Check out our data backup and recovery FAQs for information on a variety of data backup and recovery topics from tape backup to data deduplication to continuous data protection (CDP) and more.
NEW PODCAST! Data
encryption solutions for your backup environment
Greg Schulz, founder and senior analyst at the StorageIO Group, discusses different data
encryption solutions in this podcast interview. Learn about the different types of backup
encryption, how to choose between software and hardware encryption and common concerns with
data encryption solutions.
Hybrid
cloud backup
Rachel Dines, an analyst at Forrester Research, discusses the pros and cons of
disk-to-disk-to-cloud backup and hybrid cloud backup approaches in this Q&A. Read this guide or
listen to the podcast to get a better understanding of hybrid cloud backup.
Oracle
backup strategies
W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent backup expert, discusses the
differences between these Oracle backup strategies and details essential Oracle backup best
practices in this Q&A.
Implementing
data deduplication technology in a virtualized environment
In this Q&A with Jeff Boles, senior analyst with the Taneja Group, learn about why
organizations are more interested in data deduplication technology for server virtualization,
whether target or source deduplication is better for a virtualized environment, what to watch out
for when using dedupe for virtual servers, and what VMware's vStorage APIs have brought to the
scene.
Laptop
backup strategies
Lauren Whitehouse, senior analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group, discusses the variety of ways to
address laptop backup today in this Q&A. Learn about what's the best laptop backup strategy for
your organization, tools for backing up laptops and whether or not desktop virtualization is a good
solution for backing up laptops.
NAS
backup challenges
W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent backup expert, discusses some of
the most common challenges associated with NAS backups, the pros and cons of NDMP and other
technologies that help simplify NAS backup in this Q&A.
Continuous
data protection backup
Can we consider continuous data protection a replacement for traditional backup and recovery
systems? And who should consider using CDP in their enterprise? W. Curtis Preston answers the most
popular questions about continuous data protection and backup today in this FAQ.
The
future for VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection looks promising
VMware Inc.'s latest release, vSphere 4.0, offers the vStorage APIs for Data Protection, which were
added to vSphere 4.0 to improve the efficiency of data backup and recovery. Eric Siebert, an IT
industry expert focusing on virtualization and author of the website VMware-land.com, discusses
vStorage APIs in this Q&A.
Best
practices for reusing data backup tapes
Reusing data backup tapes is a part of most organizations' data
backup and recovery strategy. However, it can be unclear when a tape should be retired from
rotation. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, answers
common questions about reusing backup tapes in this Q&A.
How
to choose the best remote online backup service provider
Backing
up data to a remote online backup service provider can be a good way to back up data, but you
have to choose the right backup provider for your environment. How do you go about choosing the
right online backup and recovery provider for your company? What pitfalls do you need to look out
for? And how do these services differ from one another? Curtis Preston answers these questions and
more about remote
online backup service providers in this Q&A.
Backing
up Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers
Many companies incorporate Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers into their data backup
environments. But backing up Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers involves different steps than
the familiar VMware servers. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup
expert, discusses the challenges associated with backing up Hyper-V servers and the differences are
between backing up Hyper-V and VMware servers.
LTO
tape technology continues to evolve with LTO 5
LTO-5 tape is slated to be released later this year, with nearly double the capacity of its
predecessor LTO-4. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert,
outlines how LTO tape differs from other tape media, discusses the various generations of LTO tape,
and the pros and cons of LTO.
Using
remote replication and data deduplication technology to back up branch office data
W. Curtis Preston outlines how remote replication and data deduplication are used in conjunction in
order to back up branch offices to a central site.
The
dos and don'ts of using backups and data archives
Data backups and data archives are frequently confused with each other. Many people don't know the
difference between the two enterprise data storage technologies, and often assume that if
necessary, they can use their data backup storage as data archive storage, which often is not a
good idea. W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent data backup and
recovery expert, outlines the differences between data backup and data archiving products, and the
dos and don'ts associated with each technology in this Q&A.
Bare-metal
restore FAQ
Bare-metal restores can be challenging. A little planning up front can save you a lot of headaches
when performing a bare-metal restore. W. Curtis Preston, executive editor of the Storage Media
Group answers common questions about bare metal restores in this Q&A.
Linux
data backup and recovery FAQ
Performing data backup and recovery in a Linux environment poses some unique challenges. Brien
Posey, a freelance writer and former CIO, answers some of the most common questions about Linux
data backup in this Q&A.
Global
data deduplication FAQ
Global deduplication allows users to deduplicate data across multiple boxes, which can simplify
management as companies back up more and more data. Backup expert W. Curtis Preston discusses the
pros and cons of global deduplication, who should consider it, and which vendors are offering it
today in this Q&A.
Using
an encryption appliance for data backup security
Data backup security is an ongoing challenge for many organizations and encryption is an obvious
step to protect backup data. However, there are a number of ways to perform backup encryption
today. One way is to use an encryption appliance. But, are encryption appliances right for your
particular needs? Kevin Beaver, information security consultant with Principle Logic LLC, discusses
the pros and cons of using encryption appliances for backup encryption and what you need to
consider before deploying an encryption appliance.
Backup
reporting FAQ
The old joke, "The backup is fine -- it's the restore that doesn't work," is all too often true.
But tools designed specifically to monitor and report on backups can help eliminate those restore
surprises. Lauren Whitehouse, analyst with the Enterprise Strategy Group, discusses the need for
backup reporting, the backup reporting tools available in today's market and more.
CDP
FAQ
Continuous data protection (CDP) is becoming an increasingly attractive data protection and backup
option. But is CDP right for your business? Backup guru W. Curtis Preston compares CDP to
traditional backup in this FAQ.
Data
deduplication FAQ
Will you be able to achieve the huge data reduction ratios that data deduplication vendors are
touting? In this FAQ guide, analyst Jerome Wendt answers the most common data deduplication
questions he's hearing today.
Data
destruction FAQ
When data backups are deleted in your business, are they really gone? In this FAQ, Executive Editor
and Independent Backup Expert W. Curtis Preston discusses data destruction in backup environments.
Curtis takes a closer look at the approaches to destruction, regulations and policies regarding
destruction and options for outsourcing this policy.
Data protection
FAQ
Eric Burgener, senior analyst and consultant with the Taneja Group, answers the questions he is
hearing most frequently about data protection. He discusses developments in data protection
technology, VTLs, the changing role of tape, CDP, WAN optimization, SaaS, cloud-based storage,
dense storage platforms, and the difference between backup and archiving requirements.
Data
replication for backup best practices
Replication is increasingly becoming a critical business need for many organizations. In this
interview, W. Curtis Preston discusses synchronous and asynchronous replication, deduplication and
backup
management best practices.
Managed
data backup and recovery FAQ
John Merryman, services director for recovery services at GlassHouse Technologies Inc., discusses
the benefits and drawbacks of managed data backup and recovery, and the managed backup market today
in this FAQ.
Server-free backup FAQ Not too long ago, server-free backup was the best option for backing up large data sets. However, there are some legitimate alternatives available today. W. Curtis Preston discusses how server-free backup works, pros and cons of server-free backup, the server-free backup market, and today's alternatives to this complicated approach.
Tape encryption
FAQ
How can you protect your tapes once they leave your hands? Pierre Dorion, Data Center Practice
Director with Long View Systems Inc., answers today's most common tape encryption questions.
Tape
handling FAQ
Improper tape storage handling often leads to data loss. How do you correctly handle tape? What are
the most common damages to tape? Curtis Breville, founder and president of geniusTek, and the
writer of the Web site AskMrStorage.com. discusses tape handling best practices in this
Q&A.
Virtual
server backup FAQ
How much are virtualized server environments affecting backup processes? Mark Bowker, analyst with
the Enterprise Strategy Group, answers the most common questions about virtual server backup from
storage administrators.
VTL
deduplication FAQ
John Merryman, services director for recovery services at GlassHouse Technologies Inc.,
discusses the pros and cons of virtual tape library (VTL) data deduplication and the state of the
VTL deduplication market today in this Q&A.
20 Oct 2009