Some people view technology as the “Las Vegas” of information – what goes into bits and bytes stays in bits and bytes. But there's nothing inherently permanent about digital data or the storage media it's recorded onto. Recordable discs fade, tape can be erased, drive units fail. So if you truly want to retain your precious company data forever, here are some tips and tricks for doing so, courtesy of your IT managed services team at Gravity Systems.

Use multiple drives. If you're constantly recording data to disc, consider investing in a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) setup. By setting such a system to mirror, you can record your data to two or more drives simultaneously, allowing that data to survive a disc crash with ease.

Use multiple media. There are several popular kinds of media that can receive your data, each with its own strengths, weakness and projected lifespan. Store your data onto two or more kinds of media (a tape drive, an internal hard disc and a USB drive, for example), and an event that damages one medium may not damage another.

Use multiple locations. You should always keep your data both on-site and off-site. If your facility (or the facility hosting your remote data) is destroyed, you want to know your information still exists in another location.

Copy your copies. Every few years, go ahead any copy your archived data from one device to another. You can never know for sure how long a given device will last, even when kept in a clean, temperate environment.

Get professional help. Keeping up with the necessary backups and copies of your data requires time, attention and diligence. Gravity Systems can help by providing regular automated backups and data archiving on whatever schedule makes the most sense for your business!

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