Tips

Tips

• How to optimize your backup tape rotation strategy

  Backup tape rotation is an essential part of any good data backup plan. Here's a look at some of the more common tape rotation strategies and the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of disk-based backup: An SMB perspective

  While tape is the traditional technology for backing up your data, it is increasingly being replaced and supplemented by disk. This tip takes a look at the pros and cons of moving to disk-based backup in an SMB environment.  Continue Reading

• Outsourcing backup: Questions to ask your vendor

  Outsourcing backups can be a convenient and reliable method of handling backups -- if you select the right vendor. Here's what you need to know before you sign on the dotted line.  Continue Reading

• Avoiding VMware virtual machine backup pitfalls

  There are a variety of methods you can use to back up your virtual machines running on your VMware ESX hosts. Here's a look at some common mistakes and how to avoid them.  Continue Reading

• How to back up and restore a certificate store

  One type of server that is critical to back up is your enterprise certificate authority. If you lose your certificates, you lose data.  Continue Reading

• Data deduplication methods: Block-level versus byte-level dedupe

  Block-level and byte-level data deduplication methods deliver the benefit of optimizing storage capacity. When, where and how the processes work should be reviewed for your data backup environment and its specific requirements before selecting one ...  Continue Reading

• Using Dump for Linux/Unix data backup

  This article describes the major advantages and disadvantages of using dump to back up your data.  Continue Reading

• Backup vs. archive

  Data backups and archives are different things. Backup and recovery expert Pierre Dorion discusses the role of backups vs. archives and why you shouldn't mistake one for the other.  Continue Reading

• Top 10 things to ask a vendor when buying backup software

  Before you rush out to buy new data backup software, here are 10 questions you should ask potential backup vendors to help you decide what is best for your backup environment.  Continue Reading

• Benefits and drawbacks of incremental and differential backup

  The differences between incremental and differential backups continue to generate many debates and cause confusion. Read this tip to learn how incremental and differential backups differ, and the benefits, drawbacks and uses of each.  Continue Reading

• Ten things you should ask a vendor before buying a tape library

  Purchasing the right tape library can make or break your backup system. Here are 10 things you should ask any potential vendor before you purchase a new tape library.  Continue Reading

• Bare-metal backup and restore options

  This article looks at the different bare-metal restoration solutions and the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• Backup and recovery basics: Testing your backups

  All too often testing is the missing step in making backups. This tip explores how often you should be testing your backups and some things to look out for.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of file-level vs. block-level data deduplication technology

  Some data deduplication approaches operate at the file level, while others examine data at a block level. This tip explores advantages and disadvantages of each method.  Continue Reading

• The differences between block-based and file-based data backup

  This tip examines the differences between block-based and file-based data backup and will help you choose what's best for you.  Continue Reading

• Data backup options for remote sites

  Data backup for remote sites can be very challenging. But there are several new storage technologies, most notably data deduplication, that can facilitate remote office backup.  Continue Reading

• Data backup strategies: Migrating from tape to disk

  Here's a checklist of things you should consider before you make the transition from tape to disk for data backup.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange data backup and restores

  There are many things that can go wrong when backing up and restoring Microsoft Exchange data. Here's a list of some of the most frequent problems and how to correct them.  Continue Reading

• How to choose the right tape library

  Choosing an expandable, modular tape library with sophisticated management features to support your enterprise can be difficult. Here's how to make the right choice.  Continue Reading

• Tips and tools for making the most of event log files

  Nearly every part of your system reports events can be logged. This tip discusses which events you should log and best practices for making sense out of that information once it is logged.  Continue Reading

• Data deletion or data destruction?

  It's often assumed that once data has been marked for disposal, it no longer requires much attention. But when data backups or archives are deleted, are they really gone?  Continue Reading

• The advantages of tape for data backup

  With the current focus on disk-based data backup technologies, tape seems to be an outmoded technology, but tape is not dead. Here's why.  Continue Reading

• The top 10 causes of slow data backups

  If your backups start to take longer, examine your system even if the backups are within your normal backup window. Here's a list of 10 things that may be slowing things down.  Continue Reading

• VTL 101: Integrating a virtual tape library into your backups

  A virtual tape library (VTL) is a disk array that mimics tape. In this tip, Rick Cook discusses the basics of Integrating VTLs into a small-midsized business (SMB) environment.  Continue Reading

• Choosing a removable hard disk drive for data backup and recovery

  Removable hard disk drives deliver the faster data backup and recovery times associated with storage systems used in enterprise SANs, but there are some drawbacks to using them.  Continue Reading

• Top tape rotation strategies

  Here's a list of the most common tape rotation schemes used in data backup and the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of globally deduplicating data backup appliances

  Global data deduplication is a way for companies to achieve higher data reduction ratios, use less storage capacity and keep data online for longer periods of time.  Continue Reading

• Choosing a centralized data backup system

  For nearly every SMB, centralized backup can increase reliability as well as provide hardware and administrative cost savings. This tip discusses the choices for centralized backup and how to select an effective system based on your specific needs  Continue Reading

• Why you need a data backup reporting tool

  When backup reporting needs go beyond knowing what happened last night, it's probably time to start considering specialized data backup reporting tools.  Continue Reading

• Inline vs. post-processing deduplication appliances

  Choosing between appliances that do inline or post-processing data deduplication can be difficult. To help you decide between the competing approaches, here are some general guidelines that you can follow to select the appliance that provides the ...  Continue Reading

• Multiplexing data backup streams vs. disk for data backup

  Now that disk is being used as a primary backup target in more enterprise shops, companies need to reevaluate what role, if any, multiplexing should play in their future backup plans. Here are some questions to ask to help you decide if multiplexing...  Continue Reading

• Four ways to streamline your data backup process

  Are your data backup operations out of control? Here are four tips to help you streamline your data backup and recovery process.  Continue Reading

• The cost of tape vs. disk data backup

  Here's how to determine the cost of disk vs. tape in your data backup environment.  Continue Reading

• What is electronic vaulting?

  Electronic vaulting usually fits between tape backup and disk mirroring as part of an overall data protection plan.  Continue Reading

• Five tips for creating a backup service-level agreement

  Learn how to write a backup service-level agreement that will keep the peace between IT and information users.  Continue Reading

• Learn how to back up virtual machines

  Learn two approaches to backing up virtual machines.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting automated tape libraries

  Between shared libraries, LAN free backups, HBAs, drivers and firmware, many things can cause an automated tape library to function unpredictably. Learn how to troubleshoot automated tape library problems.  Continue Reading

• What you need to know about LTO-4 tape

  This tip provides an overview of the Linear Tape-Open update to LTO-4, detailing its new features and what you need to consider before upgrading to LTO-4.  Continue Reading

• How to estimate your data deduplication ratio

  This tip details the factors that influence data deduplication ratio (the ratio of data before deduplication to the amount of data after deduplication), so you can estimate the data deduplication ratio you can reasonably expect to achieve.  Continue Reading

• How to destroy data on backup tapes

  This tip offers guidelines for destroying data on backup tapes, with information about degaussing, tape cartridge destruction, tape reuse and record keeping.  Continue Reading

• How to estimate the lifespan of LTO tapes

  This tip outlines what you need to consider when estimating the lifespan of LTO tape. It's not as black and white as LTO tape manufacturers would like you to believe.  Continue Reading

• IBM Tivoli Storage Manager and disk backups

  This is the third of a four-part series on IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager disk backup software. This tip discusses integration of disk as a backup media in a TSM environment.  Continue Reading

• Backup best practices using IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager

  This is the second in a four-part series on IBM's TSM backup software. This segment outlines some of the best practices when designing and implementing a TSM backup environment.  Continue Reading

• In-band vs. out-of-band deduplication

  This tip compares and contrasts in-band and out-of-band deduplication and offers some pros and cons of each approach  Continue Reading

• IBM Tivoli Storage Manager vs. traditional backup

  Learn about the architectural concepts behind IBM's Tivoli Storage Manager backup software and the main differences with what are often referred to as "traditional" backup products. This piece is the first of a series of four on Tivoli Storage ...  Continue Reading