Backing up and Archiving Data Chapter 1

Introduction

• This presentation covers the following: – What is backing up – What is archiving – Why are both necessary?

Backing up

• Backing up data is a practice that all organisations and people who work with data should do.

• Some people consider data to be a company’s most important asset.

• The loss of any data can have a detrimental impact on an individual or an organisation (no matter the size).

• Backing up data is simply making a copy of current data.

Backing up

• There are many causes of data loss: – Loss of power – Hardware failure – File corruption – Viruses – Hackers – Theft of equipment – Sabotage of an employee – Espionage by a rival company – Natural Disaster – Honest blunders!

– Accidently misplacing data

Backing up

• Back ups can be used to restore lost files by replacing them with a previously saved file.

• You might not always get the most up-to-date file but consider the alternative...starting your work from the beginning again!

Methods of backing up

• There are many devices which can be used to back up files: – External memory: Memory cards, USB pen drives – External hard drive – Tape – Making an exact copy of a disk

Backing up

• In the event that you need to find a file which has been backed up you need to be able to find the file you need!

• This means that back ups need to be organised.

• If you have made several backups of a file you need to be able to tell which is the most recent backup!

Things to consider

• How often do you need to back up?

• How far should your backups go?

– Days – Weeks – Months

Archiving

• Archiving is for long-term storage of data that is not required immediately.

• More often than not it is never required again but it kept just in case.

• Data is often removed from a system and stored separately.

Archiving

• Consider the following example: • A school records data about pupils’ performance every year. If they continued to collect data, even after pupils had left school, the system resources would soon diminish.

• Instead, records about pupils are removed from the system once they leave.

• However, some data may be archived such as average test scores and achievement rates. The data is not needed immediately but may be useful to keep for the future.

Archiving

• Schools often keep full records about pupils for up to seven years.

• Schools often receive requests to complete references and use the data in their archives to compile them.

Archiving Procedure

• Copy the file onto the archival media.

• Verify the copied files (i.e. Making sure the copies are the same).

• Delete the original records from the system.

Reasons for archiving

• Free up system resources – Less hard disk space required • Increase system performance – Searches take less time as their is less data to search through – Takes less time to make backups of the system as there is less to copy!

Take note:

• Using an example, define what is meant by the term ‘back up’.

• Using an example, define what is meant by the term ‘archive’.

• Why is it important to back up data?

• What is the difference between archiving and back-up of data?

• What storage medium should be used for archiving?

Remember

Archiving is

removing

!

Backing up is

copying

!