Data backup and recovery FAQs

Check out our data backup and recovery FAQs for information on a variety of data backup and recovery topics from tape backup to data deduplication to continuous data protection (CDP) and more.

NEW PODCAST! Data encryption solutions for your backup environment
Greg Schulz, founder and senior analyst at the StorageIO Group, discusses different data encryption solutions in this podcast interview. Learn about the different types of backup encryption, how to choose between software and hardware encryption and common concerns with data encryption solutions.

Hybrid cloud backup
Rachel Dines, an analyst at Forrester Research, discusses the pros and cons of disk-to-disk-to-cloud backup and hybrid cloud backup approaches in this Q&A. Read this guide or listen to the podcast to get a better understanding of hybrid cloud backup.

Oracle backup strategies
W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent backup expert, discusses the differences between these Oracle backup strategies and details essential Oracle backup best practices in this Q&A.

Implementing data deduplication technology in a virtualized environment
In this Q&A with Jeff Boles, senior analyst with the Taneja Group, learn about why organizations are more interested in data deduplication technology for server virtualization, whether target or source deduplication is better for a virtualized environment, what to watch out for when using dedupe for virtual servers, and what VMware's vStorage APIs have brought to the scene.

Laptop backup strategies
Lauren Whitehouse, senior analyst with Enterprise Strategy Group, discusses the variety of ways to address laptop backup today in this Q&A. Learn about what's the best laptop backup strategy for your organization, tools for backing up laptops and whether or not desktop virtualization is a good solution for backing up laptops.

NAS backup challenges
W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent backup expert, discusses some of the most common challenges associated with NAS backups, the pros and cons of NDMP and other technologies that help simplify NAS backup in this Q&A.

Continuous data protection backup
Can we consider continuous data protection a replacement for traditional backup and recovery systems? And who should consider using CDP in their enterprise? W. Curtis Preston answers the most popular questions about continuous data protection and backup today in this FAQ.

The future for VMware vStorage APIs for Data Protection looks promising
VMware Inc.'s latest release, vSphere 4.0, offers the vStorage APIs for Data Protection, which were added to vSphere 4.0 to improve the efficiency of data backup and recovery. Eric Siebert, an IT industry expert focusing on virtualization and author of the website VMware-land.com, discusses vStorage APIs in this Q&A.

Best practices for reusing data backup tapes
Reusing data backup tapes is a part of most organizations' data backup and recovery strategy. However, it can be unclear when a tape should be retired from rotation. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, answers common questions about reusing backup tapes in this Q&A.

How to choose the best remote online backup service provider
Backing up data to a remote online backup service provider can be a good way to back up data, but you have to choose the right backup provider for your environment. How do you go about choosing the right online backup and recovery provider for your company? What pitfalls do you need to look out for? And how do these services differ from one another? Curtis Preston answers these questions and more about remote online backup service providers in this Q&A.

Backing up Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers
Many companies incorporate Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers into their data backup environments. But backing up Microsoft Hyper-V virtualized servers involves different steps than the familiar VMware servers. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, discusses the challenges associated with backing up Hyper-V servers and the differences are between backing up Hyper-V and VMware servers.

LTO tape technology continues to evolve with LTO 5
LTO-5 tape is slated to be released later this year, with nearly double the capacity of its predecessor LTO-4. W. Curtis Preston, TechTarget executive editor and independent backup expert, outlines how LTO tape differs from other tape media, discusses the various generations of LTO tape, and the pros and cons of LTO.

Using remote replication and data deduplication technology to back up branch office data
W. Curtis Preston outlines how remote replication and data deduplication are used in conjunction in order to back up branch offices to a central site.

The dos and don'ts of using backups and data archives
Data backups and data archives are frequently confused with each other. Many people don't know the difference between the two enterprise data storage technologies, and often assume that if necessary, they can use their data backup storage as data archive storage, which often is not a good idea. W. Curtis Preston, executive editor at TechTarget and independent data backup and recovery expert, outlines the differences between data backup and data archiving products, and the dos and don'ts associated with each technology in this Q&A.

Bare-metal restore FAQ
Bare-metal restores can be challenging. A little planning up front can save you a lot of headaches when performing a bare-metal restore. W. Curtis Preston, executive editor of the Storage Media Group answers common questions about bare metal restores in this Q&A.

Linux data backup and recovery FAQ
Performing data backup and recovery in a Linux environment poses some unique challenges. Brien Posey, a freelance writer and former CIO, answers some of the most common questions about Linux data backup in this Q&A.

Global data deduplication FAQ
Global deduplication allows users to deduplicate data across multiple boxes, which can simplify management as companies back up more and more data. Backup expert W. Curtis Preston discusses the pros and cons of global deduplication, who should consider it, and which vendors are offering it today in this Q&A.

Using an encryption appliance for data backup security
Data backup security is an ongoing challenge for many organizations and encryption is an obvious step to protect backup data. However, there are a number of ways to perform backup encryption today. One way is to use an encryption appliance. But, are encryption appliances right for your particular needs? Kevin Beaver, information security consultant with Principle Logic LLC, discusses the pros and cons of using encryption appliances for backup encryption and what you need to consider before deploying an encryption appliance.

Backup reporting FAQ
The old joke, "The backup is fine -- it's the restore that doesn't work," is all too often true. But tools designed specifically to monitor and report on backups can help eliminate those restore surprises. Lauren Whitehouse, analyst with the Enterprise Strategy Group, discusses the need for backup reporting, the backup reporting tools available in today's market and more.

CDP FAQ
Continuous data protection (CDP) is becoming an increasingly attractive data protection and backup option. But is CDP right for your business? Backup guru W. Curtis Preston compares CDP to traditional backup in this FAQ.

Data deduplication FAQ
Will you be able to achieve the huge data reduction ratios that data deduplication vendors are touting? In this FAQ guide, analyst Jerome Wendt answers the most common data deduplication questions he's hearing today.

Data destruction FAQ
When data backups are deleted in your business, are they really gone? In this FAQ, Executive Editor and Independent Backup Expert W. Curtis Preston discusses data destruction in backup environments. Curtis takes a closer look at the approaches to destruction, regulations and policies regarding destruction and options for outsourcing this policy.

Data protection FAQ
Eric Burgener, senior analyst and consultant with the Taneja Group, answers the questions he is hearing most frequently about data protection. He discusses developments in data protection technology, VTLs, the changing role of tape, CDP, WAN optimization, SaaS, cloud-based storage, dense storage platforms, and the difference between backup and archiving requirements.

Data replication for backup best practices
Replication is increasingly becoming a critical business need for many organizations. In this interview, W. Curtis Preston discusses synchronous and asynchronous replication, deduplication and backup management best practices.

Managed data backup and recovery FAQ
John Merryman, services director for recovery services at GlassHouse Technologies Inc., discusses the benefits and drawbacks of managed data backup and recovery, and the managed backup market today in this FAQ.

Server-free backup FAQ Not too long ago, server-free backup was the best option for backing up large data sets. However, there are some legitimate alternatives available today. W. Curtis Preston discusses how server-free backup works, pros and cons of server-free backup, the server-free backup market, and today's alternatives to this complicated approach.

Tape encryption FAQ
How can you protect your tapes once they leave your hands? Pierre Dorion, Data Center Practice Director with Long View Systems Inc., answers today's most common tape encryption questions.

Tape handling FAQ
Improper tape storage handling often leads to data loss. How do you correctly handle tape? What are the most common damages to tape? Curtis Breville, founder and president of geniusTek, and the writer of the Web site AskMrStorage.com. discusses tape handling best practices in this Q&A.

Virtual server backup FAQ
How much are virtualized server environments affecting backup processes? Mark Bowker, analyst with the Enterprise Strategy Group, answers the most common questions about virtual server backup from storage administrators.

VTL deduplication FAQ
John Merryman, services director for recovery services at GlassHouse Technologies Inc., discusses the pros and cons of virtual tape library (VTL) data deduplication and the state of the VTL deduplication market today in this Q&A.