Data Backup and Data Storage Archives, Apples and Oranges?

Online data storage comes in two main flavors. What are the similarities and differences?

Proper data backup provides a regularly scheduled update of local data to the offsite server. It also provides retention of older versions of the local data often with a sophisticated retention policy, such as the last daily version for 30 days, plus an end of month version for 14 months, plus…you get the picture.

Proper data backup is highly automated and usually provides reporting about its activities. It is designed to run without user intervention. It supports multiple different types of data, usually including databases, email and office system files. Proper data backup generally allows for “system state” backup as well to protect user names, passwords and permissions.

Backup systems generally offer compression to reduce the size of the data and encryption for security. Any good data backup solution should allow a business to rebuild a lost PC or server to its pre-crash status quickly.

Backup, of course, is something needed for every computer system. A data storage archive is a different solution aimed at a different need.

Storage archives are generally designed to provide storage for large amounts of data which does not change as frequently.

Storage archives are usually less sophisticated tools and generally cost less. In some cases they are free, as with xDrive.com (but note that xDrive is due to be permanently closed by AOL in January).

Storage archives usually rely on the user to move data or synchronized data with the remote offsite server. Data is generally transferred by way of Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). And, usually only one version of a file is retained on the remote side.

Storage archives are ideal for a company which needs one additional copy of a large data set to be stored at a remote secure site. Some examples we see are medical imaging, CAD drawing libraries, and audio and video files.

Global Data Vault offers both solutions: data backup and data storage archives.