Backup Storage Basics

What is Disk-to-Disk Backup Storage?
Plainly stating, a disk-to-disk system simply copies the data or volumes of data from one disk to another disk. This can sound like just copying a file from a diskette to a hard drive than a backup solution. Don't forget that people can copy their "My Documents" folder to a network server as a quick backup. The same idea applies here, just with larger amounts of business data. Take this principle of transferring files from one disk to another and expand this idea out to make it relevant to a business as a whole and the concept fits company-wide backup needs with ease.

For example, a department in an organization of 100 employees that relies on certain files stored on a local file server. This department could use built-in backup software such as Dantz Development's Retrospect to implement a disk-to-disk backup solution for that server. The IT manager can schedule a nightly backup of the changed files on the server and save them over the network to a backup system in the company's local data center.

If that same company is using that same server as a Web server and not to serve files, taking the server offline for a long period of time to back it up would not be practical due to the nature of the server. Also, the data wouldn't be completely secure -- a potential disaster that would destroy the Web server would also destroy any local backup, regardless of the medium used.

To develop the same type of portability offered by tape backups, the company should implement a disk-to-disk-to-tape hybrid solution such as the "Backup Monster" or the "TeraBuster." Both of these solutions quickly copy key data to another disk over the local network, then they can backup that version of the data to one or more tapes on an auto-loading system. This system offers the portability of a tape backup as well as the affordability and speed of a disk-to-disk copy. Additionally, running backup sets on a disk-based medium allows the company to send the backup over a network to another location very quickly, providing enhanced off-site protection against loss.

In the traditional backup environment, a tape-rotation method must implemented. It doesn't matter whether the full backups are weekly, nightly or a  more complex custom scheme, an IT manager is still stuck continuously managing the backup window (the time it takes to back up the data) and the backup data volume (how much data needs to be stored during that operation). In a disk-to-disk backup solutions, there isn't a tape rotation issue. The entire backup process is handled automatically over the network.

In storage backups nothing is instantaneous, disk-to-disk backup still requires a sufficient backup window, as well as monitoring of the quantity of data to be backed up. Dantz Development's Retrospect backup software products significantly help manage disk-to-disk backups whether the backups are for small 20 person businesses or more complex larger organizations. With a little attention from an IT manager it is very easy to develop and implement a basic backup procedure using quality management software and deploying a well designed disk-to-disk backup server.

In conclusion, disk-to-disk backup solutions such as the "Backup Monster" or the "TeraBuster" can be quicker, easier and far less expensive than a traditional tape backup solution. There is an immediate investment cost involved in acquiring the storage space in the form of hard disks, as well as network bandwidth. However, the benefit of disk-to-disk is that as time goes by the backup solution can grow with company as storage needs grow. Other than flexibility and scalability, disk storage is the perfect storage solution on a tight budget.