What is Offsite Data Storage?
Offsite data storage is a method of storing data at a remote location - files, folders, or the entire contents of hard drives are regularly backed up on a remote server using an internet connection.
The rationale behind offsite data storage is simple. By backing up data on remote servers, the risk of catastrophic data loss as a result of natural disasters, theft, technical failure, or other disaster is virtually eliminated. If your building becomes unavailable, all your data can be recovered quickly using the offsite storage.
Usually with an internet connection and a web browser interface, the remote files and folders appear as if they are stored on an external local hard drive. Most organizations are clear about the need to protect their most important asset - their data. Human error, hardware failure, a virus, malicious actions, natural
disasters, theft or loss of a laptop - can all too easily result in data loss and cost the business dearly.
Offsite data storage is a secure, simple and affordable alternative to a traditional tape backup solution. Tape backup solutions can be effective, but they need an initial and sometimes expensive investment upfront, combine that with ongoing maintenance and the internal staff to support and operate them, the cost can become extensive. In essence tape backup strategy can bring with it a certain amount of ‘hassle’ - especially during a crisis when you need important business data to be recovered without delay. Offsite data storage is a modern yet proven solution to this critical process.
Who uses offsite Data Storage?
Offsite data storage is used by many businesses throughout the US and the wider world. Organizations of all sizes with an internet connection can benefit from this type of product.
There is no substitute for off site data storage. That is why major corporations have chosen this method above all others for disaster recovery. It is efficient, flexible, and secure.
Is offsite backup secure?
Backups are encrypted for complete security. Would you want someone to be able to slip one of your backup tapes into a pocket and take it to your competitor? It happens all the time. Tape backups are not generally encrypted, so anyone can read them and gain access to your client database, billing records, payroll, tax info, and everything else on your tape. Software exists that encrypts all backups for complete security so nobody, not even we, can read them.
The online backup service encrypts all data to ensure that the data is secure from the moment it leaves your server, to storage remote site servers, and during restores back to your servers. This ensures that your data is always protected by encryption during transit. The data can only be decrypted using a key you control. Refer to data storage for more information.
Benefits of Offsite Data Storage
Insurance
Some insurance companies offer discounted insurance rates for businesses performing offsite backup and data storage.
Convenient
This process can be completely automatic or you manually carry out the operation - It’s up to you! Your backups can be scheduled daily, eliminating the need for tape labelling and indexing while your staff concentrates on running your business.
Reliable
Most solution providers will store your information on regularly maintained high quality mirrored disk servers. With integrity checking ensuring that what is being saved off site can be restored if needed.
Secure
Data is stored using encryption and your account is protected by your personal security code or password, assuring you of complete security and privacy.
Fast restore
Files are restored in minutes, not hours or even days while you wait for your IT staff to become available.
No capital expense
No upfront cost to purchase expensive media, hardware and software and the ongoing maintenance costs of hardware and software.
Cost Effective
The service scalable and available at low monthly fee.
The most valuable assets of any business organization, regardless of it size, is its data! Visit data storage for further information.
The Silicon Graphics Legacy Of Supercomputers
SGI have an established reputation as an R&D powerhouse, creating powerful graphics workstations that created the effects for many blockbuster movies. Less well known are the high end servers and supercomputers that SGI develop.
When SGI purchased legendary supercomputer company Cray in the mid 1990s, they used some of Cray’s expertise, and developed their own range of monster super machines. The Origin 2000 was the first of these. Powered by MIPS processors, the Origin 2000 could range from 8 CPUs up to 1024. Adding special graphics cabinets created the Onyx, a graphics supercomputer of extreme power.
Then SGI created the Origin 3000, expanding on the original design. The Origin 3000 used modular ‘bricks’ - containing processors, IO cards, or even graphics cards - to allow very customised configurations. Again, ranging from 8 CPUs to 1024 - with rumours of extreme 2048 CPU machines being built for government agencies.
These servers were Single System Image (SSI) servers. Despite the large number of processors inside them, they ran one copy of the IRIX operating system, and behaved to the end user exactly the same way as a desktop compuyter would.
SGI are continuing their development with the current range of Altix scaleable supercomputers, based around Intel’s Itanium CPU and running Linux. With multi-core Itaniums available stories abound of massive 4096 core SSI systems hidden away in government labs.
Tape Imaging Software,
When you have backed up every single night for the last 5 years, then you find that when you need the backup, you discover the tape wont load because of a tape error.
So what can you do. There are lots software options for backup data recovery, but most of these only work on backup files, so how do you recover data from a tape?
Data Recovery Engineering Software Limited write software mainly for data recovery companies, and one of their titles is a very affordable tape dumping tool.
The software creates an image file of the data on the tape to hard disk. Now you can access the data on the tape and recover it with your backup recovery software.
Other uses are when someone has created a backup set that you need to access, but it is password protected (not encrypted) and the user cant remember the password or left the company. Or a forensics examiner needs to look at the data stored on the tape but does not have access to the software used to make the tape.
Recovering Data From Hard Drives
Overview
Modern computer system hard disks can contain a vast amount of data. So when your hard disk fails, and there are no recent backups available, data recovery is the only option available.
Introduction
A hard disk consists of a number of component parts. Each of which has its own failure modes.
1. Electronics
2. Mechanics
3. Firmware
4. Logical
Electronics
The circuit board on a hard disk is the ‘brain’ of the hard disk and a single component failure will render the drive useless. Data recovery from hard disks with electronics failures will require highly skilled electronics engineers who can to make temporary repairs in order to recover the data.
There are also electronic parts inside the hard disk that are vital for the correct operation of the hard disk and consists of the head pre-amplifier circuit.
Mechanical
The critical mechanical parts of a hard disk comprise of, the actuator arm, the motor and the platters. (There are other Mechanical parts, vibro-acoustic components, filters, VCM Magnets, etc, but these are less critical).
The majority of mechanical failures involve the Head pre-amplifier. Whilst this is not exactly a mechanical failure, the method that the head pre-amp is fixed to the head stack means that when it fails it involves the replacement of the entire head stack assembly.
The next biggest cause of failure is motor failure. This is probably the most serious problem and requires specialist equipment so that platter alignment is not lost when removing and replacing the motor. Main problems with motors are burnt out coils and seized bearings.
Firmware
The firmware area or System Area (SA) is a region on the hard disk that contains the manufacturer’s proprietary information such as
- Grown Defect Maps
- Head maps
- Operational code
- Self test logs
- ATA Password Information
- Security Data
- SMART Logs
- Translator Tables
and many others
For a hard disk to work properly it is vital that the Firmware Zone is error free. Fixing the Firmware on a hard disk is a highly skilled job and requires specialist equipment. Making a mistake when modifying the information in the Firmware of a hard disk can render a drive useless.
Logical
Logical problems are where there is nothing physically wrong with the hard disk and it is fully functional. Logical problems are where data has become inaccessible for some reason, for example, the user has deleted the files, the computer has come under virus attack. The skill set of the engineer requires knowledge of how the operating system that the data was stored on works. Also, an understanding of the file format for different file types so that quality of files can be determined on a bulk and individual basis.
Data Recovery from Hard Drives
MjM Data Recovery Ltd