1. Keep Your Data Organized

The first step to effective data management is to keep it organized. Many companies simply dump data in storage spaces, data centers or in folders which can quickly get unorganized. Dealing with a mismanaged or unmanaged database can be troublesome, time consuming and a very tedious exercise when one has to access such data. Organizing data starts with very basic practices. When you name the files or folders of data, have a system in place. Some companies always name them in one word, in lower case without any spaces. Some companies use block characters and also use spaces to segregate different words while naming the files. Both are acceptable systems provided the company has uniformity across the board. Having two naming systems or more can be confusing and will not help to have efficient data management. Likewise, similar files or data should be stored in specific folders or places and there should be a system of storing different types of data in accordance to that.

2. Ensure Security at Various Levels

There is a need to have multi-tier security in data management. One has to ensure physical security of the database or datacenter so that not everyone can access it physically. There has to be sturdy network security and the systems used to store the data should also be robustly secured against any ingrown or external threats in any form.

3. Take Regular Backup

Data backup is crucial to any data management strategy. Regular backup is mandatory. How the data is backed up is also important. If data is lost, how easy is it to restore so that the business is operational? Tape backup is notorious for its arduous restore process. The latest backup and recovery operations available make this process much easier.

4. Make Data Accessible

While data should be kept secured, making the required data easily accessible is also an integral part of data management. The main database may remain inaccessible but the data that is required every now and then should be at the disposal of the employees or the concerned staffs.

5. Have a Core Data Management Team

Every company should have a very small, core data management team. Too many people involved with the process will make it complicated, perplexing and also less secured. If there are processes that are beyond the business’s skill level then this may require working with outside companies prepared to help with the management of the data.

For more information on how to effectively manage your data contact one of our data experts at 800-676-2424.

Case in point – if you have been keeping up with recent technology news, you would have heard about big name companies such as Apple and Adobe having major data and security issues. Hackers such as the infamous group Anonymous, take social and political justice into their own hands as they see fit. These hackers and others target large companies who store millions of users’ data to make a statement. The right data backup solution will provide security for your data by preventing this kind of attacks with the use of encryption and other security techniques.

GoDaddy is another big name in the news due to hardware failure that left millions unable to access their websites. Anyone that has ever owned a computer for any length of time knows that a computer will fail. Hardware failure can be very frustrating because you can end up losing everything on your computer or network. No one wants to lose their valuable data. This is another very important reason to look into the correct data backup system because items like financial records, pictures, videos, and other documents crucial to your business cannot be left susceptible with an inferior solution.

You never really understand how important your hard drive is until something happens to it. Think about everything that you save on that hard drive. If you have a business, you understand that everything vital to your company is kept on a hard drive. What if something happens and that hard drive fails? Data backup can protect everything that is vital to your business. With a viable data backup solution, you can get lost data restored instantly back to your computer.

Anyone can lose data at any time and in a variety of ways. If you think about everything you have saved on your computer or network, then you can understand what losing that data could do to your business. In this day and age, hackers are trying their best to break into systems to steal data or simply to make a statement. Hardware will continue to fail at the most inopportune times. Your data is very important to you and your business, and it should be protected at all costs.

For more information on how to effectively protect your mission critical data, contact Ann Panek or Corey Wilt at 800-676-2424.

Time savings and cost savings alone pay for the critical tool of project information management provided by MySmartPlans (MSP). This software-as-a-service (SaaS) is how everything is coordinated, collaborated, planned and so much more. It also covers distribution, and it affects every crew member from the offices to the ground. It is the brains behind the muscle, and without it you could experience unnecessary management challenges.

Everyone from government entities to general contractors is utilizing this fundamental tool. PIM software has much to offer regardless of the scale of the project or budget that is required. It streamlines communication, drives accountability, promotes transparency, creates accountability, ensures the projects transparency, compresses time frames and it even improves sub contractor’s performances. With MSP your information quality and access to facilities management data is the best in the industry.

If you need to accelerate the project’s life-cycle, provide 2D or 3D collaboration, manage compliance or do an audit trial then project information management will be beneficial to you. It does all of this and more. In today’s competitive construction industry it gives you an advantage that will separate you from your competition. It adds quality to your service, and accountability to everyone involved in a project.

Being environmentally conscious is essential in business today, and MySmartPlans is doing their part, as well. MSP has modernized the revolutionary paper reduction act with the management process. Online collaboration as well as the project management technologies have positively impacted things like agriculture, the construction fields and even engineering just to name a few. Trees are not needlessly cut down, metal filing cabinets are not needed, space is not taken in land fields and so forth. This is excellent avenue to have a positive impact on the environment with real results.

MSP connects everyone involved in the entire project from the top to the bottom. The lines of communication are clear and open. It brings together the owners, the architects, the general contractors and sub-contractors so that the job is executed with as few delays and interruptions in communication as possible.

“Having MySmartPlans as our project information management tool for construction of the new Kellam High School has been invaluable. It allows for outstanding transparency and open communication between all parties involved in the project.”

Anthony L. Arnold, PE
Director of Facilities Planning and Construction
Virginia Beach City Public Schools

You need to protect your business data. Data backup and data recovery are important parts of running a business. Business owners realize three things quickly: all computer systems crash; all humans error; and disasters happen when least expected or are least prepared for them. A business can be more prepared with having data backup systems in place. These data backup systems are accomplished by either by using an offsite server or using separate drives to store massive amounts of information. Without these data backup systems in place, data recovery becomes a perilous situation where many businesses lose information when the worst happens.

Offsite servers are useful for data recovery as they provide massive amounts of storage for nominal prices especially when comparing the hassle it saves in the event of an information disaster. Having a safe place to put information off of the main business server can prove to be more relieving action in the long run. Data recovery is usually painless. In the rare case where these offsite servers crash usually the offsite servers have backed up the information further onto their own drives. To use an offsite server to protect your business data is one of the more effective methods to keep information safe.

Another effective data backup system is to invest in independent storage drives. Terabyte drives are relatively inexpensive if purchased from discount stores or from high volume stores. Data recovery is easy from these drives as they are basically plug and play. Multiple storage volumes are available from half a terabyte, one terabyte, two terabytes and for the big spenders three or more terabyte drives. Depending on the kinds of data necessary to keep the business running a daily data backup may be necessary. If the data is financial this is almost a certainty. These external drives are invaluable in the need to protect your business data.

Both offsite storage and external drive storage are potential necessities. Which is better is entirely determined upon the business being run. Data backup and data recovery work basically the same way. The real consideration is whether the data storage is needed to be long term or short term and if the short term will cost more than the long term. For offsite storage it is likely to provide more storage, but for recurring payments. For external drive storage it is a one time charge (unless the drive somehow crashes). In the end it is up to you to protect your business data.

We can help you with your questions about which solution is best suited for you. Talk to your Regional Manager or call us today at 800.676.2424.

Wasting money on out-dated data backup and recovery methods is common practice.

Susan, an employee of a major insurance company, clicked on her email at work to open a cute home video her friend Debbie sent. That 20mb video file was then stored in her email and, at the end of the day, was diligently backed up by her company’s data storage solution.

Just one year later after daily backups of Susan’s email, that one video now takes up 7300 MB of space!

The incredible growth in the amount of electronic data generated for both business and personal use has resulted in higher costs for data storage and backup. Several factors have lead to these spiraling cost increases, including storage of larger files such as video and audio, multiple backups of the same files, and enforcement of industry compliance regulations. How often is your company backing up duplicate data over the course of a year?

With the exponential increase in the storage of email, video, mp3 files and other large sized files, business storage needs have grown accordingly. In addition to backing up business information, company computers often end up as the de facto backup for personal music, videos and email, resulting in additional backup storage costs for businesses.

Currently, 75% of documents are stored in email. In 2008 alone, more than 210 billion emails were sent. Backing up the same email attachments sent to different people in the same organization results in increased storage requirements, costs and time for backups.

3 Ways to Control Costs

Using outdated backup methods or limiting your company to tape storage and backup will increase your costs, rather than reduce them. Instead, look for a solution that provides the flexibility and technology that will help you maximize cost savings. Implementing the following cost management techniques may help optimize your storage and backup strategy.

1. Reduce duplication of data
   Increase the speed of your backup operations and reduce storage costs by eliminating the duplication of data and backing up only new and changed data blocks. With tape backup systems and most disk-based backup systems, the same data is often backed up multiple times, resulting in higher data storage needs and an increased storage footprint. By eliminating duplicate data and only backing up the block-level daily changes, less data storage is needed. In addition, the ability to quickly recover data in the case of a disaster will eliminate unnecessary downtime and risk of data loss.
2. Implement flexible data retention policies and schedules
   Flexible retention policies and schedules allow you to determine the appropriate retention time based on the type of data being stored. By setting and managing retention schedules, you control the amount of data you store. For example, Sarbanes Oxley Sec. 802(a) requires that audit or review work papers be retained for a period of five years. This is likely a longer period of time than you might keep non-financial data.
   In addition to length of time, a system that provides the flexibility of different policies for different file types can also assist a company in avoiding storing employees’ personal files such as video files or mp3 files during backup sessions. Eliminating or reducing the amount of time a type of file is saved, especially large video and audio files, can provide significant cost savings.
3. Use one system that works with multiple platforms
   Companies have implemented multiple platforms and applications across different types of servers, operating systems and databases. These organizations are often forced to deploy multiple backup systems to handle each separate platform type. The maintenance time and costs for these systems can really pile up. Having one backup system that can work across different platforms saves time and money, while reducing the complexity of managing and maintaining multiple data storage systems.

For more information on how to reduce the costs of you data backup methods, contact your Regional Manager or call us at 757-545-7675.

*Information supplied by EVault.

Reliability.

Up to 71% of restores from tape contain failures.

Best Practice: Use disk-to-disk technology for backups. With disk-to-disk technology, your backup data resides on disk drives, proven to be far more reliable than tapes. When your backup completes, you know the data is secure and accessible on the disk drive. With tapes you never really know if your data is usable until you try to restore it, at which point it’s too late.

Breadth of Offering.

Choice in product and service offerings meet your business’ needs.

Best Practice: Don’t settle for less than what you need. Vendor offerings vary widely. Some are designed primarily for consumers and others for enterprise data centers. Choose a solution that scales (see scalability below), and offers the features you need to provide the level of service you expect. De-duplication and delta-block technologies will improve performance, reduce your data footprint and save you money. Find out if their de-duplication offering is at the file level or the block level. Make sure the solution can back up servers, PCs, and laptops as well your applications.

Security.

60% of organizations using tapes don’t encrypt their backups.

Best Practice: End-to-end encryption with no “back door.” Using encryption with tape makes backups run slowly and often takes too long to fit within a backup window. As a result, most people simply turn encryption off, creating a security risk. Even with the physical safety of disk-todisk backup, encryption is essential. Look for 256-bit AES. Find a solution that encrypts your data during transmission and storage. Make certain there isn’t a “back door” that would let someone else view your data.

Accessibility.

Companies waste thousands of hours waiting on tapes.

Best Practice: Ensure that you can get your data back with minimal delay. You should have direct access to your backups, with no time spent on physical transport (no trucks, no warehouses). Your restores should take minutes, not hours or days. Set yourself up to work with your data, not wait for it. Make sure your solution provider can meet your Return-to-Operations (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) which determine how quickly you can recover your
data and maintain business continuity. Inquire about onsite and offsite replication that provide both improved performance and a solid disaster recovery strategy.

For more information on data backup and recovery best practices call me at 757.646.1529.

Information supplied by EVault.

Hackworth’s booth centered around MySmartPlans and it’s ability to enhance the real estate industry’s project information management.

Regional Sales Manager, Drew Little had this to say, “Kyllie Brinkley and the team at CREED put on another great event this year. We were proud do be a part of the Market Review for the third year in a row.”