1 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Backup and its importance

2 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes What do we mean by backup? A backup is simply an extra copy of the data from a computer system. If data becomes corrupted or is stolen, it can be restored from the backup copy. A backup and recovery strategy is needed to plan how data is backed up and how it will be recovered. A recovery strategy may also include sourcing hardware and office space. Backup and its importance

3 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes “Of companies that had a major loss of computerised records, 43% never re-open, 51% close within two years and only 6% will survive long-term.” Jim Hoffer, "Backing Up Business - Industry Trend or Event", Health Management Technology, Jan 2001 Backup in business

4 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Common reasons for data loss Human error Hardware or software malfunction Criminal activity Natural disasters Threats to data

5 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Earthquake – Los Angeles 1994 Floods – Gloucestershire, UK 2007 Terrorism – City of London 1993 Natural disasters account for only 2% of loss. Natural or man-made disasters

6 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Magnetic tapeMagnetic tape Hard disk Optical disk RAID Remote backup service These are the main types of backup media that you need to know about. Click on the links for more information. Click here to continue.here Backup media

7 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Removable flash drive CDR or DVDR Disk These media are suitable for backing up home computers or for small business use. Click here to return to list of backup devices.here Backup media Removable hard disk

8 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes Hard Disk These media have large capacities and can be stored away from the main computer. A hard disk in another location can be used for backup. A laptop can be transferred and backed up to the user’s desktop computer hard disk. Backup media Click here to return to list of backup devices.here

9 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes RAID systems – instant backups in real time Click here to return to list of backup devices.here Backup media

10 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes 2008 DAT tape Removable media with large capacity – mostly for business use, using specialist drives in servers. The tapes can be removed and stored away from the server, giving a backup in another location. Click here to return to list of backup devices.here Backup media

11 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes 2008 Remote backup services can be used for online backups. Click here to return to list of backup devices.here Backup services

12 AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes AQA ICT AS Level © Nelson Thornes 2008 Data must be backed up in case it is corrupted, lost or stolen. Media used for backup needs to be selected according to the data being backed up. Data can also be backed up remotely, using online services. Summary