(ISF) Remote backup strategies for small nonprofits

Dear ISF Colleagues,

One of my esteemed clients is a small nonprofit organization that is
researching the possibility of contracting with a remote online backup
service. They have one tech savvy person on staff who is not
responsible for the network and server, and a network administration
consultant who is not very available to them. The latter's services
are donated.

I'd love to hear from folks on staff in small nonprofits (not from
vendors) about whether you'd endorse the remote backup strategy and
why. What can go wrong, and what can go right, with this option?

(Did I mention that I didn't want to hear from vendors?)

If you have a horror story or a success story to share with fellow
nonprofit workers, please post it to the list.

Meanwhile, I'd like to recommend an especially good article on this
topic from TechSoup:

"Keep Your Data Safe with Online Backup Services"
<http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page5089.cfm?cg=searchterms&sg=remote%20backup>

Many thanks and best regards from Deborah

P.S. Really, I don't need to hear from vendors. This is not a point
on which I mislead you.

Deborah Elizabeth Finn
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
deborah_elizabeth_finn%40post.harvard.edu">deborah_elizabeth_finnpost.harvard.edu
www.cyber-yenta.org

"What is good...but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly
with your god?" (Micah 6:8)

Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

FOR SMALL ORGANIZATIONS, CHECK OUT CARBONITE. I€™M CURIOUS WHAT EXPERIENCE ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD WITH IT. THE INITIAL FIRST BACK-UP TAKES A LONG TIME (DAYS), AND IT ONLY KEEPS ONE COPY OF THE FILES, AND IT DOESN€™T GIVE YOU A LOT OF CONTROL, BUT IT IS CHEAP AND RELIABLE FOR WHAT IT DOES.


-----ORIGINAL MESSAGE-----
>&GT;ONE OF MY ESTEEMED CLIENTS IS A SMALL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS RESEARCHING THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTRACTING WITH A REMOTE ONLINE BACKUP SERVICE. THEY HAVE ONE TECH SAVVY PERSON ON STAFF WHO IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NETWORK AND SERVER, AND A NETWORK ADMINISTRATION CONSULTANT WHO IS NOT VERY AVAILABLE TO THEM. THE LATTER'S SERVICES ARE DONATED. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM FOLKS ON STAFF IN SMALL NONPROFITS (NOT FROM VENDORS) ABOUT WHETHER YOU'D ENDORSE THE REMOTE BACKUP STRATEGY AND WHY. WHAT CAN GO WRONG, AND WHAT CAN GO RIGHT, WITH THIS OPTION?>;>

MESSAGES IN THIS TOPIC (2) REPLY (VIA WEB POST) | START A NEW TOPIC

.

-----original message-----
>&gt;I'd love to hear from folks on staff in small nonprofits (not from vendors) about whether you'd endorse the remote backup strategy and why. What can go wrong, and what can go right, with this option?>;>

I happen not to think that online remote backup is such a great alternative to on-site backup (like tape, or 2nd hard drive). Given the scenario you painted, however, it might be a good choice. The problems with online remote backup are, in my opinion:

- can be expensive (esp. for a lot of data)

- should not be used if an organization has sensitive data (this is my opinion)

- what company holds the data? Are they a fly-by-night Web 2.0 beta? An established company? A local provider with a human face?

I happen to think that organizations should be in as much control of it's own data as possible - and even though this is only backup data - it can be critical at times - and having it in your own hands, vs. the hands of a different entity.

But, the bottom line is that backups need to happen, and if they haven't been happening, or it's been really difficult to get them to happen, then the remote option sounds pretty good.

My $.02

Michelle
-------------------------
Michelle Murrain, Coordinator
Nonprofit Open Source Initiative
michelle%40nosi.net">michellenosi.net
http://nosi.net

skype: pearlbear
Gtalk/Jabber: michelle.murrain%40gmail.com">michelle.murraingmail.com
AIM:pearlbear0

"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of
the shore for a very long time."; -- Andr�s Gide

Messages in this topic (3) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

-----origial message-----
>&gt;If you have a horror story or a success story to share with fellow nonprofit workers, please post it to the list.>&gt;

Regarding backup systems:

I am on the board of a school in New Orleans that used offsite back up that kicked in when Katrina hit. The service worked well but was generally very expensive. I have read of schools 'twinning' with similar organizations in another part of the country to support backup offsite to the twinned location. We did not do this but I am pushing us to think about it. It looks like it might be cost effective and community building.

Eric Albert Zimmer, S.J. Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Communication, Culture & Technology Program

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Messages in this topic (4) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

-----original message-----
>>;One of my esteemed clients is a small nonprofit organization that is researching the possibility of contracting with a remote online backup service. They have one tech savvy person on staff who is not responsible for the network and server, and a network administration consultant who is not very available to them. The latter's services are donated. I'd love to hear from folks on staff in small nonprofits (not from vendors) about whether you'd endorse the remote backup strategy and why. What can go wrong, and what can go right, with this option?>;>

We have looked into the option of remote back-up for a few small-medium sized businesses, but have found that it is too expensive for most needs. In all cases we have instead installed solutions that use disk to back-up files. This does not take-care of archiving, but given the reliability of disk today and that redundant disk systems are cheap it is a reasonable solution for most organizations. They key is to assure that you have "snapshots". Bandwidth and the per MegaByte cost is too expensive for this solution. We have also found that most organizations simply have too much data, so unless there is some discipline most internet connections won't have enough bandwidth for online solutions.

Ian

--
Ian Howard
Director/Technical Lead
Adaptic - http://adaptic.ca
Adapted Information and Communications
ihoward%40adaptic.ca">ihowardadaptic.ca

extension 1 at the following numbers:
Toronto: +1 647 722 5629
Washington: +1 202 292 4242
Western Ontario: +1 519 488 1324
FWD: 709087

FAX: +1 866 304 6553

Messages in this topic (5) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

I agree with Michelle?s points. I should have added that Carbonite is $5 a month or $50 a year for unlimited storage. it doesn?t have everything that the more expensive things have, but it works and its inexpensive and a good extra measure of security. One significant downside: it?s windows only.

On the other points, I do share Michelle?s anxieties. They are a start-up, but started up by people with long respected track record of high tech start-ups. Have to trust instincts, but also, at this price, have redundancy.


-----original message-----
>&gt;I happen to think that organizations should be in as much control of it's own data as possible - and even though this is only backup data - it can be critical at times - and having it in your own hands, vs. the hands of a different entity.>;>

Messages in this topic (7) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.

I haven't implemented this yet for my org, but I've done some research as well as trying Amazon S3 for my own backup of personal files. I've tried some of the other options as well, where there is a free version I could try - iBackup and some others. My particular desires are for inexpensive, cross-platform accessible (not by web, but by mounting in some way), and "not-too-much-mental-energy" backup.

I do agree with the security concerns offered by Michelle and others. That is the first hurdle. After that is all worked out, here are some considerations:

- remote backup is not sufficient for quick, immediate recovery of _very_ large files and email (like Exchange servers). Gigabytes of data. For instance, to recover a 20GB Exchange database would take how long over different speed cable modems or DSL? Over a T1 it would be longer, since download has less bandwidth than most cable or DSL.

- remote backup can probably give the best "peace of mind,"; since you can login and see your files, do spot checks, etc. from anywhere.

- remote backup should not be the sole means of backup. Rather, combine it with tape or whatever is being used currently. However, it might be possible, for instance, to just have 2 tapes where maybe the org is using 6 tapes. Simplification of the process might yield better results for some orgs. If they already have tapes, why retire them altogether? May as well use them!

Sorry, no recommendations of particular vendors. I hope this was helpful.

All the Best,

Ray

-----original message-----
>&gt; On the other points, I do share Michelle?s anxieties. They are a start-up, but started up by people with long respected track record of high tech start-ups. Have to trust instincts, but also, at this price, have redundancy.>>

Messages in this topic (9) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic

.