In a digitized world, data is the basis for far-reaching and promising business decisions. But companies can only take full advantage of these benefits if they can rely on sustainable data backup. While it is mostly annoying for private individuals when important data such as photos or similar are lost, it can be business-threatening for companies. This How-To answers the most important questions about data backup.
Do data need to be backed up?
The question of whether data needs to be backed up is actually obsolete. Data gets lost at some point, whether you want it to or not. Sometimes a file is accidentally deleted, sometimes it’s malware that damages your files – and in other cases your hardware is broken. So the question is rather how you can prepare for this mishap. Backups are essential for this.
In addition, §238 of the German Commercial Code (HGB) obliges companies to keep proper records and, consequently, to archive your data properly. The terms backup and archive should by no means be used as synonyms. While a backup aims to restore lost data as quickly as possible, with an archive you are trying to keep your data accessible in the long term. You should also think about a backup for your data archive.
Attention: Data backup and data security are not the same! While you try to intercept the loss by data backup, data security aims at keeping your data safe from the access of third parties. However, this is not just about encryption through passwords, but also about data protection compliance. While it is true that the loss of data can also be accompanied by a loss of data security – there are enough examples where this is not the case.
Data backup with 3-2-1: what’s it all about?
So how do you go about backing up your data the right way? One commonly advised method is the 3-2-1 principle. This is designed to keep the risk of data loss as low as possible. Because one thing is clear: the risk decreases proportionally to the number of backup copies. The rule of thumb is: 3 backup copies – 2 storage media – 1 external storage medium. Back up your original file with at least two copies so that you have three versions. These backup copies should be on two different storage media to prevent media failure. To ensure that you are protected even if your data center fails, one copy should be stored on an external storage medium. This way you have enough backups in case your files are damaged or deleted.
Especially in today’s wired world, it can also happen that all computers in a company are linked to the same data center (e.g. server). If this is not accessible or damaged, in the worst case you no longer have access to your data. For this reason, you should make sure to perform an external data backup. There are many ways to do this: you can choose external hard drives or USB sticks – or back up your data to another branch. However, since small businesses or self-employed people in particular often don’t have a second location, you can also choose to store your data in the cloud.
Cloud or not cloud, that is the question here
There are several advantages to backing up your data via the cloud: First, it protects you from having your physical backup broken or lost. Cloud providers protect the data stored with you on different server systems from loss. In addition, you can access your data from any device with an Internet connection – so you are no longer even tied to your PC or laptop. If, for example, the battery runs out, you can also access the files via a smartphone. But the biggest plus point is convenience: you no longer have to remember to save your changes in the document. Instead, they are uploaded directly to the cloud.
However, because great importance is attached to data protection, especially in Germany, companies of all sizes are still reluctant to take the step into the cloud – especially if the data protection guidelines are confusing or do not meet the EU standard. Many decision-makers therefore ask themselves how secure the step into the cloud is. Deciding how secure the data in your cloud is depends on two questions: What kind of data do you want to store? And which cloud provider do you use? Data misuse and hacker attacks are serious threats that can tip the balance against using the cloud.
When making your decision, therefore, always weigh up which data should be stored in the cloud and how sensitive this data is. If you do want to take the step into the cloud, make sure you have the appropriate ISO 27001 certification under all circumstances.
Many options – one solution?
As already alluded to in the question of whether you should store your data in the cloud: there is no universal solution for your requirements. But at the same time, this has the advantage that you can design your data backup completely individually. In the following, we will introduce you to four options for physical data backup: Discs, external hard disks, magnetic tape and servers.A round thing? – Data backup on discs
At first glance, optical data storage devices, such as a CD or a BluRay, are an obvious solution for data backup. You, too, have probably backed up data such as music or videos to discs at some point. Until a few years ago, every laptop had a CD drive that could easily import or export data from discs. In addition, CDs are particularly inexpensive.
The fact is, however, that hardly any laptops have a CD drive these days. Of course, you can also fall back on an external drive. In addition, burned CDs have a particularly short shelf life of about five years. Burned DVDs have an average shelf life of 30 years, while Blu-Rays can last up to 50 years. Nevertheless, the risk of improper storage or handling is generally highest with discs, which can extremely limit their shelf lives. Moreover, even Blu-Rays normally have storage capacities of 25-50 GB. Therefore, even solo self-employed users are advised not to use optical drives as their sole data backup solution. However, not backing up data at all is a much worse solution. Therefore, in exceptional situations, it is better to rely on optical drives than to do nothing at all.
Handy and practical: external hard disks
For some time now, external hard disks have also been used for data backup in private use: they now have a storage capacity of several terabytes and are particularly handy at the same time. Simply connected to the PC via a USB port, the data is stored on it in no time at all. For this reason, they are particularly suitable for smaller companies as a second and external storage medium.Nevertheless, external hard disks also have a comparatively low shelf life of around five years. In addition, they are also not protected against possible hardware damage in the event of improper storage or operation. Since a hard disk is also a physical medium, drop damage and the resulting loss of data represent an enormous risk. Accordingly, larger companies should consider the 3-2-1 rule and use external hard disks only as a partial component for comprehensive data backup.
Not to be killed – the magnetic tape
Despite their age, magnetic tapes are still a data backup option that many companies rely on. They are inexpensive to purchase and can be stored safely in a safe. What’s more, with a lifespan of up to 30 years, they last a lot longer than compact discs or hard drives. So the problem with magnetic tapes is not the media, but rather how to handle them.Although the tapes are inexpensive, the corresponding drive entails high costs. In addition, it should be noted that the recovery times are particularly high. If you are dependent on getting your lost data as soon as possible, time is the arch enemy. Therefore, you should keep these aspects in mind when choosing magnetic tape as a backup medium.
The server variant: Network Attached Storage (NAS)
The most commonly used variant in companies today is Network Attached Storage (NAS) – backing up your own files on a server. This is similar in design to a standard computer: it has a housing, operating system and processor. In addition, several hard disks are usually installed in so-called racks. The use of a large number of hard disks and the associated use of a well-adjusted RAID system also prevents the risk of hardware damage: The data is not only backed up on one hard disk. If one is broken, it can be replaced in no time at all without any loss of data.
Modern hard drives such as Seagate’s EXOS X X18 offer multi-terabyte storage, creating petabyte-level capacity in any rack. The latest technology makes them perfect for hyperscale applications or cloud data centers. With a mean time between failures (MTBF) of about 2.5 million hours, your data is backed up for five years on the drive.Unlike the other media, however, NAS cabinets are more expensive to both purchase and maintain, but without being fail-safe. A power outage can cripple your entire data center. Nevertheless, especially large companies with elaborate data backup concepts should weigh the NAS option more carefully in their choice. But small companies can also derive considerable benefit from it.
Data backup via RAID – does it make sense?
A widely used concept for data backup is the RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Discs) method. Data is stored redundantly on independent hard disks – information from files is specifically stored twice to minimize the risk of data loss. The backup is carried out either by mirroring, via stripes or parity – or by a combination of these.
Mirroring
With mirroring, all data is stored in full on all hard disks – it is mirrored from the source file to the hard disks. So you need at least two more hard disks. For this reason, mirroring requires a lot of capacity, but it is comparatively simple. The advantage of mirroring is that the complete data set is stored on all hard disks. So you have complete backup copies of your files. However, if you update your mirror with corrupt files, the original on all disks is lost.
Save with stripes
Save with stripes splits the data to several hard disks, so that on each disk only a part of the data is saved. Only when all disks are merged, you get the full data set again. In contrast to mirroring, with stripes you run the risk of losing part of the data set. However, the reading speed is significantly increased. Similar to mirroring, you also need at least two hard disks for this. With parity, on the other hand, you need at least three hard disks: Here, the data sets are separated from each other on the first two, and a combination of the data sets – a parity – is stored on the third. This way, if you lose a disk, you can use the parity to recalculate the missing record. The RAID method is particularly suitable if you rely on elaborate concepts for data backup anyway.
| Cloud | CDs | DVDs | Blu-Rays | Festplatte | Magnetband | NAS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haltbarkeit | sehr lang | kurz | moderat | lang | moderat | lang | lang |
| Preis | abhängig von Größe des Unternehmens und der Menge an Daten | günstig | günstig | günstig | günstig | Datenträger günstig; Lesemedium teuer | hoch |
| Datensicherheit | abhängig von der Art der gespeicherten Daten sowie dem Anbieter | bedenklich | bedenklich | bedenklich | relativ sicher | sicher | sicher |
| Aufwand | sehr gering | gering | gering | gering | gering | hoch | moderat |
| Backup-Geschwindigkeit | schnell | moderat | moderat | moderat | abhängig vom Anschluss | langsam | schnell |
Data backup can be done in different ways. Which one you choose depends on the requirements in your company. It doesn’t matter whether you opt for physical data backup or the cloud variant: Make up your mind! The principle “it only happens to others” does not apply to data loss. There is no universal solution – each has its advantages and disadvantages. But even a simple data backup is better than none at all. If the 3-2-1 principle also applies, nothing stands in the way of your data security.
Bild: Adobe Stock
