| You know you need some form of data migration | | | | store every bit of data this way. |
| and backup plan, but which type is right for | | | | |
| your business? The best way to answer this | | | | Recovering data from disk storage |
| question is to look at the way in which data | | | | |
| is recovered from different types of storage | | | | With disk storage, the data on the working |
| media. After all, recovering data after a | | | | hard disk is mirrored onto the secondary disk |
| disaster is the reason for implementing a | | | | storage. This means that if the primary disk |
| data migration plan in the first place. The | | | | is destroyed, you can essentially tap into |
| last thing you want in the event of a | | | | the information on the secondary disk storage |
| catastrophe is not to have the resources or | | | | and pick right up where you left off. Disk |
| the time to restore the data saved in your | | | | storage is especially simple when it comes to |
| storage devices. | | | | restoring system files. |
| | | | |
| Before looking into the different types of | | | | The problem with storing everything on disk |
| storage media, it's important to point out | | | | storage is the limited space. While the |
| the different types of data that a company | | | | storage space of disk storage devices has |
| may need to store. First, a company has | | | | grown tremendously while prices for storage |
| archived data that it may not access on a | | | | have come down, some companies still need a |
| daily basis such as patient records or | | | | lot more space than disk storage can provide |
| documents needed to comply with the Sarbanes | | | | for their archived data. |
| Oxley act. | | | | |
| | | | Recovering data from optical disks |
| Second are working files, these are critical | | | | |
| files that are accessed on a regular basis | | | | Somewhere in between tape media and disk |
| such as email, data grids, real-time | | | | storage in terms of ease of recovery are |
| inventory information, etc. The third type | | | | optical disks. Assuming your optical disks |
| of data is system files. This includes all | | | | are well organized, you can essentially spend |
| of the programs and software currently | | | | a day migrating data from optical disks back |
| installed on your computer, settings, etc. | | | | onto the systems. |
| Each of these different types of data may be | | | | |
| suited for different types of data storage | | | | If you're thinking of choosing optical disk |
| devices depending on your business data | | | | storage, make sure to have either an |
| structure. Your ideal data storage solution | | | | automated backup system in place like an |
| may be a combination of different types of | | | | optical jukebox, or a very solid plan for |
| storage devices for different types of data. | | | | backing up data at regular intervals. The |
| | | | potential danger with optical storage is |
| Recovering data from tape media | | | | intending to back up data manually, but then |
| | | | not doing it for one reason or another, no |
| The wonderful thing about tape media is its | | | | matter how well meaning your intentions. |
| ability to store so much information in such | | | | |
| a compact amount of space. Tape media is | | | | Before choosing a type of data storage |
| ideal for archived information such as | | | | device, ask yourself how long different parts |
| customer records and case files that don't | | | | of your organization can be without certain |
| necessarily need to be migrated back to the | | | | types of data before critically impacting the |
| system in the case of a crash. | | | | business. Of course the ideal option is to |
| | | | have no downtime whatsoever, but there may be |
| Recovering entire systems from tape media can | | | | certain types of data such as archived data |
| take longer than with other types of data | | | | that you can afford to be without for more |
| storage devices. Restoring data from tape | | | | than a few hours. Data storage vendors that |
| media isn't necessarily as simple or | | | | offer consulting services and sell a wide |
| intuitive as restoring data from a hard disk. | | | | variety of product types and brands can be an |
| Owners of small businesses with no IT | | | | incredibly valuable resource in helping you |
| department will want to make sure they | | | | find the data storage solution that is |
| understand how to restore all of the critical | | | | optimal for your business. |
| files from tape media before deciding to | | | | |