Misc

Online data storage and backup options for the midmarket

In the past, pricing and system obstacles sometimes made it difficult to find an appropriate online data backup system and disaster recovery solutions for the midmarket. But the current business environment has several simple yet effective online data storage and backup options for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

In fact, sometimes it can seem there are too many choices from which to choose. So how do you know which option is best for your business? In this guide, you will learn about the latest online data storage and backup strategies, as well as disaster recovery (DR) solutions.

This guide is part of SearchCIO-Midmarket.com's Midmarket CIO Briefings series, which is designed to give IT leaders strategic guidance and advice that addresses the management and decision-making aspects of timely topics. For a complete list of topics covered to date, visit the Midmarket CIO Briefings section.

 

Table of contents

   SMB online data storage and backup options Table of Contents

Without a decent backup strategy, the very survival of your business could be at the mercy of a stray bolt of lightning, the theft of a laptop from a public place like an airport, or the failure of a critical piece of hardware in a completely unpredictable way.

However, midsized businesses have traditionally been in a difficult spot when it comes to managing online data backup strategies. Systems, hardware and management capabilities were mostly available for enterprise customers, but these solutions were too heavyweight for SMBs. In addition, it was tough to justify spending thousands, if not tens of thousands, on online data backups when those businesses didn't even have dedicated IT departments.

But all of that's changed in today's environment. Now all businesses can afford simple but effective online data protection at a fraction of what such insurance used to cost.

Learn more in "Effective backup strategies and storage options for SMBs." Also:

  Choosing the right SMB online data backup option Table of Contents

IT changes at an incredibly fast pace. We even have a law -- Moore's Law -- to prove it. There is, however, one constant that has stayed mostly universal since the beginning of IT time -- the need for and the challenges around taking backup copies of critical information. While the need for backup has not changed, carrying out the act has changed, and new backup options become available on a regular basis.

The world of backup options for small and medium-sized businesses includes thousands of different product combinations that range from relatively low cost up to very expensive solutions. The key is to determine your comfort level when it comes to the potential for data loss and then purchase a solution that meets the needs of your business.

Find out more in "SMB backup options and a solution: Bypassing the cloud for now." Also:

  SAN technologies Table of Contents

Expensive, high-end SAN technologies may be nice -- but many midsized organizations simply cannot afford them. To find your IT shop's perfect technology fit, first determine your basic online data storage needs and requirements, then focus on the technology options to meet those needs. Also important is being able to pick out some of the optional features that often come with higher price tags. Avoid them if you can't afford them.

Let's look at some of the options and their purposes. This will help you better determine which features are most important for your environment and which you might want to skip.

Learn more in "Breaking down SAN technologies." Also:

  Disaster recovery solutions Table of Contents

With the advent of virtualization -- especially server virtualization -- the nature of disaster recovery and business continuity has changed, and companies can now rely on a cloud-based infrastructure to provide business continuity in the event of a significant failure. The disaster recovery solution is simple: implement a server virtualization infrastructure internally and acquire appropriate cloud-based infrastructure extensions to support DR.

Learn more in "Disaster recovery strategies: Choosing the right cloud DR provider.." Also:

  More resources  Table of Contents

This was first published in October 2010

Join the conversationComment

Share
Comments

    Results

    Contribute to the conversation

    All fields are required. Comments will appear at the bottom of the article.
    Back to top