During the early days of computer, the storage devices available were unreliable, large and expensive. Critical data used to be backed up by various methods and back up media, to ensure integrity and availability. However, there were limited choices, such as magnetic tapes, 3.5 inch floppy disks and 5¼ inch floppy disks.
Present Day Back Up Media
Today, most of the above mentioned mediums have already become extinct. Magnetic tapes are still used for large data back up but in a much more compact form, which have higher speed and better reliability. However, back up media for small computers must be inexpensive, simple, versatile, fast and easy to implement. There are many back up media available and it should be chosen carefully.
Choosing the back up media
- The following are the points to be considered while choosing a back up media for your computer.
- The amount of data you need to back up
- Required back up and restoration time
- Retention period
- Criticality of the data
- Budget available to implement a back up system
Different types of Back Up Media
A wide array of back up media is available in today’s generation; however, each has their advantages and disadvantages. Hence, while choosing the back up media one must know their pros and cons for better functionality.
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- USB Flash Drives
Advantages: Also called pen drives, thumb drives and memory stick, the USB Flash Drive is convenient, fast, portable, and reliable and comes in various capacities (from 256 MB to as much as 8 GB). These small back up mediums can be reused. There are two types of USB storage, the USB 1.0 and the USB 2.0. The difference between the two is the capacity of data storage and the transfer speed.
Disadvantages: It is inconvenient to store and can be easily misplaced due to its small size.
- Zip Drives
Advantages: These are the higher version of the floppy disk with better speed, higher capacity and longer retention period. It is available in different sizes like 100 MB, 250 MB and 750 MB. They are less expensive than the flash drives.
Disadvantages: They require a separate read/write device to be attached to the computer. They are not as portable as flash drives
- Optical Media
Advantages: CDs and DVDs are available in writable and re-writable formats and can store data up to 8.5 GB. It has a good life span of 5 to 10 years, durable, inexpensive and easily manageable.
Disadvantages: They require an investment in a CD or DVD burner and are also prone to scratches.
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