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In todays dependancy on energy to keep the lights on has made access to core critical information fairly quick and eazy. But, the need to, not only backup the core critical information, but we have regressed to a need to backup a full specrum of dependancies that has increased the complexity and the size of the data needing backed up. If you lose your energy dependancy permanently, then you lose all your core critical business information as well as you core critical customer information.

First we must define our system and the data that is necessary to keep. The system in respect to doing buisness can be as simple as your core critical business information and core critical customer information. That information can be kept in hard copy form, literal files. Having two hardcopies at two different offsite locations would be sufficient for any disaster, physical locations with no energy requirements, just physical security.

Prepare yourself to be able to train others. Not only will the preparation of training help you gain a deeper knowledge of the subject matter, it will also provide insight into other ideas, technologies and growth opportunities that you may have not considered before. Then during the training, there will be questions that you had not thought of which will deepen your knowledge even more and in that process, of finding answers, it will also broaden your knowledge.

The type of implementation is determined by a few things, such as; type of data, size of data, retention time of data, capability of reproducing the data, and data priority. Some sites will setup a HSM, Hierarchical Storage Management system, where the data access frequency is also considered. If data is used frequently then the data can remain in a near line storage area, where as, if the data is used less frequently it can be archived into a long term storage solution, traditionally on tape storage. Within the realm of tape storage there are short term and long term retrieval concepts. Each having latency outcomes to consider. The types of backup strategies will be unique based off of your specific needs.

Protecting your data is the key here. Some are able to comply with this key concept by creating duplication within their systems design through a continuity of operations architecture. Having two copies of the data in two different physical locations being synchronized. But, even in a scenario such as this, events can still take place in which you could lose the data in one location before a synchronization takes place to copy to the other location. So, having a backup solution is still viable and needed.

There are several approaches and taking a System of Systems approach may be more adequate for your situational needs to not just backup, but also protect the data and provide accessibility; COOP (Continuity Of OPerations), HA (High Availability), Disk system RAID, Software RAID, File system design, HSS (Hierarchical Storage System), and then the traditional backups to disk or tape. Protecting your data in all its various states is just as important as the plane ole backup and restores of old. Taking a look at a backup method in-light of a bigger and broader approach can help with prioritizing what really needs a backup, such as critical components of your information systems architectural design.