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Preparing for Computer Disasters
A: Summary: When home office computers go down, many small businesses grind
to a halt. Fortunately, taking steps to recover from disasters and minimize
their effects is quite straightforward.
B: Fires, power surges, and floods, they're all facts of life. We read
about them in the morning paper and see them on the evening news. We sympathize
with the victims and commiserate over their bad luck. We also shake our heads at
the digital consequences—melted computers, system failures, destroyed data. Yet,
somehow, many of us continue to live by that old mantra of denial: "It won't
happen to me." Well, the truth is, at some point you'll probably have to deal
with at least one disaster. That's just how it goes, and in most aspects of our
lives we do something about it. We buy insurance. We stow away provisions. We
even make disaster plans and run drills. But for some reason, computer disaster
recovery is a blind spot for many of us. It shouldn't be. Home computers contain
some of our most important information, both business and personal, and making
certain our data survives a disaster should be a priority. Moreover, even the
smallest disaster can be a serious disruption. Personal computers have become an
integral part of the smooth-running household. We use them to communicate, shop,
and do homework, and they're even more vital to home office users. When home
office computers go down, many small businesses grind to a halt. Fortunately,
taking steps to recover from disasters and minimize their effects is quite
straightforward. With a good offsite storage plan and the right tools, you can
bounce back quickly and easily from minor computer disasters. And, should a
major calamity strike, you can rest assured your data is safe.
Offsite Storage: Major Disasters
C: House fires and floods are among the most devastating causes of personal
computer destruction. That's why a solid offsite backup and recovery plan is
essential. Although many home users faithfully back up their hard drives, many
would still lose all their data should their house flood our burn. That's
because they keep their backups in relatively close to their computers. Their
backup disks might not be in the same room as their computers—tucked away in a
closet or even the garage—but they're not nearly far enough away should a
serious disaster strike. So, it's important to back up your system to a
removable medium and to store it elsewhere.
D: There are many ways to approach offsite storage. It starts with choice
of backup tools and storage medium. Disaster situations are stressful, and your
recovery tools shouldn't add to that stress. They must be dependable and
intuitive, making it easy to schedule regular backups and to retrieve files in a
pinch. They must also be compatible with your choice of backup medium. Depending
on your tools, you can back up to a variety of durable disk types—from CDs to
Jaz drives to remote network servers. Although many of these storage media have
high capacity, a backup tool with compression capabilities is a big plus,
eliminating the inconvenience of multiple disks or large uploads.
E: Once you select your tools and a suitable medium, you need to find a
remote place to store your backups. The options are endless. However, no matter
where you choose, be sure the site is secure, easily accessible, and a good
distance away from your home. You may also want to consider using an
Internet-based backup service. More and more service providers are offering
storage space on their servers, and uploading files to a remote location has
become an attractive alternative to conventional offsite storage. Of course,
before using one of these services, make certain you completely trust the
service provider and its security methods. Whatever you do, schedule backups
regularly and store them far away from your home.
Come What May: Handling the Garden Variety Computer Crisis
F: Not all home computer damage results from physical disaster. Many less
menacing problems can also hobble your PC or destroy your information. Systems
crash, kids "rearrange" data, adults inadvertently delete files. Although these
events might not seem calamitous, they can have serious implications. So, once
again, it's important to be prepared. As with physical disasters, regular
backups are essential. However, some of these smaller issues require a response
that's more nuanced than wholesale backup and restoration. To deal with
less-than-total disaster, your tool set must be both powerful and agile. For
example, when a small number of files are compromised, you may want to retrieve
those files alone. Meanwhile, if just your settings are affected, you'll want a
simple way to roll back to your preferred setup. Yet, should your operating
system fail, you'll need a way to boot your computer and perform large-scale
recovery. Computer crises come in all shapes and sizes, and your backup and
recovery tools must be flexible enough to meet each challenge.
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发表于 2018-5-31 22:48:18