Storing Data

Some kinds of information should be stored near your computers to be readily available. Some data should be stored off site to be available in the event of a disaster, or for long-term storage. This section discusses both onsite and offsite storage. It assumes that you are using Ntbackup or a similar program to back up your data to a cartridge tape.

Onsite Storage

Some data need to be stored on site and readily available in the event of a failure:

• Daily backups, whether full or incremental. The tapes should always be stored in a fireproof safe or storage cabinet to provide a minimum level of security. Secure storage protects against natural disaster, and theft and sabotage of critical data.
• Copies of the media that you used to install the operating system and application programs should also be stored in a secure storage cabinet. With more software being shipped on CD-ROM, it is not easy to just make a copy like you do with floppy disks. If more than one copy of the program is purchased, an extra copy can be stored off site. If only one copy is available, then it should be backed up to an individual tape, and labeled as a backup of the application. If you need to reinstall the software, you can restore from tape onto a computer running Windows NT Server. You can then run the application program setup over the network. (The software then needs to be deleted from the server.)

Offsite Storage

The most important data should always be stored off site. There are many companies that specialize in secure data storage. These companies lease space in underground vaults that remain impervious to just about everything. Smaller companies may find the cost and logistics of this degree of protection to be too great. Alternative solutions can be as simple a safe deposit box at a local bank or a fireproof safe at home or another location.

You should store the following types of information off site:

• A full backup of the entire system should be done on a weekly basis and be stored off site.
• The original of all installed programs should be stored off site. Copies should be kept on site.
• Anything that an insurance company is going to need to facilitate a claim should be stored off site, such as copies of purchase orders or receipts for computer hardware and software. See your business insurance agent for the specific information they will need.
• A copy of any information required to get network hardware reinstalled or reconfigured. This information is usually very hardware specific. Check with your phone company or other supplier of data transmission lines for information that will help them get your service back online as quickly as possible.