Tech Perspective: Online backup systems

Do you think that implementing automated system backups for mobile users can effectively save lost work and money?

Most definitely - in my experience, the typical user is not inclined to perform regular and consistent backups. If a company is concerned about data security and retrieval, it is in the company's best interests to put the systems and procedures in place, and mandate their use.

Do you believe that online backup systems can perform a background and transparent operation without interrupting users?

I believe it *can* be done - and products currently on the market accomplish this in various ways, with varying degrees of success.

What effect do you think a remote backup system would have on your servers?

Our current operations run 24/7, so it is important to have backups run as a background process, with the ability to skip - and then return to - files that are unavailable.

What kind of backup system does your organization currently use? How effective hasit been?

We have mainframe and network systems - our backup systems are implemented on a system-by-system basis. Although it requires operator intervention to change the backup media, this method works well as long as you have the right people.

Automated system backups for mobile users can save lost work but not money. Before realising money gains, there are direct costs and substantial security threats.

To allow complete restoration of an user's computer, the whole PC has to be backedup. If there are 200 mobile users and each carries 1Gbyte of (system + user) data then the backup system should support a storage of at 200Gbytes. You can also image the processing power required to support this infrastructure - in order to restore the completer system within hours!

It's more alarming from the security point of view. If the data to be backed up for an user worth multi-million dollars, do you think it is secure to trust a 3rd party to handle all backups which may worth 200multi-million dollars. How about the attack from hackers? If a hacker gets hold of an employee's computer (which is rather easy as illustrated by the cases - steal the computer, break into the house while the employee is on holiday, etc.), he may have access to the backup network and you can imagine the damage that can be done.

In fact backup should be trained and educated as an integrated part of computer operation. Every user has to be responsible for his own data. How may users are going to handle multi-millions worth of data in fact? An effective procedure can be as simple as requiring the employee to save an extra copy of his data into a removeable media and have it stored separately. If the user is onlined, then he may also save a copy to his private area in the corporate site through secure connection.

Do you think that implementing automated system backups for mobile users can effectively save lost work and money?
Yes, definitely. Most users do not consider backups to be their responsibility (irrespective of what they are instructed to do or the bad experiences they go through). You would find a user spending a few days to recapture lost data, only to continue to ignore backups and suggested safety procedures.
Do you believe that online backup systems can perform a background and transparent operation without interrupting users?
Yes - that would be the best way of providing a safety net for your users without burdening them with your concerns (of which backups is one).