A Little Saving will Save You

09 Dec A Little Saving will Save You

I was reminded of a valuable lesson this week: when working with technology, always have a backup plan.

Originally slated to be an introduction to the social blogging tool Tumblr (a topic I can hopefully address in the future), I decided this topic was more appropriate given that the Tumblr site is experiencing a major outage and has been unavailable for at least a day now.

For the average user, technology backup plans are fairly easy to create and manage. The process is simple; identify a technology tool you use frequently and develop a plan for backing up the information. For more advanced (or technology reliant) users, you may also want to devise a contingency plan, an alternative means of being productive in the event of a catastrophic event such as Tumblr crashing (another topic I plan to write about in the near future). Here are some tips for creating a common backup plan.

Work-related Files – To be safe, you should save your work related files in at least two separate places (I save them in three places). The places to consider saving your information are:

• Office computer (local drive or the virtual drive typically provided by the university)
• Home computer (local drive or an external drive)
• Flash drive (USB drive)
• The Cloud (Dropbox, Google Docs, etc.)

The best practice is to only use a specific set of “active” files in your everyday work and keep the other backup files relatively untouched unless you run into a problem. Depending on the amount of work you do, backups should be made at least every month. Typically, I back up the files I currently work on at the end of the day in two places and make an entire backup to a third offsite drive every four months.

Email – For outlook, create a .pst file by using the export email tool. Save the file in at least two different places. Depending on the importance of your email messages, your backup plan should be processed at least twice a year. In addition, vital emails should be printed and filed away in a safe place.

Personal or Sensitive files – Your personal information or student information (grades, personal information) should be well protected. These files should be saved in at least two separate places. However, choose your storage sites judicially. If possible, save them in two geographically separate locations in case of a catastrophic event. Also, be careful not to save these files on a drive that can be easily lost or stolen. For instance, student files may be saved on your office computer both locally and on the virtual network drive. Personal files may be kept on a home computer and on a flash drive you can lock in a fire-resistant safe.

Set calendar reminders for your backup plans and make sure your computer(s) at home have the most up-to-date virus and Internet protection software. Think of backup plans as preventative maintenance on your vehicle. It can be a bit of a hassle but a periodic oil change will prevent you from major engine headaches in the future. If you feel the need for professional assistance with the backup process, automatic backup products exist such as Carbonite or Online Backup. A little “saving” upfront will save more than your files in the end.