Introduction Although online data backup is more widely known now than ever before and has grown with
advent of broadband access, many don't really know what if any differences exist between services on offer. As with all products and services they do differ widely in useful features and price. This article aims to help those considering online backup make a more informed decision rather than opting for cheapest service they can find and suffering later….
First a high level recap on how online backup works. Users download a “thin” client (a small computer program) onto their PCs, laptops and/or servers and configure it to select files they want backed up. These selected files are then backed up by clicking a “back up now” button or by setting a schedule to automatically backup files at a given time.
Simple and straight forward. However, as a recent national PC magazine pointed out, services available aren’t all same and have very different features and levels of support – which is normally critical for most products and services. In next few words I’ll point out some of differences so you don’t get caught out with a “good deal” that doesn’t offer you protection or hassle free service you expected to get.
Reliability and handling of Thin Client The thin client is a good place to start as it is “control centre” for online backup operations. The client should be easy to use and intuitive. A single click “backup now” button should exist and it should be just as easy to restore files as required.
Fundamental options in thin client should enable users to trade off level of file compression against speed of compression and include options for controlling maximum size of files allowed to be backed up.
Not all services have clients that are easy to use and by time you’re done trying to use them you are longing to return to more risky traditional backup methods. Make sure you choose a service with a no obligation/free trial to test out client.
Also aim for a well supported thin client if you want best protection for critical files. For real peace of mind you’ll need to know client is always being updated, improved and debugged / tested with new operating systems.
File Selection File selection should be simple and straight forward and is one of most important aspects of service. Users should be able to select a whole folder without having to select each individual file. This is very important as some of cheaper services don’t offer this. When a folder is fully selected, all subsequent files placed in folder should automatically be included in backup set. Conversely it is extremely useful to be able to select a whole folder and then deselect certain files.
Imagine hassle of having to select all new files individually before backing up? This would be far more hassle than using a CD or Tape backup. Due to human error users are more likely to miss files and potentially be miss informed about which files are backed up. Individual file only selection providers are not suitable for backing up servers (see below).
Finally it should be possible to select multiple groups of files (backup sets) and set a different schedule for each of them if need be. For example, group files that don’t change much into file set A and those that change each day into set B. Run an automatic daily schedule for group A and a weekly schedule for group B.
Exclude / Include Filters Filters are really a sub topic of File Selection. Exclude filters enable users to specify which files they don’t want backed up even if they would have normally been selected automatically in a folder.
I have seen users save vast amounts of space using exclude filters by excluding all “.tmp” files. This feature is important in that it will save you money. Other common files excluded are .mp3 files and some of spurious “~*.*” files produced by windows.
Include filters perform opposite function. They can be used to specify, for example, all *.doc and *.xls files to include all word documents and Excel files respectively.
Log Reports and Notification One of key benefits of an online backup service can be peace of mind one gains form knowing all files have been backed up. A service which provides log reports for each individual file is essential if you want such peace of mind. Many have backed up onto tape, CD, DVD, etc only to find some files weren’t copied properly – despite receiving a general “OK” message when files were copied.
Notification by email is most common form of alert. Services which enable email notification on error only, or on failures give more flexibility than low end services that don’t offer notification of any sort.
Some providers also proactively monitor all accounts and contact users if there hasn’t been a backup for a given period.
Support Servers or not? Some of top names in online data backup have a different pricing structure for server support. Some don’t publish prices for backing up from servers and others show tiered pricing. Server support is obviously higher for providers who offer separate server pricing. The best value is obtained from providers who offer a single client suitable for Desktops, PCs and servers. After all you never know when use of a computer might change.
As some online backup services are not suitable for supporting servers it is important to understand your needs at outset. The online backup providers who don’t offer automatic file selection will not be suitable for supporting servers so watch out!
Support, Support Support Once up and running a good reliable service shouldn’t need much support if any. However, service must be set up correctly in first place and user needs/situations change so support is of tantamount importance – as with most if not all products and services.
