Continuous Data Protection 101

Dec.01, 2009 in Computers

Continuous data protection is best explained as a type of backup for your computer data. The grim reality that companies loose many thousands of dollars each year due to data loss precipitates the need for using such a system to backup your data. Data loss can occur as a result of viruses, system failures, natural disasters or theft. It is very easy for your business to be completely decimated by total computer loss if you do not protect your computer data by taking steps to put a proper backup plan into place. You should educate yourself about the way in which continuous data protection works, what it can do for you and the price to expect when employing this type of backup system.

Continuous data protection is a system for backing up computer data. It is otherwise referred to as real time back up or continuous backup. Conventional backups are scheduled to save your data at the times you determine. If you lose data between these scheduled backups, you will only have the last available backup point to restore your system and any additions or changes of data made after that point will be lost. Continuous data backup means that changes are made as they happen, hence the referral to real time. This ensures that no data is ever lost. Although the initial backup of all data can take some time, subsequent backups only save new data and not the entire data set. This method is beneficial in that it does not disrupt the efficiency of the system nor does it cause any slow downs in the productivity of employees who are working on the network being backed up.

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Off site data backup is becoming more and more popular. The reason for this is that having a backup of your data that is kept in a separate location is the only way to stay protected from physical harm such as natural disasters. Imagine if your home office or company computers were destroyed in an earthquake, fire or flood. Data backups left on site would be lost together with the original data. Continuous data protection also has the added benefit over conventional backup types in that it saves you considerable sums of money since you do not need to buy any equipment to store or carry out your backups. People work out of their homes a great deal today and they do not have any technical support at their disposal. Data backup that is done online is one of the best ways of protecting these workers from the perils of losing data.

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As already mentioned, continuous data protection can be much cheaper than traditional backup methods such as tape libraries and backup equipment. Additionally, since it saves data files once only and thereafter saves the changes made to those files exclusively, it requires less storage space which translates into a monetary saving. Narrow down the choices to options that will protect the data you have in the way that best meets your needs. Do not choose a lower priced backup system over a superior backup system since you could be jeopardizing the data which represents the backbone of your business.