SIMPLIFIED DATA BACKUP TECHNIQUE

These days, disasters are becoming more and more frequent, especially as misfortune rarely comes on its own. Yet, resilient as they are, humans adapt and survive. But would this really be the case for your company? What would happen if you lost your data? Because in business, data is precious. It includes documents, financial results, transactions and customer contact details. A faulty computer, for example, can cause such an upheaval, and this situation certainly results in a considerable loss of time and money. But what if we told you there was a way of avoiding such misfortune? There's an ultra-simple technique that allows you to back up your data confidentially and securely. Read on to discover the 3-2-1 technique and adopt a simplified but highly effective data backup.

DATA BACKUP SCENARIOS

To illustrate our point, let's take a look at a few data backup scenarios. Let's assume that company XYZ hosts its files on One Drive. The head of the company, Pierre, finds this a very practical solution, because all members of his team have access to their documents, regardless of where they work. Pierre buys himself peace of mind by backing up his One Drive at irregular intervals (when he thinks of it) to an external hard drive. It goes without saying that this backup copy remains at the office, along with most work computers, because he simply forgets to drag it with him. What happens if the building burns down?

In the same vein, Nathalie is self-employed and provides consulting services to numerous clients. With each mandate, she gathers a significant amount of company data, which she analyzes to do her job properly. Nathalie works with Google software, so she hosts all her data in Drive. Once a year, she backs up all her files on a memory card, which she then stores in her fireproof safe.

These typical data backup scenarios are more common than you might think, and unfortunately, they don't turn out to be optimal data backup solutions. Here's how to ensure that your data is safe at all times.

DATA BACKUP: THE RIGHT TECHNIQUE

Backing up your data may seem an insurmountable and complicated task. Not so, especially with the 3-2-1 data backup technique. The process is efficient and, above all, simple. Let's take a look at what it's all about.

3 FOR 3 COPIES

In the technical term 3-2-1, the number 3 represents the number of backup copies you should make at any one time, for your entire data (1 main copy and two backup copies). For example, your data may be stored on your laptop (first copy) and on an external hard drive (second copy), as well as on an external server, such as Minarca (third copy).

When you recover one of your two copies of data, only one backup copy will remain. It's often at this point that we realize that our backup copy is corrupt. So, by having three copies, you increase your chances of recovering your data when you need it most.

2 FOR 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA

The 2 in the 3-2-1 technique refers to the number of different types of media to be used for effective data backup. External hard disk, BluRay, Tape, Cloud, USB stick or memory card are examples of different media types. You can also opt for cloud-based media such as Dropbox or OneDrive. The purpose of using different types of media is to better protect your data against various risks or dangers, each of which is susceptible to distinct hazards. For example, an external disk won't survive if submerged. A BluRay, on the other hand, can be soaked without risk of data loss. On the other hand, BluRays are sensitive to heat. A small ray of sunlight and they become unusable.

1 FOR AN OFF-SITE COPY

Finally, the number 1 refers to the number of off-site copies that should be preferred for optimum data backup. Off-site means in a location other than where your workstations are located. This could be at home or on an external server. The aim is not to put all your backups in one place. In the event of a breakdown or disaster, it's better to have copies of your data in different locations.

In conclusion, Minarca offers a robust and secure solution, fully adapted to the realities of SMEs and the needs of service providers. Don't hesitate to​ contact our experts to find out more about the 3-2-1 Technique, or about our high-performance, secure local hosting solutions.