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Posted on September 3, 2009 by Wildfire Marketing Group Content Distribution Team | Posted under Web Hosting
Why Backups are Crucial to Your Business
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But the one factor that you should never ignore are backups. They are like insurance. You rarely need it (you hope), but when you do, you need it very badly. Performing regular backups - and testing them - doesn't have to be a monumental task. With a reasonable bit of forethought and effort and they can be automated to a high degree. And, they should be tested from time to time. Even when a backup appears to have gone without a hitch, the only way to know whether it worked properly is to attempt to restore the data. If it can't be restored, the backup is useless. Even if the web hosting company provides the service, there is still some planning involved for the site owner. Hosting companies often rely on one or both of two methods; they backup everything (called a full backup), or backup anything which has changed since the last full backup (called an incremental backup). Of special interest are any configuration files that have been adjusted. For example, if you've modified the standard installation of a software application, you want to be able to recapture or reproduce those changes without starting over. Network configuration files, modifications to PHP files, CSS style sheets, Java Script files and others fall into the same category. If you have XML files, databases, spreadsheets or any other files that carry product, subscriber information or order history, for example, they should get special attention. They are the lifeblood of your business. Lose them and you have to start over. That can have a huge negative effect on your site that can last quite some time. It should go without saying that all PHP and related web site files that comprise visible pages should be backed up regularly. It isn't necessary to back up every minor modification, fortunately you can tailor backup software to exclude certain files or folders. Usually they're so small that it isn't worth the trouble, but in some cases it can add up when there are many thousands of files. Here again, the backups are useless if they can't be used. Even if the hosting company charges for doing so, it's worthwhile to test at least once or twice a year to make sure the data can be restored. That's especially true of database backups, which often involve special software and routines. Database files have a special structure and the information is related in certain ways that require backups be done differently. Developing a backup plan can be straightforward. Start simply and review your plan occasionally, modifying it as your site evolves and grows. The day will come when a hard drive fails, you get hacked, attacked by a virus, or you accidentally delete something critical. When that day comes, the time you spent developing and executing a backup plan will save you days or weeks of effort and more importantly, save you from lost revenue. About The Author: When you're ready to chose the right web hosting company, drop by Ace Web Hosting Reviews to see how customers rated the top web hosts. And if you need a new web site design to go along with your new web host, be sure to visit Wildfire Marketing Group! |
Tags: WEB HOSTING, WEBSITE HOSTING
