What are the pros and cons of disk-based data backup for SMBs?
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There are several pros to using disk-based data backup for SMBs as well as remote office branch office (ROBO) environments. These include the ability for multiple backup jobs to write to the same media at the same time, along with random retrievals. For environments using tape, disk-based backup enables tape to be redeployed for long-term archive or data preservation. The downside to using disk-based backup is that in the absence of remote replication or removable hard disk drives, data portability or off-site data protection could be an issue. Also, if you are going to use disk-based backups, you should try to maximize disk storage capacity in order for more data to be retained for longer periods of time. This way, you will have faster restores, will be able to leverage your data footprint and use space optimization technologies. Data footprint reduction technologies include data compression and data deduplication.
This was first published in September 2009