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Data Storage in the Business Setting

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Data storage in the business setting is similar to the drives used in home computing, but in most cases the capacity of the data storage device for a small business must be much larger. In addition to the data storage devices used in the home setting, businesses can also utilize tape drives, disk backups, and other types of data storage devices. Many businesses also make use of online backups for their data storage needs.

Tape drives are sequential in nature, and work in the same manner as magnetic cassettes. Tape drives must be wound past existing data in order to write new information on the tape. The tapes used in a tape drive storage device have a set capacity based on the length of each tape cassette. Because they store data in a sequential order, they are not efficient for data storage for information that must be recalled multiple times. Tape drives are better used to store copies of data as backups in the event that the original source of the data is damaged or destroyed. Tape drives are the backup data storage choice for so many businesses because its cost is typically lower than other forms of data storage. One disadvantage tape drives cannot seem to escape is the time it takes to backup large systems to the tape. Organizations that require large backup systems, such as banks, may spend the entire night backup up the transactions that occurred during the previous day.

Disk backups are a much more accessible data storage solution than tape drives, but their costs are typically higher. One reason disk backups are higher might be that in order to backup your business’s entire system to it, it must be at least as large as the system it is meant to back up. However, disk backups can be performed in a fraction of the time it takes to back up to a tape drive, and the disk backup can be used over and over, creating an intact backup of the original system.

One problem tape and disk backups often face is that they are usually stored in the same building with the original system. If the original system is down because of a power outage, the tape or disk backup system will also be without power. Likewise, if the business floods, or is damaged in a tornado or hurricane, the tape or disk backup will most likely face the same fate.

Online backups are another backup system that can be managed in a more time efficient manner than tape backups, but online backups are held on the web, and therefore are not as likely to be damaged by flooding or bad weather. But online backups are not without their own problems. Online backups must be designed and administered with enough security in place to protect not only the data, but also the clients, patients, or stock holders whose data is being stored. Online backup system companies offer varying levels of security and password protection for users.

Many firms use a combination of data storage solutions, from small file backups on CD’s to full system backups on tape, disk, or online data storage system. Depending your business needs, there is a system that will fit your needs.

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