Backup Recommended Data Backup and Storage Best Practices

File Protection While Working

• It is recommended that you save your file every five minutes. This is simply done by selecting the “File Save” icon, or for most Microsoft applications pressing in order the “Alt” then “F’ and finally “S” (Alt-F-S).
  
• It is also recommended to save a new version of your work periodically. Some industry analysts suggest as often as every half hour, others put simply “create a new version every time you realize that you do not want to retype what you just finished. The thought here is that if you were to lose your work, you might be able to recreate it but typically it is never as good as the first time you typed it.
  
• Versioning and version control can be as simple as performing a “File / Save As” with the following format for a filename: “filename vX.ext”, where the ‘v’ indicates the version number and the ‘X’ is the next consecutive number (e.g. 1, then 2, then 3, etc.). When you perform file maintenance on your computer this also helps assess which of your multiple versions should be saved and which can be considered working versions (e.g. lower version numbers) and thus discarded.
  
• At the end of your working session it is good practice to save to multiple media. Your hard disc drive is typically considered you primary storage device. At the end of your work day, save your work to your hard disc drive as you normally would. In addition, save your work to a second drive, such as a memory stick or CD. If one of the medias become corrupt (e.g. hard disc failure) then you can always restore your work from the other media (e.g. CD, etc.) and have only lost a portion of a days work in the worst case scenario.

Long Term File Protection and Use of OffSite Backup

• Data Backup Set Types: OffSite Backup recommends the use of two of the three types of data backup sets; the ‘Full’ and the ‘Incremental’.
  
• Full Data Backup Set: OSB recommends that you use the ‘Full’ data backup set type on a weekly basis. The full data backup will make a complete copy of all the files you selected to be protected.
  
• Incremental Data Backup Set: OSB recommends that you run an incremental data backup on a daily basis, thus your maximum exposure to file loss is only one day. If your data, or your business requires more protection, thus more frequent data backups, we recommend performing a ‘Full’ backup every other day and an ‘Incremental’ twice a day.
  
• Data Backup Set Naming Convention: OSB recommends the following format naming convention when you create a new data backup set. Include your name (or company name), the type of backup (Full or Incremental), the periodicity (Daily, Weekly, etc.) and the data grouping you are protecting, if appropriate (e.g. Engineering files, Accounting files, etc.). As an example: “OSB Weekly Full Accounting Backup”, or “OSB Daily Incremental Business Docs”.
  
• Multiple Data Backup Sets: We recommend you consider making multiple data backup sets if your data set size is very large (over 10 GB) or your connection time interferes with the normal operation of your business (e.g. you have a three shift operation). At OffSite Backup, our internal practice is to backup all our accounting files in a separate backup set from of company documents. We also use this technique to separate our securely stored data by department or functional group within the company.