Remote Backup Service
From Website Hosting Wiki
Remote backup services give users an online system for backing up and storing their computer files. These services are provided by companies that specialize in this type of hosting. These services are usually built around a client’s software that runs once a day collecting, compressing, encrypting, and transferring the data to a remote backup server that is provided by the hosting company. Providers prefer to target specific market segments in order to gain clientele.’
This service first appeared during the dotcom boom of the 1990s. Most providers at the time were more interested in capturing the interest of the larger companies, but it was soon realized that everyone could benefit from this types of hosting. Today software as a service is extremely popular and relevant in the market as companies predicted the need for personal and commercial use.
Remote backup services include but are not limited to: opened file back where files from programs that are consistently opened are included in the backup; multi-platform backup; multi-site backups; continuous backup; online access to files; data compression and differential data compression; data encryption; and bandwidth usage. This service is billed based on the total amount of data being backed up, how many computers are covered by the service, and the maximum number of versions of each file that are kept. The last consideration is usually limited by the vendor and the ability to backup open or locked files are usually charged as an add-on.
Remote backup service has its pros can cons. The pros of this system include the fact that backup is done without the intervention of the user. All of the data is offsite, which protects the data in the case of a disaster. Data could even be stored overseas if necessary. Some of the services work continuously meaning that the files are backed up as they are changed. Each service will list the versions of the files it has backed up and each file has 128-448 bit encryption and sends the data over via an https connection.
Disadvantages include slow restoration of the data depending on the amount of bandwidth that is available. There is usually no guarantee that the data will be kept private from the host’s employees which is why data should always be encrypted before storage. If the host goes out of business or is purchased by another company, users may have difficultly accessing their information. Plus, if the encryption pass code is lost, the data will not be recovered.
