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Problem solve

Get help with specific problems with your technologies, process and projects.

• Ensure your backup infrastructure has sufficient networking

  How can you effectively modify your backup process to fit your network speed? Because bandwidth constantly varies, employ best practices for a range of scenarios. Continue Reading

• Challenges with hybrid cloud backup and how to solve them

  Hybrid backup is a popular method, but the combination of local and cloud storage increases complexity. Make sure you're managing your backed-up data effectively. Continue Reading

• 10 steps to creating an effective data backup strategy

  A common denominator in well-functioning backup infrastructures is effective process and control. This checklist highlights 10 areas to help build a better backup practice. Continue Reading

• In your data archive strategy, how long is long enough?

  Hoarding large amounts of data increases costs and management time. Here's how to painlessly separate the wheat from the chaff for your data archive strategy. Continue Reading

• What are 3 cloud backup security guidelines against cyberattacks?

  Cloud security is a top concern for IT. As a result, keeping cloud backups secure should be a priority. Here are three straightforward guidelines to help. Continue Reading

• Archive vs. backup and why you need to know the differences

  Archiving and data backup are both key pieces of data protection. They can complement each other, but both provide distinct and important capabilities.Continue Reading

• Data protection technologies changing the market

  The world of data protection is constantly evolving, and organizations need to be prepared with an arsenal of tools to face modern threats and hurdles.Continue Reading

• RAID 50: How to select the right RAID level

  RAID 50 combines striping with distributed parity for reduced data loss and better performance. Is RAID 50 the right configuration for your organization?Continue Reading

• Protect backups from ransomware and other security risks

  Backups can return your enterprises to a known good state. So it's essential to secure them by aligning your backup and security strategies for better protection and recovery.Continue Reading

• How to recover from a data backup failure and move forward

  Backup failures don't need to cause a long-term crisis for your organization. Make sure you're ready for this unfortunate possibility with these practical best practices.Continue Reading

• Data backup failure: Top 5 causes and tips for prevention

  What can you do to prevent data backup failure? Learn how using the 3-2-1 rule, turning to cloud backup and following other practical steps can help protect your data.Continue Reading

• Switch to a new data backup system without disruption

  Your organization may be looking to transition to a new data backup platform. Avoid potential pitfalls and make the change seamlessly with these guidelines.Continue Reading

• Full vs. incremental vs. differential: Comparing types of backup

  Evaluate full vs. incremental vs. differential backup, as well as newer types of backup, in synthetic and incremental-forever, to determine what's best for your organization.Continue Reading

• Two cloud backup problems that organizations need to consider

  Don't let typical cloud backup issues slow down your organization. Stay in front of potential impacts to budget and bandwidth for a solid backup platform.Continue Reading

• 7 rules for effective data backup procedures

  If you're responsible for data backups on multiple systems, strong policies are highly recommended. This tip gives you seven rules to follow for effective data backup procedures.Continue Reading

• GDPR and backup: What have we learned in one year?

  A customer's deletion request continues to be a sticking point regarding backup and GDPR compliance. Learn guidance about this issue and others, following GDPR's first birthday.Continue Reading

• SaaS data protection blues cured with cloud-to-cloud backup

  Your cloud-based data isn't as safe as you would think. Learn why and find out what you need to know to select the best cloud-based backup service for your SaaS applications.Continue Reading

• 5 biggest data backup mistakes -- and how to avoid them

  Don't let a backup blunder hurt your organization or career. Here are five common, yet potentially disastrous data backup mistakes you must avoid at all costs.Continue Reading

• Top 4 NAS backup strategies for your data protection

  Whether justified or simply because the technology was misunderstood, backing up NAS devices was once considered a challenge. Now, you have several options for proper NAS backup.Continue Reading

• Using snapshot backups for your data backup system

  The quick and simple nature of snapshot backup systems can be a big win for your data protection platform. However, there are elements of snapshots that aren't great for backup.Continue Reading

• 5 common Backup Exec error codes and how to resolve them

  Backup Exec, which is now under the Veritas brand, is one of the top names in data protection. If a Backup Exec error occurs, it may be one of the codes analyzed below.Continue Reading

• The challenge of SaaS backup and how to approach it

  Just because it is in the cloud doesn't mean it's safe. SaaS data backup is equally as important as backing up your on-premises workloads but has its own unique challenges.Continue Reading

• 5 mistakes made when backing up VMs and how to prevent them

  Creating backups in virtual environments has its own challenges. Avoid some of the typical errors involving snapshots, quiescing and scheduling, and generate solid VM backups.Continue Reading

• RAID 6 vs. RAID 10

  There are numerous RAID configurations to choose from, but navigating the nuances of each can take a lot of work. In the case of RAID 6 and 10, both have distinct pros and cons.Continue Reading

• Top 8 VMware vSphere backup best practices

  The architecture and operation of a virtual environment is different than a traditional backup environment and demands specific techniques. Learn top tips for backing up vSphere.Continue Reading

• Protect backup from ransomware attacks and recover safely

  Ransomware continues to get smarter and more sinister. Make sure you protect backups from ransomware that delays detonation and gets recovered into production.Continue Reading

• Data backup security measures to take ahead of a hurricane

  In this firsthand look, IT and storage expert Brien Posey details how he secured data backup and other important system elements as Hurricane Florence approached.Continue Reading

• GDPR right to be forgotten and backups: What are potential problems?

  Removing personal data from a database is a simple process, but eliminating that information from full backups could undermine the integrity of your data. Proceed with caution.Continue Reading

• Compression, deduplication and encryption: What's the difference?

  Learn the distinctions and similarities among data compression, dedupe and encryption as these data protection methods gain importance in everyday storage.Continue Reading

• Preventing ransomware attacks is a top storage vendor claim

  Storage vendors advance silly and not-so-silly claims about how data backup and protection technologies are the answer to ransomware prevention and growing ransomware fatalism.Continue Reading

• Backup snapshots and replication supplement standard backup

  Traditional backup or data snapshot and replication technologies alone don't meet the data protection and DR needs of modern enterprises. Combine them all together and they do.Continue Reading

• What backup security measures protect against data breaches?

  Backup security varies across different storage media. What works for tape-based backup may not work for disk backups, so plan your data protection strategy accordingly.Continue Reading

• Container backup follows data persistence to these ephemeral apps

  The advent of data persistence in containers necessitates having data backup in containers. Here's how this is being done and which vendors are leading the way.Continue Reading

• Ten important steps for testing backups

  Don't let missing or defective backups ruin an otherwise wonderful business day. Backup testing is a surefire way to help your business stay on its feet during a disruption.Continue Reading

• How ransomware variants are neutralizing data backups

  The latest iterations of ransomware aim to undercut backups as an effective method for recovering from attacks. Learn how to overcome this vulnerability.Continue Reading

• Our top five data protection tips of 2017

  We've compiled the top five pieces of data protection and backup advice given in 2017, from copy data management products to lingering cloud backup doubts.Continue Reading

• Can you list some data compression technology pain points?

  While data compression can effectively reduce space, be careful with how you use it, because the three issues outlined here could cause problems in your storage environment.Continue Reading

• Three ransomware backup best practices to implement

  Data backups are not invincible to threats, and ransomware is no exception to that rule. Backups may help to reverse the damage done by an attack, but that's not their only use.Continue Reading

• Snapshot-based backup snaps back against cyberattacks

  A flat backup approach could help your organization recover easier if it's hit by ransomware. There are snapshot-based options available from system and backup software providers.Continue Reading

• How providers can ease cloud backup security fears

  Cloud backup may be the talk of the town, but according to one recent survey, it still has some ground to cover before it can win over the masses. What can cloud service providers do?Continue Reading

• Vendors of copy management systems tackle potential pitfalls

  If you're looking to reap the benefits of a copy data management product, it's important to keep in mind the limits and possible risks involved with the technology.Continue Reading

• What are some ghost image creation issues?

  A ghost image can be used to copy the contents of one server to another for backup, but the process of creating ghost images may not be as simple as it seems.Continue Reading

• Cloud backup systems are a good bet in ransomware fight

  Because it's important to protect your backups against ransomware, a cloud backup system is a strong option. Critically, cloud backups are off the network.Continue Reading

• Object storage helps with ransomware protection

  Object storage that supports immutability or versioning can ensure a faster and easier recovery from ransomware attacks.Continue Reading

• Your enterprise data protection strategy should include cloud and tape

  The cloud generally makes sense for shorter-term data retention, but find out how it can also play a role in keeping data for longer periods of time.Continue Reading

• Ransomware protection best served by backing up your data

  A recent survey illustrates how extensive ransomware threats have been, and Rich Castagna says backing up data remains your best defenseContinue Reading

• Mobile device security management practices enhance data protection

  While mobile security is a challenge, file sync-and-share products and mobile device management software can help protect your organization's vulnerable data.Continue Reading

• Navigate the chaos of ephemeral data storage

  You may hear chatter that data is too ephemeral to go through the trouble of backing up and archiving it, but Jon Toigo says it's a worthy exercise.Continue Reading

• Gold standard of data protection methods goes through sea of change

  Most enterprises now use four backup products for business data protection even though a unified product would do a better job of meeting their needs.Continue Reading

• Double down: When backups and archives beat as one

  The purposes of data backup and archiving are quite different, as are the demands each technology places on the storage system. But most data centers, especially those in small to medium-sized organizations, don’t have formal archiving strategies, ...Continue Reading

• Recovering from ransomware starts with data protection strategy

  While ransomware attacks may be nearly impossible to stop, there are important data protection measures your organization can take to recover effectively.Continue Reading

• Four data copy management misconceptions that affect your business

  Be aware: Copy data management is easily misunderstood. For example, it is not a true backup and could impact performance. Find out how best to get around these issues.Continue Reading

• The zettabytes are coming...fight back

  Explosive data growth has brought about a commensurate increase in zettabytes, but a smart, proactive approach to archiving can help.Continue Reading

• Corporate data protection poses same challenges as BYOD

  Backup admins and IT pros must work together to ensure corporate data protection among a decentralized workforce who embrace BYOD philosophy.Continue Reading

• Should the data dedupe process ever be disabled by admins?

  While it may seem that you should never switch off the deduplication process, there are two instances where that may be the best solution for your organization.Continue Reading

• What are some flat backup misconceptions?

  Flat backup, which is based around storage snapshots, is gaining popularity. But the technology can't protect every resource in an organization. We debunk the top fallacies.Continue Reading

• How does Office 365 Clutter affect data retention?

  The Microsoft Office 365 Clutter feature is designed to clean up email inboxes, but the feature is not perfect. Learn how to overcome data retention issues that may arise.Continue Reading

• Backing up virtual machines doesn't have to hurt

  Backing up virtual servers was a serious challenge for a number of years. Even today, many shops use traditional, agent-based backup to protect virtual servers. But it's a classic example of something working well until it doesn't. Virtual server ...Continue Reading

• How an effective data archiving system can ease backup woes

  Backup and archiving are two different animals. A backup is designed to restore data to a specific point in time following an outage. Archives, on the other hand, are designed to store data that is not currently in use but cannot be deleted for ...Continue Reading

• Address ROBO backup challenges

  Historically, remote office/branch office (ROBO) backup has been a challenge. The cost to send large amounts of data over the wire to a central data center was too expensive for most organizations. So, most ROBO backup happened on-site if at all. ...Continue Reading

• Data archiving system: Choose wisely to ease backup woes

  Learn three ways a data archiving system can provide access to granular-level data and then replicate it for automated recovery at a later date.Continue Reading

• Address test/dev data protection challenges

  Test/dev environments present unique data protection challenges. Find out what you can do to address them.Continue Reading

• What are the top five misconceptions about cloud-to-cloud data backup?

  Protecting data created in the cloud is a low priority for many organizations. Learn the biggest fallacies about cloud-to-cloud backup.Continue Reading

• Unitrends backup goes to infinity with Forever Cloud

  The Unitrends Forever Cloud initiative lets customers back up offsite at a monthly cost of 10 cents per 500 GB increments, and retain annual backups longer than the standard 30 days.Continue Reading

• Virtual machine backups remedy outdated legacy backups

  Virtual machine backups are widely available, but many shops are ignoring the technology until their application performance suffers.Continue Reading

• What are the top misconceptions about instant recovery?

  Instant recovery allows users to run a virtual machine from a backup copy. We list the top five fallacies around the technology.Continue Reading

• How difficult is failback from a backup virtual machine?

  Recovery in place allows users to run apps from a backup virtual machine. Brien Posey explains the two steps involved with failing back to the primary VM.Continue Reading

• Data backup and archiving continue their convergence path

  Data backup and archiving have long been separate processes. But backup software and hardware advancements are enabling convergence between the two disciplines.Continue Reading

• Avoid Docker host backup issues on Hyper-V virtual machines

  Learn about common issues associated with Docker host backup on Hyper-V and how to avoid them.Continue Reading

• Get a grip on the importance of mobile backups

  Today, the majority of enterprise users make use of multiple devices, thereby driving the need for endpoint and/or mobile backups. Although backups have been an important part of IT operations for many years, mobile and other endpoint devices pose a...Continue Reading

• Virtual machine backup a top VM storage priority

  Virtual machine backup might not be such a big headache anymore, but it still commands some serious resources.Continue Reading

• What cloud migration services are available for switching vendors?

  Migration between cloud backup services can be a challenge, but available options can ease the process.Continue Reading

• What are the challenges with protecting Docker container data?

  Expert Brien Posey explains how Docker's architecture affects backups and how to best approach backing up Docker data.Continue Reading

• Are there tools that help users migrate from one backup product to another?

  Backup software vendors such as CommVault offer services and/or software that assist customers with migrating from a competing product.Continue Reading

• How do you perform Docker backup?

  Few backup software providers offer Docker container backup support, but is there a way to back up Docker containers with any backup software?Continue Reading

• Dealing with Active Directory restore challenges

  What are the biggest challenges with backing up Active Directory?Continue Reading

• Exchange Server data backup challenges

  What are the biggest challenges associated with backing up Exchange Server data? Brien Posey discusses in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• What does CommVault Simpana 10 error code 19:757 mean?

  What does CommVault Simpana 10 error code 19:757 mean and how do I resolve it?Continue Reading

• What does CommVault Simpana 10 error code 19:861 mean?

  What does CommVault Simpana 10 Error code 19:861 mean and how do I resolve it?Continue Reading

• Application awareness comes to hypervisor snapshots

  Brien Posey discusses why hypervisor-based snapshots can cause problems when they're applied to application servers and how application awareness can mitigate the issue.Continue Reading

• What are some ways we can meet our backup windows?

  Our backups are not completing in the window of time we have allocated. What are some of the alternatives to look at for getting them done within our backup windows?Continue Reading

• How can I reduce my cloud storage costs?

  What are the top five ways to save money on cloud storage costs for data protection?Continue Reading

• Software-based replication techniques break hardware chains

  Hardware-based replication is a mature and effective technology, but software replication offers greater flexibility and more choice protecting data.Continue Reading

• What's best for archiving?

  What's the best choice: tape-based, disk-based or cloud-based archiving?Continue Reading

• Prevent backup performance issues caused by virtual backups

  Colm Keegan of Storage Switzerland discusses ways to prevent performance issues associated with virtual backups.Continue Reading

• Dealing with endpoint data protection issues

  Part two of our three-part series on modernizing backup and disaster recovery takes a look at endpoint data protection issues and what's available today to address them.Continue Reading

• Zero backup 'less flexible' than traditional backup

  What environments can benefit from a 'zero backup' approach?Continue Reading

• McClure: File sync and share is a lot of things, but it is not backup

  Terri McClure of Enterprise Strategy Group explains why IT admins shouldn't consider file sync and share an effective method for backing up data.Continue Reading

• Conquer the unique challenges of remote and mobile backups

  Our Essential Guide to remote and mobile backups will help you tackle the hurdles posed by laptop and mobile backup, including cloud and endpoint.Continue Reading

• How to estimate the lifespan of backup tape media

  Brien Posey offers advice on how to estimate the useful lifespan of backup tape media based on how it is used, in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Comparing open source backup tools with commercial software

  Brien Posey compares open source backup tools and commercial backup software, and identifies things to consider before deploying open source software.Continue Reading

• Best practices to migrate data from cloud to cloud

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses best practices to migrate data from one cloud provider to another, in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Hypervisor-based replication in VMware and Hyper-V

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses native hypervisor-based replication in VMware and Hyper-V, in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• Using removable disk as a target for remote or small office backup/DR

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses using removable disk for small office backups and suggests some possible alternatives.Continue Reading

• Crump: A robust data protection strategy includes more than backup

  George Crump discusses why your data protection strategy should include more than just data backup and encompass snapshot and replication.Continue Reading

• Options for backing up Active Directory

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland offers insight on finding the best choice for backing up Active Directory in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading

• A fresh approach for developing a data backup strategy

  George Crump discusses a different approach to data backup strategy planning in this video from his recent Storage Decisions presentation.Continue Reading

• Is backup necessary for data stored in file sync services?

  Eric Slack of Storage Switzerland discusses whether it is necessary to back up data stored in file sync services in this Expert Response.Continue Reading

• Do you need specialized backup software for Linux environments?

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses whether specialized tools are necessary to back up Linux environments.Continue Reading

• Resolving CommVault Simpana error code 91:29

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey details what causes CommVault Simpana error 91:29 and how to resolve it in this Expert Answer.Continue Reading