Backup solutions for distributed locations

 "We have 20 individual PC's spread over 6 different locations.We do not have an IT person or expertise. What is the best way to ensure backups are carried out? Somebody is thinking of buying 6 hard disk back for ups.  Is this the way to go?  We want want is the most effective for the least cost."

Doing the rounds of plugging a set of USB hard drives into each of 20 PCs every day would be a burdensome chore, to say the least. 

The Hard Drive Solution

 This one, the D-Link DNS-323 2-bay NAS , comes with backup software built in, so you can set it up and let it work away, backing up your files for you.  This unit does not come with hard drives built in, you need to get them separately and slide them into their homes, but that means that you can decide how much storage you need.   All told, you should be able to get a fully functioning network backup unit for under about 400 euro.

This gives you a copy of your data.  But what if your office burns down?  To recover from extreme disasters, one requires off-site backup.

If using a tape-based backup system, that means taking tapes to a secure off-site location once a week.  In the case of using a NAS solution, one could use 2xNAS units and simply swap them once a week, storing one off site, so 800 euro per location. 

Online Backups

Another possibility would be online backup.  There are various online backup providers worth investigating.  One, for example, would be keepitsafe.ie, whose clients include some 200 credit unions, eircom, Remax and the HSE.  Another provider, databackup.ie will backup a server and 8 PCs for 80 euro a month as of this writing.

Typically, online backups are charged relative to how much data you need to store.

Online Innovation

Another option to a full-blown online backup solution might be to use a system such as Dropbox.  Dropbox allows you to seamlessly synchronise your files on your computer with your own private storage space online.  You can get 2GB for free or pay for more storage.  As well as having a copy of your data online, Dropbox will automatically backup the online copy and will let you restore previous versions of files, for added peace of mind.  There's a really good video of how it works here.

Online Storage and Collaboration

Finally, and this could work particularly well for a distributed organisation with many locations, one could try box.net .

Box.net is like having a shared folder on your network, only you access it over the 'net.  This means that everyone over the six locations can have access (access is configurable) to the same set of data.  All files are stored in highly secure data centres and are automatically backed up to geographically separate locations.  Data on Box is significantly safer than data sitting in an office!  Lots of bigshots use Box, e.g. NIKE, ORACLE, Symantec.   And Box claim that it's really easy to use, which is just as important as price!