Network Computingwww.networkcomputing.com

	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Discuss this article Flame the author     In this article Introduction Watch Your Backup ATA's Big Comeback

When it comes to desktop and laptop backup for remote users, disk-based technology is the clear winner because of its speed and ease of use. Tape devices for these systems can be terribly slow, which can confuse and frustrate end users.

With disk backup, end users can run familiar tools such as Microsoft Explorer and backup software designed for ease of use. Also, external disks are simpler to handle than bulky portable tape drives with their associated fragile media. With the use of speedy USB 2.0 and Apple Computer FireWire peripheral interfaces, connectivity is a snap, too.

But when you're talking corporate servers or other bigger systems, deciding which way to back up isn't so clear-cut. Businesses need off-site storage, even if it means Joe in IT has to take home the tapes. Disk-based backup can work well, for instance, in remote locations where there's no on-site IT support. A backup often fails when the non-IT person tasked with tape-change duties doesn't do the job. Off-site locations can also have less than perfect conditions, like dirty tape drives, that can cause unnecessary backup problems. That's where a D2D system makes more sense.

Still, disk-based near-line backup has its problems, too. You can inadvertently replicate an error or virus on your only backup when you deploy the point-in-time or incremental snapshot features of a D2D device. And the ever-changing nature of the snapshot can leave you without a viable backup. To prevent these problems, back up to a tape device once a day as well, or keep a separate, once-a-day snapshot of the data for up to a year (depending on your company's data retention policy).