What are my Backup Options

Various media to use for backups - floppy, hard disk, zip disk, tape, etc.

Last month, I discussed the importance of regularly backing up your critical files. I also talked about a routine you should follow, and why it is important. If you didn't get a chance to read the article, you owe it to yourself to have a look at last month's issue. It's not that I think I'm a great writer, but I truly believe this is one of the most important aspects of your business. At the risk of repeating myself, let me state that that this one simple procedure can, in the event of a catastrophe, be the difference between you getting back on your feet or closing your business for good.

Now, you've read the article from last month and you're ready to backup your data… What are you going to use? Floppies, Zip disks, a Jaz or Ditto drive? How about software? You've got Microsoft Backup, WinZip or PKZip for Windows (among others) and Stuffit files are popular for MACs; the list is long and it can be confusing.

Before I start rambling on the various choices, let me first explain the aspects you need to think about when doing a backup. It seems obvious but all you're really doing is making a COPY of the information that is important to you. Lets look at the non-computer world for a moment… Suppose you had all your information in regular printed files in a filing cabinet. To guard against loss, (in the event of a fire, say) you might make a photocopy of each file and take it home with you. That would take a lot of space at home, as well as in the gallery. So, in order to save space, you might use microfiche to make the copies. If there ever was a fire, and you had regular files at home, it would be relatively easy to pick up where you left off, after you do the clean-up work.

Making backups on a computer is basically the same concept but MUCH easier. Your first option is to simply copy the files you use (letters, inventory lists, invoices, client lists, etc.) onto another disk and take the disk home. However, if you have lots of information, you might want to compress the information before you make the copy (like using the microfiche above). It's not uncommon for compression programs to be able to fit as much as five times the amount information on a given disk. If you have a fire, you use the copies to get back on your feet. Even if you need a new computer, you can simply load the data from the copies to the new machine. In many cases, you can backup your whole gallery's information onto a single disk (a zip disk, for example.) Imagine having a complete copy of every client, every invoice, your whole inventory (including consignments, framing, whatever) on a little disk that fits in your purse or coat pocket! Wouldn't you sleep better? I know your insurance agent would, and they might even give you a better rate!

OK… I'm ready to talk about the different media. Your first option is to use a floppy disk. All computers (except the new IMACs) come with a floppy drive built in (and yes, I know you can get a floppy even for the IMAC - I do prefer PCs but I'm not throwing stones at Apple.) The problem with a floppy, is that it's so small. A floppy only holds 1.4Mb (megabytes) of data. This article, uncompressed, will be about 35K when it's done. That means I could fit about 40 of these articles on a single floppy. With compression, I might fit as many as 200 of these articles on a single floppy. That doesn't sound too bad. The problem is, many other files like databases, graphics (pictures) and program files are often larger than 1.44Mb all by themselves. So I'll tell you - For backups, using floppies is better than nothing, but far from ideal.

If you have to use floppies, you will definitely want to use a compression program like Microsoft Backup (which comes free with your Windows operating system) or Stuffit (for all the MAC users.) Another good compression program is pkZIP, which has both Windows and MAC versions. All of these programs do pretty much the same thing and are fairly easy to run after you've done the job once. You tell the program the files you want to backup and where to find them. Then you tell the program where to put the backup (on the floppy, say) and what to name the backup. Then press start! If the program needs more than one floppy it will prompt you to put another floppy in the drive when it needs it.

One more thing I should mention about floppies before I go on. They are notoriously unreliable. PLEASE don't store important information on an old floppy. After you've used a floppy a few times, throw it away or give it to your kids. There's no point in doing a backup in the first place if you can't do a RESTORE when you need to. In fact, every once in awhile, you should do a couple of backups and then do a restore just to make sure everything is working properly!

Your next option is a zip disk. There are competing products that work the same way but I do like zip disks because so many people have them now and they're easy to use. Zip disks come in both Windows and Macintosh varieties, just like floppies. They also come in two sizes now, 100MB and 250Mb. The 100Mb zip disk is like having the same room as 70 floppies on one disk. This is nearly always enough space to backup all your gallery information (at least the information that changes on a daily basis) on one disk. The other great thing about zip disks is that IOMEGA (the maker) will give you a free copy of "One Step Backup" with the disk drive. Actually, the first time you use "One Step Backup" there are many steps, but after that, you can backup the same information again very easily.

If you need to backup a LOT of information, you might consider a JAZ drive. This is like a removable hard disk for your computer. They're really fast and store TONS of information (like a Gigabyte or two depending on the model - a Gigabyte is 1000 MB.) The JAZ drive is also made by IOMEGA. For more information on ZIP or JAZ drives, check out www.iomega.com.

The next option you may consider is a TAPE backup. These are good for backing up large systems like a central file server (if you're on a network) but they're really becoming obsolete (due to zip and jaz drive) when you're talking about single system backups.

So far, all the items I've mentioned use magnetic media, which means that you can use them over and over again. Another option would be a recordable CD-ROM drive. Most CD-ROMs hold about 760Mb of information on a disk like the ones you get all your software on. The disks themselves only cost about a $1.50 at a store like Office Max or less than a dollar if you buy them in bulk. They're pretty slow and you can only use them once, but this is a pretty cost-effective solution. This is a VERY good option for backing up or storing your digital images.

There are many other options available, depending on the size of your operation, whether you have a network, and other aspects of the business. There are even Internet companies springing up that will backup your information to their servers for you. Of all of these solutions, my favorite would have to be the zip disk. The important thing is that you do regular backups on SOMETHING! Follow the schedule I wrote about last month and you will sleep better at night!