Tag: backup

by Incredible Planet Staff

7 Tips That Will Help You With Business Data Storage


Business

Managing a massive storage network can be a daunting task. And if you have not implemented the best storage practices and techniques, you will be in a hard position trying to deal with the glitches that might occur every now and then. Below, we list out seven data storage tips that you will definitely find useful.

  1. Upgrade Hardware

If the hardware being used for storage is very old, then it probably is time to replace it with a new one. It is recommended that you don’t stretch out the life of a storage device that is past its prime. You must replace all such old and failing storage devices with modern and upgraded ones. And remember to buy storage solutions that come with central management features. This will allow you to integrate the new storage devices to the existing network with ease and enable you to manage it better.

  1. Database Tuning

Some people try to resolve storage performance issues by stacking up even more expensive storage devices.  However, this usually is not an effective solution. At best, there will only be a marginal improvement in the performance of your storage device. And this is where database tuning comes into the picture. Ideally, a system profiling that is followed by database tuning should be good enough to give a big boost in terms of performance. And if the I/O response is extremely slow, the problem can be identified by checking the I/O queues together with the idle cores.

  1. Load Balancing

server

In case you don’t have the option of controlling load balancing hardware, the best thing you can do is to use custom software solutions that are designed for this specific purpose. You have open-source and commercial software to choose from, which include Hipache, Nginx, and so on. Only through proper load balancing can you increase a cluster’s performance. And this allows you to benefit more from the extra nodes that you add to the storage clusters.

  1. Backup Cloud Data

If a large portion of the data is being stored on the cloud, it is necessary that you take regular backups of the same. Only this can guarantee data resiliency. The cloud provider may be offering data backups, but it is likely that the time limit of the backup is too limited to be of any long-term use to you. For example, if your business is using the Microsoft Office 365 package, you should know that the service only offers about 30 days of backup. And this too can change from time to time depending on the company’s policies. So, if you want the backup of the data to be available for more than 30 days, you need to store it somewhere else rather than rely on the service provider alone.

  1. Garbage Collection

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NAND SSD storage devices require periodic optimization and garbage collection. There are certain storage systems that will automatically do the cleaning as and when required while other devices require manual cleaning. Usually, UNMAP and TRIM commands are given to the SSD in order to trigger a low level cleanup. So, if you have an SSD on Windows, all you have to do is to click the Optimize option from the Volumes property. The device will do the UNMAP or TRIM to optimize itself.

  1. Micro-Tiering

In simple words, micro-tiering is the automatic transfer and manipulation of physical and virtual data that is primarily stored in SSD and flash drives. There will be a data migration engine that will track every single virtual page in the volume, deciding when to and when not to move these pages.  The least used pages will be dumped in the process and will instead be replaced by most requested content.

  1. Disaster Recovery As A Service

You should also think of getting a Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) for your entire storage network. These services act as a failover that will allow you to be up and running with your business applications whenever you want in case your primary storage is hit with any disaster that blocks you from using it. It is to be noted here that DRaaS is not a cheap service and will cost you some serious money. But ask yourself a simple question – are you willing to risk the reputation and profits of your business by being unable to provide any service to your customer for several hours or days when struck with a disaster? If your answer is no, then you definitely need a DRaaS service.


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by Incredible Planet Staff

Three Ways to Use your Smartphone More Safely


Technology

You only need look along a train platform in any modern city to see just how attached (quite literally) we have all become to our smartphones. In some parts of the world, smartphone use has come close to actual ubiquity. Taking the UK as an example, 96% of 16-24 year olds now own a smartphone.

After putting aside the well-trodden debates about whether smartphones and social media are proving detrimental to “real” human relationships, it’s hard to deny that the devices offer us fantastic functionality that makes life easier. Thanks to GPS, navigating around a new place is simplicity itself; high resolution cameras make it easy to capture and share memories; and widespread Internet connectivity means constant access to knowledge.

However, it’s not all good news. Smartphones can sometimes prove almost too clever for their own good, creating situations that can potentially compromise the privacy and security of the user. Some of these needless risks are easily avoided, but smartphones are not necessarily set up by default to work in the safest way.

This article discusses three ways in which you can easily make your smartphone a little safer:

1.   Look at the permissions you are allowing to your apps.

Often, when you set up a new app on your phone, it will ask for certain permissions when you first launch it. These permissions can range from camera and microphone access (for a messaging app, for example), to access to your location (perhaps for an app concerned with navigation).

Frequently, however, the permissions an app requests are way out of step with the minimum permissions they really need to work. Why does a social network need access to your microphone if you’re not going to make voice calls? And why does an app that identifies music need to know your location?

In many cases, the app developer offers an (often spurious) reason to need such permissions in return for certain functionality. However, it’s usually possible to run apps without giving away such unfettered access to your phone’s features. It makes no sense to give a whole raft of apps permission to listen to what you’re doing or know where you are – so try to allow these things only by exception, and not as a rule.

2.   Exercise caution with public Wi-Fi.

Everyone loves free Wi-Fi! Access to decent Internet connectivity in hotels and cafés is seen as a must nowadays, and everyone is quick to take advantage of their nearest hotspot. This is particularly relevant during international travel where data roaming charges can still prove prohibitive.

However, free Wi-Fi can sometimes come with a sting in the tail. The problem is that it’s alarmingly easy to hack other people on free Wi-Fi networks. It’s quite straightforward for a hacker to sit on another table or in another hotel room, making a sneaky note of such information as your bank password or Facebook login.

If you frequently use free Wi-Fi on your phone, it’s well worth considering subscribing to an inexpensive virtual private network (VPN) service, which, when activated, will encrypt your online communications. You will find a wide range of services for iPhones and Android devices. Once you have subscribed a Vpn service it is also good how efective the service is, by tunning a Leak Test as Anonymster explains here. If you choose not to use a VPN, it’s best to ensure that you don’t do anything remotely private on your smartphone when you’re on public Wi-Fi – but with a VPN, you’re much more protected.

3.   Ensure you have a backup regime.

The smartphones we all carry around are essentially very compact but fully-featured computers. They often hold a huge amount of information, including (for many of us) vast libraries of precious photos and videos.

Unfortunately, phones are easily lost, and memories can be lost with them if there’s no backup regime in place. It’s easy to use services such as Dropbox and iCloud to ensure data is kept safe, but statistics suggest that plenty of people don’t get around to it, and risk losing irreplaceable records of special moments. This is despite a third of people already having experience of losing data on a mobile device.

Smartphones can be life-enhancing gadgets, but it’s important to harness their power appropriately. These tips should help you gain a little more control over these tiny but sophisticated devices.

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by Incredible Planet Staff

Getting Rid of a Computer? Top Tips for Protecting Your Identity Beforehand


People

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that hundreds of millions of computers are thrown away every year. As an alternative, many people donate their computer to charity. Hackers can get personal information off old computers unless you take steps to stop them. Here are some ways you can protect your identity from being stolen from your old computer.

Back up Your Files First

Before you donate or dispose of your computer, back up your files on external media. You can back the files up on flash drives, external hard drives, or a CD. The files can also be copied to your new computer. Backup programs can be purchased or cloud storage programs may be used.

Don’t Just Delete

You may have heard that just deleting computer files on the computer doesn’t delete them. The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team confirms that deleting files on the computer doesn’t necessarily delete the information. Pressing delete and emptying the trash bin just deletes the file name. The underlying file is still on your computer’s hard drive. Special software may be necessary to get the hard drive properly cleared.

Overwrite Files

File overwriting can deter hackers from retrieving your personal information. Overwriting programs puts random information all over the hard drive, including writing all zeroes instead of file data. This can create a lot of confusion and be very time-consuming to try to get around if someone were to access your files with mal-intent. Some tools erase individual files, all files, and completely wipe the hard drive. Different tools should be used for traditional hard drives and solid state drives. Some programs that will delete old information on hard drives are called “wipe programs.”

Physically Destroy the Drive

If you don’t want to donate the computer, you can remove and physically destroy the hard drive. The drive won’t be able to be read if you drive nails in it, drill holes, or smash it with a hammer. You can magnetically destroy the information with exposure to a strong magnet. The process is called degaussing, and a machine can be rented or bought that will magnetically remove all information from the hard drive.

After following the above tips, Hackers and ID thieves shouldn’t be able to get a hold of your personal information. You are then free to donate your computer or take it to an e-waste recycle center, like Ranch Town Recycling Center Inc.