Is Backing Up Your Data the Same as Uploading to the Cloud
Your computer has exploded. Your external hard drive was stolen from your car. And so your house burned downwardly. By all rights, y'all're having a total fail of an afternoon. But by bankroll up your computer's data to the deject, none of these tragedies need cost you your precious memories. We're going to explain what cloud backups are, and which companies provide the best ones.
So then, what is deject storage?
Put simply, backing upward data to the cloud means you're bankroll up data to a hard drive in a secure data centre via your Net connectedness, instead of but to a hard drive in your house. In fact, that data eye might be located on the other side of the world.
Using deject backups, you've removed from your shoulders the burden and stress of protecting whatever device your data is stored on. A decent provider will also backup your backups, making certain those embarrassing pictures of an ex-partner are never at gamble of beingness wiped considering, y'know, he came round and took dorsum your laptop, microwaved your dog and blew upwardly your house.
Security
Security is generally taken extremely seriously, and your data will be -- or should be, if you're using a backup provider worthy of its name -- heavily encrypted before being transferred from your machine. In some cases, levels of encryption used exceed government standards, and no-one -- not even the backup provider itself -- will be able to access your files except you.
Downsides
Of course, considering yous're uploading information via the Web, the downsides largely business organisation the limited speed at which even a sugariness Internet connection tin can upload your information. In fact, a large initial backup of, say, 200GB of files could accept several weeks to upload if you're on a typical United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland home-broadband connection. Subsequent uploads may require only a few seconds, all the same, every bit just changed files or completely new files will be uploaded.
But one time your data'due south up floating in the cloud, information technology's safety from fire, flood and computer viruses that occur mail service-backup. Some backup and storage providers will give you access to your files regardless of where you are in the globe, as well, via their Web sites. We'll cover these shortly.
Naturally a hard-disk backup will nearly always be faster, and for some people more convenient. But online backups can offer extra peace of heed and much greater levels of security.
Earlier nosotros reply the question of which deject-storage provider is all-time for yous, a quick deject backup checklist is in order. Regardless of who you choose to backup your data with, make sure they meet the requirements they ought to.
The CNET UK Deject Storage Checklist
ane. Encryption
Does this backup provider use a good level of encryption? When transferring sensitive files, it's essential for this data to be encrypted so the only eyeballs that can read your files are the ones prepare into your face. A good level of encryption for backups is 256-flake or higher.
ii. Storage
This is obvious: how much data tin your provider give you, and for how much money? 2GB of storage will contain, very roughly, effectually 25 albums bought from iTunes. Brand sure y'all accept the option of getting more storage for your business relationship if needed, or go an unlimited plan for large backups.
iii. Information transfer limits
How many files you tin store is ane thing, only how many of these you tin can upload or download in one month is another. If you've run into usage caps on your broadband before, you'll know what nosotros're talking about. Most fill-in providers won't restrict your information transfer, just be wary of whatsoever that do if you lot're planning on backing upwards an entire difficult drive.
four. Web access
If you think you might want to admission backed-up files from a auto other than your ain, check that your new backup provider allows y'all access to files via a Spider web browser. Past ensuring this, you'll exist able to log into your account via your provider's Web site and download that bill, spreadsheet or photo when you're away from domicile.
5. File size limit
If you lot're backing upwards music and video files, some providers may impose a limit on how big whatever one file can be. Information technology'due south non a common result, merely exist wary of these limits if y'all deal with large media files.
half dozen. Multiple machines
Exercise you need to support loads of computers? If so, be certain your provider allows it. Besides check if this will cost you lot actress (it probably will).
7. Monitor folders
If you're looking to leave your computer backing itself up whenever any files are inverse, y'all need to run across if your provider's software actively monitors your computer's folders for changes. If it doesn't, you'll need to make certain you manually upload files to be backed up or stored.
Services compared
Now you lot know what to be looking for, nosotros're going to review four services, each with their own strengths. We'll boot off with our favourite free option, Dropbox.
Dropbox is a expressionless unproblematic online storage facility. Remember most a folder sitting on your computer's desktop. Yous can elevate stuff in, drag stuff out. That's basically Dropbox, but the folder'south contents are as well stored in the cloud, instead of just on your calculator'south hard disk. Add together Dropbox to another machine and it'll download the folder from the cloud and keep it in sync with the folder on your get-go reckoner.
The instant reward hither is that Dropbox is multi-platform, only uses a central binder in the cloud. And so any file you add on a Windows auto will be in that location in the same folder on your Mac, and also on your Linux-powered netbook. When you burn down upward 1 of your other machines, new files are downloaded from the server to make certain that car's Dropbox is up to date with additions, deletions and changes. There's too a Spider web-based interface for downloading files on any computer in the earth.
Oh, did nosotros neglect to mention yous become 2GB of storage absolutely free? We probably should take. And if you want more space, you can pay just over £6 per month for 50GB of storage, or just over £12 per calendar month for 100GB.
How good is it?
It's difficult to criticise such a not bad fiddling free product. Nosotros dear the stripped-down simplicity of Dropbox, and its virtually flawless ease of use. You tin can use either a public folder for sharing private contents with standard HTTP links, or merely utilize the private folder. And of grade you can create folders inside folders and organise to your aortic pump's content, with no limit on how large individual files tin be (as long as they don't exceed your overall storage capacity).
Every bit with other services your uploaded files are encrypted with 256-bit algorithms, and are sent over a secure SSL connection via the Internet. Y'all simply download a piddling app for Mac, Windows or Linux, which integrates into your OS of pick to manage the uploads and encryption.
What information technology won't do is function equally an automated backup service. Different more comprehensive backup tools, information technology won't monitor folders and files for changes and additions and back them upward. Instead, it'southward designed to be a central file repository where you drag and drop stuff yous want backed up, or simply demand admission to on multiple machines.
The platonic user?
Anyone who regularly needs to admission and edit the same files on multiple computers, just doesn't need to fill-in an unabridged hard drive.
Next: Mozy...
Having been using Mozy'south MozyHome service, which offers unlimited storage of data, for a year now, we feel qualified to tell you from get-go-hand experience that it'southward smashing. Mozy works on PC and Mac, and automatically monitors your entire calculator -- or just the files and folders you tell it to -- and backs them up in the background whenever they're inverse.
After signing up y'all'll download a small program that sits in the background of your figurer (meaning you won't notice it's running). Afterwards telling it which folders or hard disks on your motorcar you desire information technology to spotter, it will monitor all files within them for changes, and upload all and whatever that are altered.
It does this for as many tens or hundreds of gigabytes of data you own, for one set toll per month: $4.95 (almost £three.xx). That's your unabridged hard disk backed up for the cost of a pint of beer every month. Should your machine go down, you can download your information over the Cyberspace, or use the Mozy Spider web site to download individual files or sets of files. If you have tens or hundreds of gigabytes of data, you tin can pay for Mozy to burn it to several DVDs and FedEx them to you.
How expert is information technology?
In our experience, very. Our initial backup was 220GB, and took two or three weeks to back upwards entirely. Merely the backup didn't noticeably slow down either our PC or Mac, and the amount of your Net connexion information technology uses can be controlled within the app to brand sure it doesn't kibosh your browsing.
We never needed to perform a complete arrangement restore, but we made a signal of accessing Mozy'southward Web site to download files anyway. Assuming nosotros lost all of our documents, we selected to download our My Documents folder from Mozy. It took a while for the site to prepare the download, simply afterward getting an electronic mail to tell u.s. information technology was set up we headed over to Mozy'southward site over again and downloaded our entire drove of documents. And yes, they were all nowadays and correct later on being decrypted past the Mozy software on our computer.
Limitations to annotation: additional computers cost extra, and downloading individual files from a fill-in can accept a few minutes -- it's not for y'all if yous regularly demand to access individual files quickly.
The ideal user?
Anyone who wants to backup an entire hard drive, rather than just a small choice of files.
Next: Jungle Deejay...
Jungle Disk takes a different approach to backup. Rather than offering a finite or unlimited amount of information storage for a gear up fee per calendar month, it charges you per calendar month for the data you're backing upwardly. Y'all're billed $two.00 (£i.xxx), plus $0.15 (10 pence) per gigabyte stored, per month. And so if you back up 10GB of data, y'all'll pay a full of roughly £ii.thirty a month.
But in improver, you can upload, access, manage and download everything stored online, from any number of computers on the planet, across Mac, Linux and Windows platforms. This is a huge bonus, as it essentially provides a virtual driblet box in the cloud, which y'all tin can admission anywhere, without charging you for space yous don't utilize.
Desktop software for all platforms is provided, and you tin can schedule information technology to automatically backup files and folders on your computer. Or you can just manually drag and driblet files into your virtual disk drive. All data is encrypted with a 256-bit AES encryption fundamental, and stored in either Amazon S3'southward or RackSpace's information centres.
How practiced is it?
Jungle Disk is one of our favourite backup platforms, and gave great results. Uploads and downloads were insanely fast -- the fastest nosotros've ever used -- with upload speeds striking 6MBps on some occasions. The Web-based interface is fantabulous too, giving you access to all your files, which tin exist downloaded similar any other file hosted on the Net (though we'd beloved to see a 'Null these files' option for downloading multiple files as a unmarried zipped directory).
If you lot're backing upward hundreds of gigabytes of information from a unmarried automobile, however, JungleDisk can be an expensive choice compared to Mozy. Mozy volition accuse you the aforementioned per month for backing up 1GB of information or 500GB of data, whereas JungleDisk would charge roughly £fifty per month for backing up 500GB.
The platonic user?
Someone who uses a number of machines and wants the freedom to shop as much or as little as they like, and not be charged for storage they're not using.
Next, and finally: MobileMe...
Substantially MobileMe is Apple tree's backup service, though it'due south quirkier than those mentioned thus far. Quirky, because it's non so bothered about bankroll up your hard drive to the cloud, as storing the almost important and most useful bits of it and making them bachelor to you wherever yous are.
Here'southward what it does. Outset, it takes all your contacts and their associated details, plus your email and your entire calendar, and stores it all in the deject for access beyond a Mac, an iPhone and/or a PC. Change any details on one platform and information technology'southward synced instantly to all other devices over the air, automatically. And whatsoever e-mail you receive from the @me.com email address you're given will be pushed to your devices. This is like to how the BlackBerry electronic mail service works.
Just it too offers an online repository for your files -- the iDisk -- which functions every bit a network hard bulldoze just similar Jungle Disk. It's essentially an online drop box you can use to share files with friends, rather than a true fill-in service. Yous also get a pretty slick Web-based gallery for sharing photos, and this is built into iLife'south iPhoto app on the Mac for i-click uploads. This all costs £59 a year for 20GB of combined storage (this includes all saved e-mail, contacts, photos andwhatever uploaded files stored and shared via iDisk).
How skillful is it?
It'south a weird ane, this. The iPhone supports Microsoft Exchange, and y'all may have Outlook installed at work and Entourage at habitation. If so, you probably already have a complete listing of contacts, email and calendar synced over the air, and there's niggling point to using MobileMe.
But where the service comes into its own is when you don't use Exchange for personal use. So, you'll get an email address -- yourname@me.com, for case -- and all mail is pushed to your iPhone and to your Mac's Postal service app. Contacts on your iPhone and those in OS X's Address Book are kept in sync over the air, regardless of whether y'all dock your iPhone, and the aforementioned goes for calendars on the iPhone and in iCal. A well-designed desktop-like Spider web interface is bachelor at Me.com for browsing all this data equally it looks on Bone X.
As a service it works beautifully, simply as advertised. Information technology's a great Exchange-like experience, but for personal stuff rather than business. As is often the case with Apple, however, the benefits are greatest when yous stay inside the pre-built walls. So don't use Gmail for email, use MobileMe's accost. Don't utilise your Nokia'south contacts list, become an iPhone and use that. And for that reason the service again proves its worth most if you're on a Mac, with an iPhone, and perhaps a PC you're forced to utilize at the role, for which you can use Me.com's Web interface.
The online file storage is a bonus, equally is MobileMe's piffling online photo-gallery app. But it'southward no substitute for having a complete fill-in via something like Mozy equally well, because MobileMe is more about bankroll upward communication and contacts than spreadsheets, your Sims 3 saved games and iTunes library file. Be aware as well that you lot're limited to a 200GB per calendar month data transfer limit.
The ideal user?
Let'due south be honest, it's Mac users who own an iPhone and don't -- or tin't -- utilize Microsoft Exchange. The ideal user will want push button email, an online drib box for backing up and sharing photos, and for all that information to be bachelor on their Mac at dwelling, PC at work and iPhone on the route.
Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/backup-your-data-to-the-cloud-a-complete-guide/
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