Online Server Backup - How to choose the right one

If you do a Google search for the keyword "online server backup" you will get more than 24 Million results.

There are many companies offering an online server backup solution, but which one will you trust your important and confidential data with?

We live in a digital age. If you are running a business you may have crucial data stored on your computers, such as customer contact information, credit card numbers, and databases containing financial records or project details. Imagine losing all this data as a result of a fire, a burst water pipe or theft. How much would you be willing to pay to save your business from ruin? An offsite server backup solution is critical for your business continuity and should be part of your disaster recovery plan.

Do you feel that your backups on tapes, flash drives, CDs, DVDs or your onsite NAS appliances are sufficient and that the integrity of your data is guaranteed? What if the tape you are trying to recover from has corrupted data? Did you know that 34% of companies fail to test their tape backups; of those that do, 77% find tape back-up failures. (Boston Computing 2005). What is it costing you to manage your data backups? What if you could save hundreds or thousands of dollars every month and automate the backups at the same time? A reliable cloud backup solution is more efficient and cost effective.

Here is a list of items to look for when considering an online backup solution:

1)    Encryption and transit: Is the backup secure? Is your data being encrypted before being transmitted over the Internet? What type and level of encryption are being used? Is the data being transferred over a secure connection such as SSL or VPN?

2)    Compression and De-duplication: Is your data being compressed? Are all your files being backed up even if 2 or more of the files are the same or only one copy of the duplicate file is being backed up? Compression and de-duplication reduce the size of the data set designated for backup. It also helps to reduce the Internet bandwidth requirement and the amount of time required to complete the backup.

3)    Automation: Can the backup process be automated? Can you use a schedule to automatically backup your selected data?

4)    Bandwidth Throttling: Can you throttle the bandwidth for your backup and recovery tasks or will you have to live with your business' Internet connection becoming a bottle-neck during normal business hours?

5)    Physical Security: Where is your data being stored and how secure is it? Is your data being backed up to a computer sitting in a 13 year olds' basement or is it going to a secure commercial facility? Can your backup vendor's employees access your data or do you alone have access to your data?

6)    Data Recovery: How easy is it to restore your data and how fast is the restore process? How many versions of your files are available for recovery? What is their data retention policy? Can you restore your data from last year?

7)    Your servers: Are the backups continuous? Can it backup open files and databases? Can it backup the system state?

8)    Managed Service: Does the backup vendor or supplier give you the option to manage your backups and recovery for you? Can you call them to get free support over the phone?

9)    Onsite + Offsite: Is a hybrid backup option available to allow you to store your data on a NAS appliance and replicate this data offsite? Whether you need to meet Recovery Time Objectives or you simply want a fast recovery, a hybrid solution can be a life saver.

10)    Compliance: Does the backup and recovery solution meet regulatory compliance requirements?

If you are shopping around for an online backup solution in Toronto, the GTA, USA, UK or anywhere in the World and if you are serious about protecting your data, have a look at your options at BackupSilo.