Backup Strategies for GVC Laptop Users

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Backup Strategies for GVC Laptop Users

• October 2004

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Agenda

• Why are we having this training?
• Why is this so important?
• Prerequisites
• Developing Your Own Strategy
• Key Questions
• The 4 Step Process
• GVC Recommended Strategy
• Example Backup Strategy
• Physical Security
• Cyber Security

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Why are we having this training?

• To save space on the server people are starting
  to save large amounts of data onto their local
  hard drives.
• Some remote workers are saving very little or no
  information at all on the server.
• GVC did not have a recommended backup strategy
  for laptop users.

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Why is this so important?

• You are responsible for making sure your data is
  backed up.
• Laptops are more vulnerable to theft and are more
  susceptible to hardware damage.
• A new virus could corrupt your data causing you
  to lose all your work.

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Prerequisites

• You must have basic knowledge of file
• management including
• How to create folders
• How to copy folders
• How to access My Documents
• The difference between your local and mapped
  network drives
• A system for organizing your files and folders.
• For more information Basic File
• Management using Windows Explorer.
• A link to this document is in your manual.

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BFO or Blind Flash of Insight
The fundamental 'backup' is frequent saving!
Do not work on a document for hours before
saving it - computers and people are not that
reliable! Save and name your document at the
time of its creation, then click on the Save
button every five minutes or so. The exact time
between clicks of the Save button depends on how
much you like retyping!
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Developing Your Own Strategy

• There are no perfectly reliable approaches to
  backup. Any system could potentially fail.
• Redundancy is your best bet, so use more than one
  backup procedure.
• You are only as safe as your last backup. In the
  case of a hardware failure or laptop theft, what
  is your backup plan?
• Find the combination of techniques that works
  best for you and make backing up your files a
  regular part of your work routine.

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Key Question 1 How often should I backup?
Ask yourself the following 1) How much work can
I afford to lose? A week? A day? None? 2)
How often do these files change? Never or almost
never, every week or so, or constantly? A mixed
solution works well Back up important files
daily or after every revision, and run full
backup routines weekly or less.
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(Cont)
If you files change
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Key Question 2Where are my files stored?
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A Four Step Process

• Decide what you need to back up.
• Decide where to back up your data to. Well
  discuss the different options and pros cons of
  each.
• Make it easy to back up your data. Use software
  to automate this. Keep your files organized.
  Know where your most important files are located
  on your computer.
• Make daily backups a habit. The longer the
  period between backups, the more you have to lose.

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Step 1 What files need to be backed up?
Not everything needs to be backed up, and some
files are more critical than others. Operating
system and program files can be reinstalled if
necessary and dont need to be backed. (Ex
Program Files, Windows or System Folders. Please
DO NOT store video and audio files, excessive
amounts of image files, or any personal content
on the GVC Server.
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Step 1 What files need to be backed up?
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Step 2 Where do I backup my files to?
Option 1 Server Backup over the GVC
Network Pros Data stored on a the server is
backed up every night and continually scanned for
viruses. It is the safest most secure method
for backing up your data. Network connection is
very fast making the backup go very
quickly. Cons You may not be in the office very
frequently to back up your data.
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We interrupt your regularly scheduled programming
. . .
Are floppy disks safe? Backing up your data to
floppy disks is not feasible, due mainly to the
fact that they can only hold a very small amount
of data (1.44 MB). If you needed to back up 100
MB of data youd need 70 floppy disks! Floppies
might be convenient to hold documents or files
that you are currently working with. But, dont
keep your only copy of a file on floppy disk.
Floppies are extremely vulnerable to dust,
fingerprints, spilled coffee, scratches, etc.
any of which can destroy data -- not to mention
the fact that they are easy to misplace!
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Step 2 Where do I backup my files to?
Option 2 CD or DVD Most GVC laptops have a
CD-RW drive. The software to burn a CD comes with
your laptop. At this time most GVC laptops do not
have DVD burners. Current Pricing CD-R 0.35
each CD-RW 1.20-1.30 each Pros Large amounts
of data may be stored on a disc (on average, a CD
can hold about 750 MB and a DVD can hold 4.7 GB).
Cons if CD-RWs arent used, you need a new
disk for each backup. Easy damaged by dirt or
improper storage. Is very time consuming for
performing daily backups.
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Step 2 Where do I backup my files to?
Option 3 USB Thumbnail Drives Can store as
much or more data than a cd. They are very
small, light, and portable. Can easily transfer
files or perform daily backups, but is not meant
for archiving files. Current Prices 128MB
25-35 256MB 35-50 512MB 60-70 Pros
Requires no extra software. Are very small and
portable. Can be reused many times. Cons Dont
have the storage capacity for full backups. The
more storage space the more costly they are.
Easy to lose or misplace.
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Step 2 Where do I backup my files to?
Option 4 Online Backup Service You can backup
and view your files using a web browser. You can
access your files from anywhere with an internet
connection. Current pricing See
Attachment Pros no extra hardware or software
required. Allows daily backups to be performed
easily. High level of security and
convenience. Cons Limited amounts of storage
space. Can be expensive. Must be connected to
the internet to access data. Long backup times
for users with large amounts of data or slow
network connections.
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Step 2 Where do I backup my files to?
Option 5 USB/Firewire External Drives Can
store or transfer large volumes of data (30GB).
Is an portable, external hard drive for your
laptop. The difference between USB and Firewire
is speed. Current pricing 40GB 170 60GB
200 80GB 130 120GB 160 Pros Can hold
large amounts of data. Allows for full system
backups. Is portable. Cons At minimum, you
need a USB port. To use the speed of firewire
your laptop must have a firewire port. Are
heavier and cost more than other types of media.
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Step 3 Make it Easy to Backup
Organize and manage your files Keep all your
data in a single directory or folder.  For
example, the My Documents Folder. If your data
is stored this way its easy to back up the
entire set of files and folders. Data files
that end up being scattered all over the hard
disk are much more difficult to locate and back
up. Use subdirectories to further organize your
files. Try not to create too many nested
subfolders this can also make it difficult to
locate files. Give your files and folders
appropriate names. Store all your work on a
specific project in a folder with the project
name. ie. Hwy99 or Recruitment
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Step 3 Make it Easy to Backup
Choose a Backup Method Simple copying You may
back up important files, or entire folders, via
copy-and-paste techniques by copying them from
the hard drive to the server. Using the built-in
backup utility Comes with Windows XP 2000.
Allows you to schedule backups to run
automatically. (Instructions in Manual) Burning
a CD You can use the software that comes with
your CD-RW drive on your laptop to burn files and
folders to a cd.
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Step 4 Make it a Habit!
Start backing up on a daily basis, at a specific
time of the day or just before you shut down your
computer. Backing up is one of the most
important, yet seemingly trivial tasks that you
can do on a daily basis. It may seem like a lot
of extra work now, but you will thank yourself
later.Whenever you feel yourself hesitating ask
yourself Can you afford to lose all the work I
just did?"
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GVC Recommended Strategy

• Copying files to the server when connected to the
  GVC network.
• Backing up files as often as needed to CD. A
  single CD can hold up to 650 MB of information.
• Use of a commercial online data backup service.
  Your program pays for this.

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Example Backup Strategy
What I back up I use a two-level approach of
daily backups and full backups. Since
re-installing the operating system and
applications is easy, I only back up my
documents, email files, and internet
favorites. Where I back up to Daily incremental
backups are done to a 100MB thumbnail drive. Full
backups (done every week or month) go to
CD. Make it easy I put all my files and folders
in one directory. For daily backups, I back up
only what's changed since the last full backup.
Make it a habit I've made backing up a part of
my daily routine. I always backup just before I
shut down the computer.
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Physical Security
Always use a surge protector. It is not safe to
assume that all outlets are surge protected. The
AC Adapter for you laptop is not enough
protection! Don't leave a laptop unattended in a
public place. The theft rate for laptops is
extremely high. Keep your it with you or stored
away securely, at all times. Don't assume that it
is safe in your car. Lock you desktop when you
walk away from your laptop. On Windows 2000 XP
Laptops you can lock the desktop by pressing
CTRL-ALT-Delete on the keyboard. Choose Lock
Computer from the Windows Security dialog box
that pops up.
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Physical Security
Do not expose your laptop to extreme heat or
cold dont leave it in your car! Your laptop is
sensitive to extreme heat or cold. Leaving the
notebook in a car can expose it to temperature
stresses and to theft. Do not get your laptop
wet. DO NOT place drinks near your laptop. Water
damages the hardware and introduces a shock
hazard. Do not turn on the computer if it is wet.
If it is on, turn it off immediately. Do not
expose your laptop to dust or dirt. Avoid areas
with a lot of dust or smoke. The laptop's
internal fan draws a lot of air through the
computer and buildup of any sort can short out
sensitive connections.
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Physical Security
Do not use window cleaner on your monitor. Use
Notebook or LCD cleaner which can be found at
Office Depot. To clean, use only a soft, lint
free cloth and if necessary, lightly moisten only
with water. Carry your laptop in a padded
carrying case. The extra padding is crucial to
its protection if dropped.
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Physical Security
Handle your laptop with both hands at all times.
Dropping a laptop often results in major hardware
damage. When picking up your open computer, hold
it by the keyboard half. Never handle a laptop
by the screen. Pressure can ruin screen pixels
and bend the display frame. Don't force a CD,
cord, or card in or out of your laptop. Contact
technical help if anything is ever stuck.
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Cyber Security
Use "anti-virus software" and keep it up to
date. Don't open emails or attachments from
unknown sources. Be suspicious of any unexpected
email attachments even if it appears to be from
someone you know. Protect your computer from
Internet intruders use "firewalls." Regularly
download security updates and patches for
operating systems and other software.
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Cyber Security
Use hard-to-guess passwords. Mix upper case,
lower case, numbers, or other characters not easy
to find in a dictionary, and make sure they are
at least eight characters long. Back-up your
computer data on disks or CDs regularly. Don't
share access to your computers with strangers.
Learn about file sharing risks. Disconnect from
the Internet when not in use.
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Cyber Security
Check your security on a regular basis. When you
change your clocks for daylight-savings time,
reevaluate your computer security. Make sure
your family members and/or your employees know
what to do if your computer becomes infected.
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The END

• Questions anyone?