Microsoft Word Hardware Reconfiguration Methodology V final2

Other backup factors

1. Media

A determining factor for selecting the appropriate type of backup scheme will depend on the type of backup media that will be used, its location, its path, and its availability. The backup media can be local or remote to the system to be backed up and it can be a disk or tape. It is important that media access always be available under varying conditions. For example, if data is normally backed up to a local tape drive and it fails, then a remote tape drive can be used but only if the network path is available and permissions are set for sending and receiving a remote data stream. Consider the following:

1. 
   Is enough media available, especially if tape is used? Is the backup tool multivolume capable? DD is not multivolume capable but it can be made so through scripts.
   

2. 
   Can the media be read and written to by other devices? For example, is the media universal enough that other devices (i.e. tape drive) can read and/or write to/from it?
   

3. 
   Are spare local and remote backup media and devices available to parallelize the backup if multiple disks and/or partitions can be simultaneously archived? The backup tool does not need to be multivolume capable in this case, only multi-device capable (achieved through scripts).
   

4. 
   If the media and/or archival device are remotely located, are the necessary network permissions appropriately granted for data streaming and reception?
   

5. 
   Are the device, media, and network paths available? Are there specific schedules for their usage or are they available 24x7? Can they be rededicated for other tasks?
   

6. 
   Is the media checked for errors prior to usage? If not, can this be automated using scripts? Does the backup device perform error or CRC-checking?
   

7. 
   Are different types of backups stored on different media? For example, are backups done at different times placed on the same or different media? If an incremental and differential backup of one or more systems is done, are they too placed on the same media?
   

8. 
   Are different types of data stored on different media? For example, will operating system backups be placed on the same media as user data backups?
   

2.