Cloud Computing Myths

Online Backup Myths

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Online backup is often characterized through ignorance or suspicion. Let's review the common doubts and dispel these myths:

  1. Online backup is unreliable. After initial seeding, online backup only records the changes at each subsequent backup per an automated schedule with built-in retry for any disruptions. This process far exceeds the myriad human error, tape faults, and hardware or software malfunction of traditional backup.

  2. Online backup is unsecure. Unlike tapes or external hard drives, data is encrypted and restricted only to designated backup destinations.

  3. Online backup is not trustworthy. Online backup volumes are offline and files are compressed and encrypted. Therefore, files cannot be browsed or opened. 

  4. Online backup is limited in storage. Most commercial online backup services do not pose any limitations on the amount of data to protect.

  5. Online backup is too expensive. While offerings vary, online backup is generally less than traditional alternatives by escaping the significant cost of hardware, software, media, upgrades, maintenance, and human intervention.

  6. Hard drives or USB is better than online backup. Such options are high risk for human error, loss, or sabotage. In addition, drive failures are common especially with any regular physical impact from transport and USB could just as easily end up destroyed in the laundry.

  7. Online backup is too slow and prone to errors. Since online backup is incremental, backup windows are smaller with fewer errors than traditional backup.

  8. Daily online backup is difficult. Agentless online backup uses an automated schedule and is much easier to monitor and configure than various manual human intervention processes.

  9. Online backup is only for small business. Medium sized organizations and large enterprises tend to benefit more from increased security and reliability and reduced cost.

  10. Online backup is unnecessary. Worse than having no backup at all is the false sense of security of changing the tape and not really having a backup or having your data unwittingly copied, lost, or destroyed by human sabotage or error.