Backup Solutions employ the simple fault tolerance tactic of duplication to assure data continuity when failure occurs to a computer system or network through loss, corruption or destruction. The importance of information in today’s business environment is such that no business can afford to lose access to its own without dire consequences. Backup solutions have historically centered on magnetic tape but other media exist and hard disk based solutions especially, are challenging tape’s position in the current business environment. Archiving Solutions employ many of the same Hardware & media products as backup solutions but serve the purpose of freeing space on the primary storage systems by moving less frequently accessed information to nearline or offline locations for historical or referential needs or to meet compliance statutes. Both backup and archive hardware rely on good software to direct traffic and automate processes in a true solution. A good backup/archive solution insures against data loss by user error or natural disaster with equal fervor and provides security for data at rest and in transit.

Tape backup enjoys its historic dominance of backup solutions because of several factors.

• Tape media is removable and even if a tape drive fails a replacement drive is all that is needed to access the recorded data again.
• The price per gigabyte of tape media is relatively low compared to hard disk, optical disc or flash memory.
• Tape media can be removed when full and stored in a safe place, even in another location, while a fresh tape is inserted.
• Tape media is reusable and can be implemented in rotation to assure frequent backup refreshes in a cost efficient manner.
• WORM (write once read many) tape is available to provide unalterable files required for audit or compliance purposes.

Tape backup solutions may be as simple as an internal or external tape drive attached to a system or server, or may utilize automation. Autoloaders are appliances that automate the delivery of tape media to a tape drive via robotic slots. Tape libraries do the same but on a larger scale – many slots to many drives. Adding slots and drives increases the capacity and decreases the time needed to backup, respectively, and is essential to growing businesses looking to rescale their backup solution.

The most popular tape formats are LTO, DLT and DAT metal oxide tapes which provide fast throughput at a low cost, or AIT and VXA evaporated metal tapes which offer better longevity and fault tolerance.

Disk Array Backup Solutions have always enjoyed a speed advantage over tape both in the backup window and especially in the recovery time. The speed advantage is such that frequent “snapshots” of active data can be taken during the business day to reduce data loss to near zero upon recovery. Today the cost per GB of hard disks has fallen to the point that Businesses are taking a favorable look at how these solutions fit in their business continuity strategies. Several developments have made these solutions more attractive.

• More effective RAID Algorithms avoid the dangers of even multiple disk failures inside the array.
• Virtual Tape Libraries (VTL) have eased implementation and reduced the fragmentation associated with multiple disk rewrites.
• The lower costs of Storage Area Networks (SAN) offer virtualized environments that remove the data from the physical constraints of single locations.
• Compression & Data De-duplication algorithms minimize disk space utilization and slow the need for array expansion.

Disk array backup solutions can be directly attached via USB, Firewire, eSATA, SCSI or Fibre channel interfaces, or can be network attached using Gigabit Ethernet and iSCSI intefaces, or can be accessed through an SATA, iSCSI or Fibre Channel SAN. Similarly the choice of SATA, SAS or Fibre Channel Drives in an array depends on the tactics that best fit your continuity strategy and your business cost structure. Other Solutions involving Optical discs, even solid state drives, offer advantages that appeal in niche situations and deciding which solution best fits your continuity strategy is best done with someone you trust. Call your PC Mall Storage Certified Sales Professional at 1-888-525-3282 to get the help you need.