Preventing Data LossData loss can be prevented by using computer systems wisely and having a basic
understanding of how they work. There are a variety of tools that one can use,
and working methods that should be encouraged, to help avoid data loss situations.
Power provisioning
Although mains power is not always perfectly suitable for running sensitive
electronic equipment, there are protections that we can apply to prevent data
loss. The cheapest form of protection is a surge suppressor, which absorbs voltage
spikes and surges. However, the most effective protection is given by an uninterruptible
power supply (UPS). In addition to filtering the supply during a power cut or
voltage sag, a failover circuit switches to batteries to prevent loss of power.
Internal power
A computer's internal power supply converts the mains supply into various low
voltages needed by the computer. A good quality power supply with ample capacity
to meet the demands of the system will considerably improve reliability. A poor
quality or overloaded power supply may cause problems which can be particularly
difficult to troubleshoot.
Monitoring
Unchecked, viruses and other types of security threats can cause data loss at
any time. Anti-virus software, and firewall software if the PC is connected
to the Internet, is therefore a necessity. Other types of monitoring should
include scheduled file system checks, disk integrity scanning and event log
filtering. There are also products, such as 'SMART' hard drives, that can monitor
themselves and warn of any problems.
Backups
Preventing data loss may one day not be about keeping the data safe, but recovering
it somehow. The most effective, and cheapest, way is to find the appropriate
data in your backup set and hit the restore button. Religiously maintaining
a backup schedule is one of those things that will often feel like a burden;
that is, until the day the unexpected happens, and you breathe a sigh of relief
that the precious data is safely stored away.
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