Top 10 Most Common Mistakes That Cause Enterprises to Lose Data - Data Storage - News & Reviews - eWeek.com | eWeek

Dont Take Your Backup Requirements Seriously

Dont Take Your Backup Requirements Seriously
Sep 1, 2011
3 minute read
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Dont Take Your Backup Requirements Seriously

Dont Take Your Backup Requirements Seriously

Large volumes of data present a challenge for backup procedures, and restoring this information can take days. Not matching the file backups with the hardware specifications hinders performance and growth capability, making data loss more likely.


Dont Waste Your Cash on Training

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Investing all of your backup funds in personnel training can take away the necessary funds for other, more reliable backup strategies. Established archiving technologies and services allow data to easily be managed, preserved and recovered, saving money and ultimately preventing future data loss.


You Believe It Doesnt Matter Where You Archive Backup Tapes

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While tapes may seem indestructible, they are highly susceptible to damage from natural elements. Users should keep backup tapes stored in a stable environment, without extreme temperatures, humidity or electromagnetism. Also, storing tapes offsite will ensure that files are preserved if the site experiences a fire, flood or other disaster. Users should also consider uploading data to the cloud, which can protect data from natural disasters.


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You Think You Dont Need Much Experience

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While some users may think they can easily store and back-up their data, they might not know the most efficient and cost-effective solutions available to keep relevant data and comply with backup and storage requirements. Experts and consultants from third-party companies have experience in keeping up with document retention policies and best practices, and can install solutions and provide services with a minimal impact on resources.


Juggle Multiple Backup Experts

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Sometimes, having more than one data backup expert can cause conflicting opinions and contradictions. Users should stick with one expert who understands the customer’s needs and the type of data and backup software they are working with. They can work closely with the user to make sure they understand how their backup solutions work and how to access relevant data.


Replace Your Backup Software Frequently

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Backup tapes are typically designed for use from 5,000 to 500,000 times, depending on the type of tape. By frequently replacing backups, users increase their chances of losing data in the process due to the inability for data on tape to be read by a new application or server.


Unintentionally Format Your Tapes

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Information that may need to be accessed must be transferred to modern media formats in order to be compliant with current legislation and recoverable in the event of data loss. Maintaining up-to-date records and data on modern media formats make future extractions quick and painless. Furthermore, storage costs will decrease and the organization will be better aligned with compliance regulations.


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Dont Ensure Your Backed-Up Data

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The cost of a data loss often outweighs the cost of the data backup software and services. It is important for businesses to know the financial impact that days or even hours of downtime can have in the event of a data loss. Spending money upfront on reliable software helps businesses save money in the long run by protecting their valuable information.


Dont Keep Up to Date With Technological Advances

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As technology constantly changes, many businesses could find that when in need of a data recovery, their data is not retrievable because it is stored on old tape formats. Furthermore, data compliance regulations require businesses to retain data for many years, often longer than the availability of the technology used to store it.


Get Expert Advice to Recover From Data Losses

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Data loss experts have experience with all causes of data loss, from simple to the most complex and catastrophic data loss situations, including human error, viruses, natural disasters, accidental deletion, system crashes, corruption, hardware failure, and more. They are well-equipped to respond to any situation and can prevent the loss from escalating.

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