A Backup Plan You’re Sure To Fall In Love With
In today’s fast-paced, data-driven world, backups are mission critical to your company’s survival and success.
Yet your data may be just one damaged drive, lost laptop, natural disaster, accidental deletion, malware attack, equipment failure, power spike or petty theft away from a profit-sucking, heartbreaking disaster.
So what measures must you take to keep your data safe, secure and where you need it, when you need it? While there’s no one-size-fits-all-guns silver bullet, there are some general principles to be aware of.
Image-Based Backups
An image-based backup or “clone” serves like the spare tire for your car. If you get a flat, the spare will get you to a tire shop.
If the hard drive on any device in the network goes kablooey and its user is in a time crunch to complete a project, an image-based backup allows them to get right back to where they were. It saves all files, apps and settings that were on that device, exactly the way were at the time of the last backup. And generally, that means the user can get right back to work with no need to reconfigure everything all over again.
But, just as a spare tire isn’t designed for long road trips, an image-based backup may not perform as well as the original drive. It may, for instance, take a little longer to access data from the server, slowing down user workflow.
An image-based backup will be useful only to the extent that it has backed up data recently. For servers, daily or even multiple backups per day are recommended.
Also, you will need either an onsite or cloud based server, generally called a BDR, or Backup and Disaster Recovery device and there are several options available to suit any company’s needs.
Archive Backups
Archive backups don’t replace image-based backups, but are an efficient way to reduce the size of these backups because they take less-frequently-used data off the main computer or server.
You can’t reboot from an archive, but if you’ve accidentally deleted a file, you can retrieve it from an archive. If any device on the network goes down, you can simply plug the external hard drive into another computer and regain access to the archived files.
Cloud Backup
Backing up to the cloud can serve as an alternative to a rotating off-site backup and eliminates the human component of having to remember to rotate drives. However, for complete protection, you’ll want a cloud backup that makes a nightly copy of the image-based backup files. Should the absolute worst happen, the cloud backup image can be “spun up,” allowing access to your applications and data using just about any computer or tablet.
Automated cloud backup systems offer a variety of feature sets. Some only back up files, while others back up entire image-based backups and can even spin them up. Select a system that’s simple, continual, fast, secure, easy to restore from, inclusive of different devices and operating systems, cost-efficient and, most importantly, provides the kind of protection and redundancy you need for your operation to run even if things go south.
A Fail-Safe System
So, can you rest assured that your company’s backup system is built to minimize downtime in the event of data loss or equipment failure?
If you’re 100% certain you can answer yes, congratulations – you are one of the few! If not, NOW is the time to take action – rather than after you wish you had.
Not only is our XPERTVIEW Managed Back-up secure and highly affordable, it continuously backs up your entire server – including open files – every 15 minutes, so you’ll never lose a whole day’s work. Then, every night, it automatically backs up a snapshot of your entire server to an off-site military-grade data center where it’s held safe and secure until you need it.
Don’t put this off another minute! Contact us right now through the end of February to claim your free Backup System Audit. Let us make sure your backup system never lets you down. We can fix broken computers and printers, but a broken heart is another thing entirely… Call TODAY!
SKILL…And WILL
Let’s get one thing straight…we all begin as a NOVICE.
No one – let me repeat that – NO ONE starts as an expert. We all have to learn to walk, talk, eat, swim, count, write and read. We all start at zero, the bottom, from scratch, zip…with absolutely no knowledge, experience or understanding of the “THING” we are about to learn.
So, then the journey begins: your progression from being a Novice, to being Average, then Skilled, then a Specialist and finally an Expert is all up to you. I really like the title of “EXPERT” because it has to be earned. You can assign someone a title of Vice President or Sales Manager, Boss or Director…but EXPERT – that title is something to be revered, respected and admired.
EXPERTS have put in the time, effort and study to EARN the title. They have dealt with the pains, frustrations, exhaustion and stress that come with obtaining the title of EXPERT. In fact, it’s really not a title at all, it’s a designation or confirmation that the person you are dealing with is very, very good at what they do. I like being around experts, because they have traits in their character that can do nothing but help me.
You see, to be an EXPERT you have to have passion, conviction, focus, discipline, dedication, drive, purpose, commitment, spirit, determination…and the undeniable WILL to perfect your SKILL. According to the American Society for Training & Development, American workers average 6.5 minutes per day developing their skill. That statistic alone explains why there are so many average-performing people. Most people just aren’t WILLING to put in the time and effort needed to raise their skill level.
Your success has a great deal to do with your level of SKILL, but not everything. I know a lot of talented, smart, well-educated people who have in no way come close to reaching their full potential.
You have the FREE WILL to succeed, if you have the WILLINGNESS to do it.
The big question is WILL you? Who would have ever thought such a simple word as WILL would have so much to do with your success. Here are a few quotes I want to share with you that should hopefully broaden your perspective on how important WILLPOWER is to your success. They are by people you may have never heard of – de Balzac, Min and Crowley respectively – but the brilliance of their words is indisputable.
“There is no such thing as great talent without great willpower.”
“Lack of willpower leads to more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.”
“In the absence of willpower the most complete collection of virtues and talent is wholly worthless.”
Anyone can go from Novice to Expert if they have the WILL to do it. But the “Skill Knob” can only be turned to the “Expert Notch” if you have the WILL to make it happen and the discipline to study, learn and practice.
Robert Stevenson is a highly sought after, internationally known speaker. He is the author of the best-selling books How to Soar Like An Eagle in a World Full of Turkeys and 52 Essen-tial Habits For Success. Robert is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and is a former All-American Athlete. He started his first business at 24 and has owned several companies. Robert has international sales experience dealing in over 20 countries, and his client list reads like a Who’s Who in Business. He has shared the podium with such re-nowned names as Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, Former President George H.W. Bush, Anthony Robbins and Steven Covey. www.robertstevenson.org/
Shiny New Gadget Of The Month:
Keeps You In Touch, Could Save Your Life
If you fly often for business, a satellite messenger may be just the thing to stay in the cloud when you’re above the clouds. And if your travels for fun take you into the wild, it could literally be a lifesaver.
Just ask retired Houston firefighter Michael Herrara. After breaking three ribs and his collarbone in a hard fall from his dual-sport bike in a remote area in Alabama, he hit the SOS button on his messenger. Within 40 minutes an ATV was on hand to transport him to a trauma center.
Features to look for in a satellite messenger include data speed, battery life, coverage areas, size, weight and ease of use.
And, of course, an SOS button.
Microsoft Outlook for iOS and Android – Worth a try?
■ The new Outlook for iOS and Android connects e-mail accounts, calendars and files all in one place. So what’s the verdict from users? It gets mixed reviews, for an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play. On the plus side, it’s got a lean, easy-to-use UI. It sorts incoming e-mail by “Focus” and “Other” with an easy-to-use swipe gesture to move between the two. The scheduler uses color-coding and grays out info you don’t need. On the minus side, some users report syncing and sign-in errors and incompatibility with certain systems. Still, once the bugs are worked out, it’s certainly worth a test drive. -Computer World, 10.29.15
Today.com
Star Wars BB-8 Droid Tie-In: The Story and the Tech Behind the Hit Toy
■ Talk about your dream contract! It was just the second day of Disney’s inaugural tech-development Accelerator. Sphero CEO Paul Berberian and the company’s two founders were invited to chat with Disney CEO Bob Iger in his office. When it’s their time to meet, Iger pulls out his iPhone and shows them dailies from the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, then in production – stuff nobody but folks directly involved in making the movie had seen. Iger pointed to the rolling droid, BB-8, and asked Berberian if he and his team could build it. The rest, as they say, is history. -Wired, 09.03.15
Pain Relief Gets a New Look
■ A new wearable electronic device named Quell is designed to relieve pain without popping pills. Yet it doesn’t look like a medical device. Resembling an athletic band, it’s worn on the leg, just below the knee. It connects to your smartphone so you can track therapy sessions, control features, monitor quality of sleep and store data to the Quell HealthCloud. 67% of Quell users report a reduction in their use of pain medication. Some users experience relief in as little as 15 minutes. Tapping into your body’s natural pain-control system, it can block pain signals, providing widespread pain relief. Just bear in mind, it doesn’t work for everyone – your results may vary. -MedGadget 08.17.15
World’s Smallest Camera Drone
■ Curious about camera drones, but not sure where to begin? For under $30 you can get a tiny “quadcopter” that fits in the palm of your hand. The Cheerson CX-10C claims to be the world’s smallest drone with a camera. You’ll get a flight time of no more than about three minutes, less if you use the camera. Which, of course, is the point, isn’t it? Still, it’s a good way to get the hang of playing with one of these things without a whole lot of cash out-of-pocket. Use it for aerial shots of you and your family skiing, on the beach – or just buzzing around the house for practice. -Drone Arena, 11.06.15
FREE Report:
What Every Small Business Owner Must Know About Protecting And Preserving Their Company’s Critical Data And Computer Systems
This report will outline in plain, non-technical English common mistakes that many small business owners make with their computer network that cost them thousands in lost sales, productivity and computer repair bills, as well as providing an easy, proven way to reduce or completely eliminate the financial expense and frustration caused by these oversights.
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