Anybody use an online backup service for - Lateral-g Forums

Fluid Power · #1 11-23-2010, 12:49 PM

OFFICE or WORK files? If so, pros/cons or any other advice?

Looking to back up my companies financial data offsite.

Thanks,

Darren

Rhino · #2 11-23-2010, 02:29 PM

I have used both carbonite and backblaze. Both services are extremely similar and offer competitive packages. One thing of note is that they all differ on what file types they allow. (Some don't allow music, iso images, executables, etc...) so insure all of your file types are supported before signing up.
They're both highly secure in transport and storage. For a small shop, or someone without a ton time/experience for checking regular backups I think this is a great solution. The only reason I decided to move off of a hosted service is that, even though I have nothing to hide, having my data "out there" somewhere, but not under my control eventually got to me. A few friends and I got together and ended up building a similar service to use ourselves.

Since this is company related; How critical is data secrecy to your company? Are you publicly traded or under any data related regulatory compliance?

Fluid Power · #3 11-23-2010, 04:32 PM

Thanks for the reply. No we are a small privately held company. Just changing around some servers and it was thrown out as an idea vs tape back up or remote hard drive. I tend to agree with you, not sure I want my stuff "out there"

Darren

Rhino · #4 11-23-2010, 07:04 PM

If it makes you feel any better, I've been told that extremely few people at either of the services have access to the files.

Personally, I can see using it for DR purposes, however I would avoid using it as a sole backup method. When a file is inadvertently modified, then the file systems synchronized, your only good copy just got updated inadvertently as well.

Fluid Power · #5 11-23-2010, 07:43 PM

Rhino, thanks for the advice. Do you 'do' computers for a living?

Darren

Rhino · #6 11-23-2010, 08:37 PM

You're welcome. Yea, I work IT in the banking industry.

**GregWeld** · #7 11-23-2010, 09:23 PM

Darren --

Depending on how much 'data' you want to store off site... maybe look into just doing a big digital HD 'remote' at your home or the home of a superior etc. Data can be encrypted so if something happened to the HD it couldn't be "readily" used.

Fluid Power · #8 11-24-2010, 05:03 AM

I really should start another post at this point and ask for help to build a small server. We have an HP unit now and we are adding Microsoft SQL and some accounting software. I need at least 4gb of memory, a second RAID compatible hard drive and either a tape drive or an external hard drive to back it up. (online might still be an option even with the external or tape drive)

It seems hard to find what I am looking for pre-built. I am little worried about picking components and dropping them in the shopping cart and assembling it myself.

I know just enough to cause myself serious issues!

Any advice anyone?

Thanks,

Darren

monza · #9 11-24-2010, 12:54 PM

We back up all our company files on a internal hard drive and a external hard drive that is 'offline' from every thing else except for when backing up. So always two copies of everything incase something fails. They are also at separate locations.
We had some computer geek build us our server and he set up the auto back ups. Hope maybe that helps?

My home stuff and lap tops back up automatically to a home hard drive, that was super easy to set up.

**GregWeld** · #10 11-24-2010, 01:07 PM

Remember this when 'backing up' - and especially automatic back ups.... let's say your normal HD or files get corrupted --- and all that corruption backs up to your backups....

Now all you have is a bunch of corrupted crappola....

So don't do AUTOMATIC back ups.... and make sure your data is "Good" after any upgrade etc - BEFORE you send it out to your backup drives!

So many folks end up with giant messes.... when they "thought" they were doing good.