Data Backup Systems

Data Backup Systems

Enjoy the peace of mind that a reliable back-up system offersof a reliable backup system.

We offer both local (on-site) and online (Cloud-based) backup solutions for Windows and Apple.

  • Online / Cloud Backup (to reputable online backup providers)

  • Local backup to Windows or Apple Server

  • NAS device backup

  • External drive backup

  • Apple Time Machine backup

Our PC / Mac Backup Solutions are:

  • Automatic

  • Secure

  • Verifiable

  • Compliant

If you already have an online backup solution. Our technicians have experience troubleshooting with the following backup services:

    • Mozy

    • SOS online backup

    • Amazon S3

    • Crashplan

    • Carbonite

    • Livedrive

    • Dropbox

Benefits of our Local and Online Reliable Backup Systems

Simplicity – our backup systems are easy-to-use. You can have the best backup system in the world in your office but, if its not user-friendly, users might be less reluctant to interact with it.

Automatic – our backup systems are “set-it and forget-it”. You do not have to worry about missing a backup. They can be scheduled to function without any user intervention. For example, if your systems are not on when the scheduled backup is due to run, they will play “catch-up”.

Security – we use world class data centres that use multi-factor authentication for data access and have ISO 270001 accreditation. Our backup systems are fully compliant with the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.

Simple, Self-Service Data Retrieval – if you need to restore data which has become lost or corrupted, our backup systems allow you to easily restore it.

Automated Alerts – if there are any issues with your backup, you will get an automated alert to your email.

What Important features to look for in the best computer backup systems

Data Backup Systems

When deciding on a backup system, there are a number of important features to look out for, including:

Automatic – it is very important to employ a data backup system that performs its duties without the need for human intervention. Humans tend to forget, so software is more reliable. The difference between a three-weeks-old backup set and one which is just one-day-old can often be substantial to the user.

Verifiable – users should be able to easily check their data backup. This is vital as it results in more complete backups (users will often think twice about what they are backing up when they are asked to check), as well as peace of mind. Be wary of the ‘black box’ approach to data backup, where users are told by their data backup company or IT support provider that “everything is backed-up to XYZ location in compressed format and youbut can’t just go in and view it”. This approach can be catastrophic. At any given time, you should be able to pick a random file or folder and easily verify whether it is being backed up or not. At the bare minimum, you should be able to quickly perform a mock restore of a chosen folder or file by using your backup system. It is much better to discover any problems with a backup system or backup solution before data loss has occurred, rather than after.

Security - Your data should be handled and stored in compliance with the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.

Expect the unexpected. Why data backup is so important?

This is perhaps one of the most important IT tasks that the general or business computer user will ever perform. There is a multitude of ways in which data can be lost, including:

  • Hard drive failure, which can occur in four main ways. When its partition table (either NTFS or HFS) becomes corrupted. When the drive’s firmware, which is typically stored on the PCB and the Service Area of the disk platters, gets corrupted or damaged. When the PCB board fails due to a power surge or electrical overstress and, finally, when the drive heads, the tiny components that read the data from the disk platters, fail or get damaged. If this occurs, the drive will often need replacement heads before the data can be recovered from it.

  • Accidental Fformat or Ddeletion – with computers having more internal and attached storage devices, such as USB drives, camera cards, etc, it has become very easy for users to erase or format a drive accidentally. (If you do need to format a drive, disconnect all other attached storage devices and always double check that the drive letter corresponds to the actual drive you are about to format.)

  • Fire, flood, theft and power surges – it only takes one unexpected event to destroy both your main data set and your local backup. This is why off-site backup is so important. Fortunately, there are some great online backup services available which help to mitigate the risks of holding data onsite.

Over the years our back-up systems have saved many clients from data loss from “out-of-the-blue” events. Here are a few examples:mini-case study.

Mini Case Study: Online backup saves accountant’s files from flood damage.

An accountant client in Ballsbridge never believed that flooding would be a problem, as there was no history of it striking his office. However, his computers and NAS devices were destroyed one Bank Holiday weekend when the water tank overflowed, due to a ballcock failure, leaving his office under two feet of water. Fortunately for him, the online backup system we had set-up for him meant that he still had a copy of all his files.

The lesson: always try to have a copy of your data offsite and expect the unexpected!