Why The Cloud Is A Whole Different Backup Animal

The client server model of data backup and recovery is giving way to cloud computing and storage. As the speed and security of network connections becomes more reliable and available, the options in the cloud are increasing. Finding top online storage options are easy with just a little research. Here are just a few of the reasons the cloud is a different kind of back – and why more and more people are choosing to use it.

Balanced Storage

Client server backups required large processors often running at dedicated times. Disk storage continued to get cheaper, but the interface and power requirements forced companies to constantly improve and upgrade their systems. Good backups meant sinking a lot of money into that kind of “insurance” in case of data loss.

Service providers of cloud backup maintain backup-dedicated systems. Often these system are linked with multiple processors that can share the load and balance the data throughout. As a company using cloud backup, you don’t need to worry as much about the backup schedule as with the client server approach.

Freedom To Choose

Much like web site hosting, you may have the choice between dedicated systems or a shared platform. A dedicated option gives your data exclusive priority on a system, which may be desirable if you are working under regulatory controls and sensitive data.

The shared option means your data will reside on the same physical media as other companies’ data. There are still many controls in place to maintain security and privacy between the data sets, but some people are still more comfortable with the dedicated option. The one you choose will affect the price of your plan with the vendor.

Buying What You Need

Acquiring enough space on an online storage solution can take some planning. Some vendors offer some storage for free and have plans at different levels of increased capacity. Other vendors have unlimited plans. Most offer monthly rates. If you are planning to use the cloud to backup company files then build that into your yearly computing budget.

You will have other options available to you with cloud backup that are difficult to find or not available at all with client server. File sharing allows specific people or processes to have access to your backup data. File versioning will tag your data so that you can recover a previous version of it. Syncing of data is becoming more important as people are able to access company information from many sources such as tablets and smartphones.

Increased Control

Intuitive interfaces to the cloud backup applications make it easy to control your own backup schedules and perform your own recovery. The best systems allow you to create several backup schedules to correspond to your company’s activities. Having the option to do scheduled and on-demand backups is the most versatile.

Customer Support

As the model for cloud backup is evolving, so are the types of customer and technical support. The simplest solutions are no-frills, perhaps giving you a limited FAQ file and email support. The sophisticated vendors may have a strong knowledge bank and 24/7 email, phone or chat support. Again, budget dictates the level of support you may opt for. Experiencing a data recovery problem on a Friday night when using a discount cloud backup vendor may be a problem, not to mention a ruined weekend.

Cloud backup is quickly taking over other backup options in terms of speed, efficiency and cost. It is worth looking at what is available to you now and perhaps running a “pilot project” by choosing a non-critical company function and trying out the cloud.