Onsite and Offsite Backups - What You Need to Know
Backing up your computers is something that we all know we should do, but the bevy of options makes the task of backing up your data a daunting one. Breaking down the different options is the best way to ensure that your data is secure. The internet is packed full of information on backing up, but once sifted through, there are two main options: offsite or onsite?
Offsite:
Offsite means that data is backed up over the internet to a datacenter. CrashPlan is the service we use and recommend that allows you to back up all of your user data offsite in one convenient place. Through CrashPlan, you can backup any file, no matter what the type or size and with the 448-bit encryption all your files will be safe. Using technology that silently works in the background, you won’t even know when CrashPlan is backing up your data. CrashPlan keeps “digital snapshots” of your files, so you can look at specific versions of your files from any time. CrashPlan also keeps copies of all of your erased files, so all of your deleted data is still only a click away.
Offsite:
Offsite means that data is backed up over the internet to a datacenter. CrashPlan is the service we use and recommend that allows you to back up all of your user data offsite in one convenient place. Through CrashPlan, you can backup any file, no matter what the type or size and with the 448-bit encryption all your files will be safe. Using technology that silently works in the background, you won’t even know when CrashPlan is backing up your data. CrashPlan keeps “digital snapshots” of your files, so you can look at specific versions of your files from any time. CrashPlan also keeps copies of all of your erased files, so all of your deleted data is still only a click away.
When you purchase a support contract with Cranston IT, you can get access to CrashPlan for $12 a month per computer including unlimited data storage. CrashPlan purchased through CranstonIT also includes ongoing monitoring. When your computer is not backing up properly, we contact you to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. If you don’t have a support contract, you can also purchase CrashPlan directly through their website at www.cit.tips/Crashplan_Signup.
Onsite:
Backing up externally, to a hard drive that is connected to your computer, is also a viable option when choosing your backup method. With your Apple computer, a program called Time Machine makes the backing up of your data simple. All the data on your computer including Applications, Settings and user data will be copied to the external hard drive that you specified during the initial backup, allowing new or changed data to be backed up every hour. If your computer ever has a failure, your data can be completely restored to a new or repaired computer with just a few clicks.
Not only does Time Machine allow you to back up to an external drive connected directly to your computer, but it also provides a way for you to wirelessly back up the data from multiple Macs to Apple’s Time Capsule. The Apple Time Capsule is a wireless appliance that connects to your network either wired or wirelessly. It contains it’s own internal hard drive so any Mac on the network can be easily configured to back up to the Time Capsule. This is convenient when you have a laptop or multiple laptops. Anytime you are on your local network, your computer(s) will automatically backup without having to plug in an external hard drive. The Apple Time Capsule is also a wireless router so you can replace your older, slower wireless router if needed.
Time Machine is easy to set up. If you do not have Time Machine currently configured, whenever you plug in an external drive, your Mac will ask you if you want to configure the drive to be a back up drive for your computer. You can also go to System Preferences > Time Machine settings and manually configure the backup process.
There are pros and cons to both methods of backing up your data. Backing up using an offsite source will protect your data from any harm that may befall an external hard drive, making the offsite option slightly more reliable when it comes to security. When it comes to price, an external drive or Time Capsule has a bigger start up fee, due to the fact that you must purchase an external hard drive, but once the drive has been purchased, there is relatively no additional cost, unlike an offsite backup that has a reoccurring monthly charge. In addition, having an offsite backup system requires you to have consistent access to an internet connection, where as an external hard drive does not require an internet connection of any kind. An onsite backup will only work when the external drive is connected to your computer or you are on your home network. The offsite backup works whenever you are on the internet at home, work or traveling.
We at Cranston IT recommend that you back up using both onsite and offsite backups. We suggest that you back up all the critical user data, such as pictures or important work documents with an offsite backup service to ensure that no matter what happens to your external hard drive, all the important information will be a click away. In turn, having an external hard drive that is able to back up the entire contents of your computer makes life much easier if you would need to restore all of your information onto a machine. Plus, having two backups for your data is always better than one, if for any reason you find that one of the backups was not working properly. For further help with all your back up needs, contact Cranston IT at support@cranstoninc.com.
Onsite:
Backing up externally, to a hard drive that is connected to your computer, is also a viable option when choosing your backup method. With your Apple computer, a program called Time Machine makes the backing up of your data simple. All the data on your computer including Applications, Settings and user data will be copied to the external hard drive that you specified during the initial backup, allowing new or changed data to be backed up every hour. If your computer ever has a failure, your data can be completely restored to a new or repaired computer with just a few clicks.
Not only does Time Machine allow you to back up to an external drive connected directly to your computer, but it also provides a way for you to wirelessly back up the data from multiple Macs to Apple’s Time Capsule. The Apple Time Capsule is a wireless appliance that connects to your network either wired or wirelessly. It contains it’s own internal hard drive so any Mac on the network can be easily configured to back up to the Time Capsule. This is convenient when you have a laptop or multiple laptops. Anytime you are on your local network, your computer(s) will automatically backup without having to plug in an external hard drive. The Apple Time Capsule is also a wireless router so you can replace your older, slower wireless router if needed.
Time Machine is easy to set up. If you do not have Time Machine currently configured, whenever you plug in an external drive, your Mac will ask you if you want to configure the drive to be a back up drive for your computer. You can also go to System Preferences > Time Machine settings and manually configure the backup process.
There are pros and cons to both methods of backing up your data. Backing up using an offsite source will protect your data from any harm that may befall an external hard drive, making the offsite option slightly more reliable when it comes to security. When it comes to price, an external drive or Time Capsule has a bigger start up fee, due to the fact that you must purchase an external hard drive, but once the drive has been purchased, there is relatively no additional cost, unlike an offsite backup that has a reoccurring monthly charge. In addition, having an offsite backup system requires you to have consistent access to an internet connection, where as an external hard drive does not require an internet connection of any kind. An onsite backup will only work when the external drive is connected to your computer or you are on your home network. The offsite backup works whenever you are on the internet at home, work or traveling.
We at Cranston IT recommend that you back up using both onsite and offsite backups. We suggest that you back up all the critical user data, such as pictures or important work documents with an offsite backup service to ensure that no matter what happens to your external hard drive, all the important information will be a click away. In turn, having an external hard drive that is able to back up the entire contents of your computer makes life much easier if you would need to restore all of your information onto a machine. Plus, having two backups for your data is always better than one, if for any reason you find that one of the backups was not working properly. For further help with all your back up needs, contact Cranston IT at support@cranstoninc.com.