What is Remote Backup, Online Backup Services, Cloud Computing, Offsite Backup

What is Remote Backup, Online Backup, Cloud Backup, Offsite Backup Services Introduction

As I’m sure you are aware, computers are not completely reliable. Data can be lost in so many ways, hard drives can crash, files can be accidentally deleted, whole systems can be stolen, not to mention, ‘acts of god’, fire, flood, etc. Using a local and/or remote backup plan helps safeguard your important files.

Remote Backup, Online Backup

Remote backup, also known as online backup, cloud backup, and offsite backup is a method of offsite data storage in which individual files, folders, or the entire contents of a hard drive are regularly backed up on a remote server or computer with a network connection.

• Online backup is essentially the same thing as cloud backup.
• A remote backup in its most basic form is backing up critical data and storing it outside of the computer.
• A basic way to perform a remote backup is to copy files to another computer on your network. This way, if one computer stops working, the data is still safe on a second computer. This form of remote backup does not protect against disasters such as fire or theft, since both systems are at the same location.

Online Backup Rationale

The rationale behind online backup is easy, by frequently backing up data on a remote system, the risk of catastrophic data loss as a result of fire, theft, file corruption or other disaster is reduced to a minimum.

With large amounts of storage and faster Internet connections, backing up your files online has become more viable and reasonably priced. These hosted backup providers can also add depth to your archives, since most of them store data in such a way that you can retrieve several previous versions of your files quickly and easily.

Encryption and Password Protection

Encryption and password protection help to ensure privacy and security, but do remember that account passwords still remain the weakest link in any system. If someone can obtain your account name and password, that person can either download the client software or use another web site or locally mounted drive to retrieve your files.

Virtual Local Drive

With the availability of a high-speed Internet connection and a typical web browser such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera or Internet Explorer, the remote files can be accessed as if they were on the local system, just like a local, external USB hard drive.

Dynamic Database Backup

One of the advantages to online backup is the ability to dynamically backup your online systems, in particular databases. This is where a backup is performed on data even though it is actively accessible to users and in a state of continuous updated, as in the case of a shopping cart for example.

• Online backups can provide a convenient solution in multi-user systems because they do not require downtime.

How They Work

All the hosted backup services I investigated use proprietary software to synchronize data on one or more of your computers with their hard drives and services elsewhere on the Internet. All the services tried supported Windows and Linux.

• Your initial backup requires you to upload every byte of data to the remote data storage.

The services store your data on massive server farms that might have hundreds or thousands of terabytes of storage. Very few of the companies provide details on their Web sites about where and how they store your data.

• Some rely on cloud-based metered storage, with a choice between the parent company and Amazon’s Simple Storage Service (S3).

After the initial backup, the services are clever enough to require incremental backups after that so saving storage and bandwidth requirements.

The recovery method (should it ever be required) allows an older version of a file to be reconstructed, using the base file with any intermediate changes patched on top to reach the version you want.

Deleted files may be permanently deleted from the backup set, or retained as part of archive either permanently or for a stipulated period.

• Most systems let you configure how your backup regimen is handled.

Pros and Cons of Online Backup

On the plus side online backups;

• provide offsite storage without the fuss of rotating drives;
• can be set to automatically update even minor changes;
• enforces the regimen of having at least one additional copy of files;
• provides peace of mind for a regional natural disaster, which could damage both onsite and offsite computers and drives.

On the negative side, online backups;

• suffer from moderate to long delays in restore;
• without local personal encryption, data security could be compromised;
• given a government subpoena the online backup service could reveal private data;
• far more expensive than local backups;
• the demise of the online backup service could render your current and archival backups permanently unreachable.
• The user interface can be quite confusing with some really poor designs.

Pricing

The cost of online storage depends upon your service requirements. These could be:

• Flat-rate storage. These services charge a per-computer rate paired with unlimited storage. Typical charges start at $5 per computer per month with a minimum buy in period of one year.
• Metered. These services allow unlimited computers to have pooled data storage and charge per-gigabyte of storage. Charges usually start at about 15 cents per gigabyte of storage per month.
• Combination. These services charge a flat monthly fee combined with a maximum storage allowance, i.e. 150GB.

Online Backup Suppliers

When looking for online backup services just keep the next few points in mind:

• You need a reliable internet connection at all times.
• Without an Internet connection you cannot backup or restore your files.
• You must trust your service provider and the security of their installation.

If any of the above points are unacceptable then do not use online backup.

What is Remote Backup, Online Backup Services, Cloud Computing, Offsite Backup Conclusion

Are we all paranoid when it comes to protecting our backups. I hope so. This is an area where being paranoid wins.

For those needing secure, easily and quickly accessible remote storage, there are many companies who specialize in serving remote storage needs. These companies have secure Internet connections and dedicated servers that can automatically download and protect your important files.

For those in need of a simple backup solution I would recommend True Image 2014 by Acronis. Acronis True Image protects your content, recovers your data in case of any disasters, and syncs it with all your devices or across computers. Safe, reliable, easy, it’s the ultimate in digital protection. This is the backup software I’ve been using for years. They also have a True Image 2014 Free trial here.

If you need a more advanced solution such as remote/cloud backup or related backup products then you might like to see my recommendations:

• Acronis Backup and Recovery Software for Home / Home Office
• Acronis Backup and Recovery Software for Business.
• Recommended Cloud Online Storage and Backup Solutions.

Well, I hope you found something useful and enjoyed, What is remote backup, online backup services, cloud computing and offsite backup.