Backing Up Data

What establishes the time required for my initial backup?

The initial data backup time is determined by these factors:

 

§         The volume of data you are backing up.

§         Your Internet upload speed.

 

For very large initial backups it might be prudent to send the data to EDP on media such as DVDs or an external hard drive. If not, the initial upload could take multiple sessions to complete.

 

 

What determines the time required for my scheduled backups?

 

§         The volume of changed data since your last backup.

§         Your Internet upload speed.

 

The average daily backup is normally fast and only takes a few minutes; we only back up the changes to files that have been altered since the last backup. Remember, the scheduled backups are fully automated so it is not necessary to be there when they take place, typically after-hours.

 

 

Who determines the frequency of my backups?

With the Platinum service plan the client specifies the frequency. For the Gold and Silver service plans the normal backup schedule is after the close of business Monday through Friday. EDP will discuss with each client the backup schedule that works best for their business.

 

 

What is involved in the automatic backups?

At the scheduled time, your computer makes a secure connection to the servers in your assigned primary storage facility. Your fully-encrypted data is then transmitted to EDP and stored in our secure facilities.
 

 

Do daily backups require my involvement?

No. After you have initially scheduled the frequency, time, and data to be included in your backups, they do not require any user intervention. EDP provides regular reports that allow you to ensure that the backups are taking place and that all the data files you selected are included.
 

 

Will You load any software on my computer?

Yes. The backups require a small program to be loaded on each computer to be backed up.

 

 

Can I modify my initial backup configuration and schedule?

Yes, you can easily make whatever changes you want and assistance from an EDP technician is available if needed.

 

Is there a limit to how much data I can back up?

No, EDP’s Storage Area Network offers storage ranging from 5GBs (our minimum) to Multi Petabytes (PBs).

 

How is my data secured?

The three primary security measures EDP employs are (1) Employing strict physical access policies to our Storage Area Network infrastructure within both datacenters (2) limiting access to your data to approved users by password authorization; and (3) encrypting your data prior to transmission and storing it in an encrypted state in our vaults.

 

What type of information is available to the administrator?

Each time a backup is executed, log file entries are created on both the server and the workstation. These log files are an audit trail for the backup and display the start time, connection information, statistics, and summary information regarding the backup.

 

Will EDP backup all Operating System and 'System State' information?

We do not recommend using EDP for backing up OS or system-state information (though you may do this ), for the simple reason that it is usually best to have an emergency repair disk handy, or use the system state restore function native to the operating system, rather than waste valuable storage capacity on something that can be restored at no cost, much more quickly, with an emergency repair disk or native system restore. The only situation where you may want to consider this is in the event of a total disaster (fire, etc), whereby you have the ability to restore your system as it was to a completely new workstation, though even in this case, usually the data is the only desired component.

How many backups do you retain?

You can retain as many backups as you want for as long as you require. The server backup agents are totally customizable.
 

How do I backup multiple computers? What about remote sites?

EDP can place a backup agent on each computer, and it can be set to backup automatically.