A survey of data protection technologies

The most important asset in any computing environment is the data that is being processed. Lost information can be disastrous to any enterprise or corporate. Therefore, data protection is one of the most important tasks performed on any computer systems on a regular basis. The mechanisms used by data protection vary depending on the kind of data to be protected and the type of media used. Traditionally, data protection focuses mainly on backup applications which copies data to removable media that can be shelved and protected. By putting the copy on removable media, they are isolated from the problems that can cause data loss or corruption on the live system. Recent development and cost reduction in hard disk technologies and the growing concern over data safety have made it more attractive to perform data protections using online disk-based media. The author of this paper takes a broader view of data protection and surveys different technologies that are used at different places in a computer system to guard against data loss. Pros and cons of these technologies were analyzed and some best practice guidelines were provided for implementing data protection strategies