Remote Network Backup - Secure and Economical
With improvements in “broadband” internet access and remote backup solutions, many “small and medium business” (SMB) organizations are finding remote backup of network files increasingly popular. SAMSA has introduced a remote backup solution this year, and is now offering it to our SMB clients.
The Problems
Constructing a proper backup scenario for your organization can be tricky – tape drives and tapes are slow, prone to wear, and often unreliable. There are many different backup software products having various options and add-on modules, and in order to backup in an automatic and unattended mode (normally a goal), you may have to invest in expensive high-capacity tape drives and media, or expensive automatic tape handling units.
In addition, it often appears your data is backing up fine each day but when you try to restore from one of those tapes (that may have been stored in a less than optimal environment) you are surprised that a tape restore error makes files unavailable. In order to increase the likelihood you’ll be able to restore what’s been saved on tape each day, you’ll want to purchase fresh tapes from time to time – tapes often cost up to $50 each.
Finally, no matter how you choose to back your data up you’ll want to be sure the information is stored at a remote location in case you experience data loss to natural disaster. You’ll want to make sure your data is in safe keeping with a party you trust for confidentiality and security reasons, and that it would be available at any time of night or day should you need to restore it (ever try to retrieve backup tapes from a safe-deposit box over a weekend?).
Remote Backup can help solve all these problems.
Benefits of Remote Network Backup
SAMSA’s new remote backup service takes advantage of “continuous data protection (CDP) technology. Continuous data protection begins with a complete backup of a given data file, followed by subsequent backup of only the changed parts of the file when changes occur. This means interim backup operations are significantly more efficient (as MUCH less data is transferred), and are much simpler to restore than “incremental” backups that are often employed to make tape backups quicker (restoring from incremental backups can involve a lot of time and a lot of praying!).
Remote backups are scheduled to run whenever it makes sense and you’ll never have to worry about swapping tapes if a tape fills up – they run completely unattended no matter how much data is being backed up. Temporary internet downtime isn’t a problem either – remote backup software can be configured to continually attempt connecting to the backup server until a successful connection is made.
Restoring files is easy – a simple to use program at the client site is used for verifying backups, and for restoring files. In the event of a disaster where everything is lost, simply install the remote backup software on the new computer in “Disaster Recovery” mode. SAMSA will supply a new file encryption key that will be needed to de-crypt the files you previously saved – then you’ll be able to restore the files from the backup server.
One of the best benefits of remote backup is saved files are automatically stored off-site. Fire, flood, theft – not a problem. Your data is safely stored at SAMSA’s backup facility - you no longer need to worry about your tapes being stored in the hot trunk of your office manager’s car (if they’re even off-site at all!)
Is My Information Safe and Secure?
Before your data files ever leave your facility they are encrypted with your private AES file encryption key, and compressed for quicker transmission. Nobody (not even SAMSA!) can access or view your data files without your file key.
If you were storing your information on tape without encryption, anyone with your tapes in their possession (and the correct tape drive hardware) could read your information.
Is Remote Backup Affordable?
SAMSA’s remote backup costs $50 per month for protecting up to 50 gigabytes of data. Compare this low cost to the cost for tape drives, tapes, and software and we’re sure you’ll agree SAMSA’s remote backup is a bargain!
How do I get started?
To find out more about SAMSA's remote backup services, request a quote from us!
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