Computer Systems Are Like Tires

Do you treat your company’s critical data the same as other sensitive items in your life?

Let’s look at  something ordinary but critical such as your car’s tires. How many tires are on a car? Answer: five. We take the spare for granted, but it’s always there. We don’t think about it. You’re probably saying, “Okay, I have one backup system for my data as well. So I’m good.”

What if you blow out two tires at one time? You might call a friend or family member, and if they are not available, a 24-hr towing service. So, you really have several spares in case of tire failure.

What about computer systems failure and data loss? What if the safety net of that one, occasionally maintained backup system does not break your fall? What 2nd, 3rd, and 4th backups do you have?

Computer backup systems are run by computers, and therefore are not 100% reliable. That’s just a law of the silicon jungle. Using multiple types of backup systems allows for coverage of the gaps inherently present in each type. For example, the chances of both the tape, disk copy, and online backups failing at one time are very small as long as your system is running, and so on.

So, next time you sit down with your IT person, ask about backup system redundancy. You’ll probably get an earful if you haven’t already.