Most people who have used computers for a long time can recall the empty, sinking feeling that overcame them when they realized a critical file had been lost.

In the financial services business, advisors break into a cold sweat when you mention lost files. For advisors dealing with client information in a heavily regulated industry, data protection is more than just a measure of convenience — it’s a governance issue.

There are three main options available to advisors for backing up their data.

> Operating System’s Backup Facilities. If you work individually, you might consider using the backup facilities built into your PC’s operating system.

Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Vista includes a tool called Shadow Copy, which takes a snapshot of files on the system each day and allows you to access previous versions of files simply by right-clicking on them.

For users with external drives, a separate “backup and restore” option enables files, folders or all your PC’s data to be backed up to a separate disc.

The latest version of Mac OS X, Leopard, includes a similar function, called Time Machine, that takes regular snapshots of the computer’s disc drive, saving it to an external disc.

When you find that a file has been corrupted on your local drive or realize that some data has been changed erroneously, the Time Machine interface enables you to flick back visually through versions of the computer’s desktop until you reach the date at which the file was still intact. Then, you can access the data.

> Over A Network. But while such systems may work well for individuals, a more scalable way of backing up and restoring data is necessary for workgroups in which teams of five, 10 or more people are working on their own computers connected to a network. Ideally, if using Microsoft products, a collection of computers may be configured to locate automatically the My Documents folders on the server and then simply replicate them to the local drive.

That way, if a computer fails, the documents are still recoverable from the server.

This still leaves the problem of server backup, however. Windows Small Business Server software can automatically back up files on a server to another disc, a separate computer or a tape.

Microsoft also produces a backup product called Data Protection Manager, which backs up files stored on the server as well as necessary file structures for applications such as Exchange and SQL Server.

“We can back up on an almost real-time basis,” says Derick Wong, senior product manager for security and management at Mississauga, Ont.-based Microsoft Canada Co. “The neat thing is that it’s disc-based, on a separate server. If your desktop crashes, you just re-image it, go to the Data Protection Manager server and drag your files over.”

This product is designed for use in branch offices as part of a larger corporate environment. A server might be configured to back up data periodically over a wide area network. So, there is always a copy of yesterday’s or last week’s data held off-site. But that becomes a problem in a smaller company with only one office. What happens if that office goes up in flames?

Ideally, a copy of the backed-up data should be transferred off-site; traditionally, that has been done using tapes. The problem is that small companies aren’t very good at transporting tapes off-site,

“Every time I see a tape lying on top of a server, I want to cry,” says Brian Bourne, president of Toronto-based information technology consultancy CMS Consulting Inc. He often sees tapes scattered about offices, gathering dust and not being looked after.

But even if the tapes are well taken care of, they can get old, stretch and become unusable. Backups are only useful, of course, if they are regularly tested. “Someone can be dutifully taking home a blank tape every night,” Bourne says.

> Automated Backup Service. Now that broadband Internet connections are ubiquitous, an automated backup service that stores the data online is a better option.

A number of these services now exist in Canada, one of which is Data Deposit Box, operated by Toronto-based Acpana Business Systems Inc. The software sits on a PC or server that needs backing up and watches the hard drive, explains president Jamie Brenzel.

@page_break@“You flag folders you want backed up,” he says. “Then, once you have set those, whenever a new file is created or changed in one of those folders, the software automatically encrypts that data.”

Like many online backup systems, Data Deposit Box backs up a lot of data at the start, as it copies the user’s files to its servers. After that, it only copies changes to the data in the files, which drastically reduces the time subsequently taken for online backups.

Data Deposit Box waits until your machine is idle and then starts sending information. When you start working on the PC again, it stops sending, so as not to slow your computer down.

Storage Pipe, offered by Toronto-based Storagepipe Solutions Inc. , also does continuous backup, but also offers a scheduled backup for servers so your server can be backed up just once a day.

Unlike Data Deposit Box, Storage Pipe’s disaster-recovery plan also includes backing up data to a second facility located away from its primary data centre. So, if you are especially paranoid about data loss, that’s an added comfort.

Backing up data properly in a well-tested environment is something that more companies should take seriously. Although it may not seem important right now, it will be when you find yourself scrambling to reclaim corrupted customer files.

When it comes to data integrity, a stitch in time really does save nine. IE