right away.
As network operating system (NOS) suites and backup software have become more advanced, it is now possible to monitor backup system log files remotely and more proactively. Most of the time, the log files for a backup system are just plain text (.txt) files.
Many third-party tools and utilities, as well as the ones that come with Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server (SBS) and Microsoft BackOffice Server, can send a backup system log file by e-mail or fax at a time that you set.
Monitoring tape backup log files automatically and from afar
Many computer consultants have the log files of their small business clients sent to them every day by e-mail. This way, the consultants can keep an eye out for problems with their clients' computer data backup systems.
But don't think that this kind of proactive monitoring is only done by professionals. If your company has one or more branch offices that you support from a central location, you can also use a similar method to check on the health of backup systems in other places.
For more flexibility, you can set up an e-mail alias so that the computer data backup system log file is automatically sent to you, your second-in-command, and maybe even an outside computer consultant. This way, everyone is kept in the loop. Also, this way, monitoring keeps going even when you aren't at work or on vacation.
In conclusion
If your small business depends a lot on its computers, backing up your data is a must. It's not something you can just put off or forget about.
Use the tips in the articles to help you become a better small business owner when it comes to IT, and remember, "Test Now or Cry Later" when it comes to computer data backups.
