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Various Types of Data Backup Media |
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Backup is the process of copying the sensitive files and data, so that the extra copies of them may be made available, in case of loss of that data due to natural or man made data disasters. The computer technologies all around the world are developing at a fast pace and the volume of data generated per day is continuously on the rise. |
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| Author: James Walsh |
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Over time, various backup media came into the market, which served their purpose for the time and soon became obsolete, to be replaced by more contemporary devices. A good backup media has to satisfy certain criteria. It has to be thoroughly reliable, easily available, handy and efficiently fast. A successful backup media must have a long life span and will last for several years.
However, care should be taken that the data is written on a backup media, efficiently and successfully, to ensure its retrieval in the time of need. Any dependable backup media has to be easily available at a reasonable price, so as to ensure that the backup is cost effective. It must be easily accessible, when the files need to be restored and repaired.
A comprehensive backup plan takes into consideration both the long-term and short-term threats to data and often provides for a double set of backup media, one for the day today operations and an extra set stored at a distant location for disaster recovery purposes. Speed and the time required for restoration of data is other important factor in the choice of a backup media.
A successful backup media should be easy to use and must not require complex technical expertise for writing and retrieval of data. There is a range of backup media available in the markets, which satisfy the above mentioned criteria to different levels. Besides these criteria, the choice of a backup media is determined by the nature and volume of data, individual preferences, compatibility with the existing hardware, possibilities of getting obsolete in the future and the budgetary allocations. The following are the various types of Data Backup Media:
1) Floppy Disks
Floppy disks became popular in the early 90s, as the chosen storage media. Because of being cost effective and easy availability, they were widely used for transporting data from one computer to another. They can only backup a limited amount of data, but are highly mobile. Floppy disks are suitable for backing up data that is of a limited size and relatively less important. They are susceptible to high temperatures and moisture and deteriorate at a fast pace. Over the years, floppy disks have become almost obsolete and today we hardly come across a computer that is compatible with the floppy disks.
2) Magnetic Tapes
Big and small companies allover the world, rely on tape backup. Magnetic tapes are highly reliable and cost effective and are popular even today. Tapes are capable of storing large volumes of data and can be recycled. They have a relatively long life span of 10 to 20 years. However, magnetic tapes are in the risk of becoming obsolete in the next few years.
3) Optical Discs
Optical discs like CDs and DVDs are currently the most favoured backup media owing to their low price and mobility. They tend to have a very short lifespan of approximately 10 years and are highly sensitive to light, temperature and other environmental factors. Hence it is advisable to keep multiple copies in case of a CD or DVD backup.
4) Hard Drives
For small businesses, hard drives are the ideal storage media owing to their affordability as compared to tapes. They come in a wide range of capacity and cost to suit all pockets. However, hard drives are prone to crash and have a limited life span of only 3 to 6 years.
5) Static Memory Devices
Static memory devices, like thumb drives, flash drives and memory cards are a recent entry into the world of data backup, but are fast becoming popular. Owing to their power and cost effectiveness, they may genuinely be considered to be the future of data backup. Flash drives use a static, non-moving RAM for saving data and are not prone to mechanical wear and tear. They have an exceptionally long life span of 50 to 100 years.
About Author
James Walsh is a freelance writer and copy editor. If you are concerned about data loss and would like more information on Data Recovery see http://www.fields-data-recovery.co.uk
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