Archive for category Data Recovery

What Is RAID and Why It Must Be Considered In A Backup Strategy

By Steven Menjivar

Anyone who has ever looked into their computer backup strategy in any serious way will no doubt have heard of RAID. Essentially, RAID (an acronym originally meaning Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a term used to describe an arrangement of hard drives in which numerous drives are configured to work as one. This can be done in several ways, resulting in a system which is more capable in one way or another. For example, RAID 0 (also known as striping) involves splitting information and writing on half on one drive, and half on another. This increases the performance of the drives, but increases the chance of losing data, as when one hard drive fails, the information on the other becomes useless.

For users interested in keeping reliable backups, there is RAID 1 (also known as mirroring). In this arrangement, the same information is written to two drives simultaneously, and the operating system recognises the two as a single drive. This option results in a much smaller chance of losing data, as one hard drive failing still leaves the user with the other, which contains exactly the same information. This can be an invaluable tool when it comes to backing up your computer because it is a zero-maintenance solution.

Since the information is written to both drives by the operating system, the user doesn’t have to manage backup programs, or organise the backup themselves in any way. Once the drives are in RAID, everything is done automatically and it take the element of human error out of the process. All but the most obsessive computer users have at some point forgotten to back up information, or done it quite irregularly and therefore been unsure of the last time they have done so. Additionally, automatic backup programs leave a gap between the data being written and then copied, as they are often configured to run once per week, whereas RAID 1 does it instantly.

Occasionally, users may find that they either need or desire both redundancy (meaning multiple drives with the same information) and increased performance. For these people, the answer is one of two slightly more complex forms of RAID, RAID 0+1 or RAID 1 + 0. For these, a minimum of four drives would be needed, so they are likely only useful for enthusiasts, but they work in much the same way one would expect after learning about RAID 1 and 0; they create arrays of drives with both the increased speed of RAID 0 and the increased reliability of RAID 1.

Ultimately, for those people for whom keeping backups is an absolute necessity, RAID can be invaluable. It is especially good for shared computers, as no one user is responsible for keeping the backup up-to-date. For simple peace of mind, it can be useful to have RAID set up so the user can simply forget about backing up and just let it happen. With increased data reliability, less worry, and less time spent organising data safety, it’s no wonder many professionals and enthusiasts choose to use RAID as part of their system setups.

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Tips for Data Loss Prevention

By John Z Perry

Unexpected computer crashes that lead to a total loss of important business and personal data are making data prevention software essential for anyone who uses a computer. Almost anyone uses a computer to store files, from photos and music to secure documents. Professionals especially those who make their living online tend to have a majority of their business data stored on computers. This is the reason why you need to use software that will secure your files for you before a computer crash wipes your drive clean.

Top Features Available in the Best Data Loss Prevention Software

Top features to look for in good data loss prevention software include fast backup, minimal maintenance, efficient use of data space, easy accessibility, and high scalability. You also need data backup software to perform secure backups, which only accepts backup requests from clients.

Most users prefer software that perform fast and non-intrusive backups. Installation should also be easy. Most top-rated software can be installed in less than 20 minutes and the software automatically deploys clients to linked devices such as your phone or tablet. The top-rated software also performs automatic software updates but you can schedule when your computer checks for updates and how to install them.

Top-rated DLP software are also app-aware. This means that they utilize the minimum amount of disk space through an efficient system of duplicate reduction. Backups are made faster this way since you utilize less bandwidth. Quality DLP software also tweak how bandwidth is utilized in order to further increase the backup speed by choosing the optimal packet size coupled with the use of up to 8 threads in one network to make the best use of the bandwidth available. Administrators can further tweak this feature with the use of smart percentage bandwidth caps.

Quality data loss prevention software also allows users to restore their data using various devices anytime whether they are using browser-based restore options in their laptops and other mobile devices such as the iPhone or iPad.

Excellent data loss prevention software can be the fine line that divides a successful business from one that you have to rebuild from scratch. If you do business online or if you store important data on your laptop, you need the security that only high quality data security software can give you. Start with the features mentioned above to find data loss prevention software that can give your files the protection they need.

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Some Freeware Data Recovery Programs for Your Computer

By Dini Williyanti

Sometimes when people delete a file, they think that they cannot find that file anymore. The deleted file has been moved to the Recycle Bin. If the file remains there, it is possible for the users to restore the file to the original location. However, when you click the empty Recycle Bin, the file there is deleted permanently from the computer and you will not be able to restore the file anymore.

In some cases, people accidentally delete their important files and then realize that they need them later. You can still restore them when you install freeware data recovery software. Nowadays, you may find many types of this program in the market. Freeware data recovery software allows you to use them without any cost.

EASEUS data recovery might be the first option you can choose for freeware data recovery. This program was published by EASUS Company which specializes in file recovery and data compression software. The main concern of the company is the recovery system. EASUS offers two options of the recovery program. They are freeware data recovery and commercial version. You should purchase the commercial version before you can use it. This version has an ability to recover files from formatted sectors or deleted hard drive partitions.

However, the freeware version will be enough for the average computer users. By using EASUS data recovery, you will be able to recover the deleted and removed files from Recycle Bin. This program works well on all Windows platforms. It also offers the features for recovery in Linux system. You can also use the program on network storage devices including dynamic disk drives.

Another freeware data recovery program is NTFS or New Technology File System Reader. It has the ability to perform various server functions like creating and managing hard drive partitions. It can also encrypt the data which is found on hard drive and manage the high volume storage devices such as RAID disk drives. An advantage of this program is easy to use. You can use the program on all versions of Windows. It can also be used with Windows NT.

You may also consider using PC Inspector file recovery. This program is quiet popular among the consumers. The main reason is because it works on any computer. This program will not only recover the files from the computers, but also the data from File Allocation Tables (FAT). It supports all versions of Windows. PC Inspector file recovery has the ability to understand older or newer file architecture.

If the programs above do not meet your requirement, then you may consider other program, such as Convar PC Inspector File Recovery 4.X, Tokiwa DataRecovery 2.4.6, and many more.

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