Networking For Dummies, 11th Edition

Chapter 18

Backing Up Your Data

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding the need for backups

Working with tape drives and other backup media

Understanding the different types of backups

Mastering tape rotation and other details

If you’re the hapless network manager, the safety of the data on your network is your responsibility. In fact, it’s your primary responsibility. You get paid to lie awake at night worrying about your data. Will it be there tomorrow? If it’s not, can you get it back? And — most important — if you can’t get it back, will you have a job tomorrow?

This chapter covers the ins and outs of being a good, responsible, trustworthy network manager. No one gives out merit badges for this stuff, but someone should.

Backing Up Your Data

Having data backed up is the cornerstone of any disaster recovery plan. Without backups, a simple hard drive failure can set your company back days or even weeks while it tries to reconstruct lost data. In fact, without backups, your company’s very existence is in jeopardy.

The fundamental goal of backing up is simple: Keep a spare copy of your network’s critical data so that no matter what happens, you never lose more than one day’s work. The stock market may crash, Earth may be hit by a giant asteroid, or the Cleveland Browns might win the Super Bowl. But as long as you’re on top of your backups, you’ll survive.

The way to meet the primary ...