There is often confusion between data backups and data archives. But each has its own distinct purpose.

-          Backups are created for the short-term, tactical retention of data. Backup is a copy of data that can be used to restore the original should it be lost or damaged. Think of it as a safeguard for data that is being used, but backups are not tamper-proof.

-          Archives are designed for the long-term, strategic retention of information. An archive can be a single or a collection of records specifically chosen for long-term retention and future reference. This data is normally no longer actively used but is intended to retain a complete set of business records. Archives are created as well in order to help organizations in migrating from one platform to another. Archives are tamper-proof.

The difference between the two is that a backup is a copy for disaster recovery while an archive is the original that was removed from its initial location and then is housed elsewhere for long-term retention.

Both are essential.

The need for both is crucial.  Backup is a critical best practice because things can go wrong. Patches do not work as they are supposed to; upgrades can fail, hard drives can and do crash; and malware can destroy data. Everything needs to be backed up including email servers, file servers, desktops, and more. Regular backups are essential to restore servers and other platforms to a known good state.

Archiving is also necessary. Business records need to be preserved … regulators and courts demand them. Even your own corporate policy probably requires retention of records. It is necessary to preserve corporate records to satisfy regulatory, legal and other obligations.

Recommendations

Both backing up content and archiving are critical best practices. There simply is no substituting one for the other. Once you have a clear picture of the distinguishing characteristics between backup and archiving, you should be better equipped to choose the right storage solution for your needs.

Look for the next blog in this series which will cover the benefits and challenges with Email Archiving.

And remember, your comments are most welcome. Tell us about your experiences with backing up and archiving.

Backup Is Not Your Archive, Clear Differences. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

This is slightly off topic –  but I think it’s interesting to see the battle between PC and Mac users play out in TV commercials and other places.

I thought these statistics used in an infographic were even more interesting. Check out some of the findings:

• Mac users are 13% more likely than PC users to say they want to be viewed as unique and different to make my mark.
• 23% of PC users are more likely to say they seldom throw parties.
• Mac users are 50% more likely than PC users to say they frequently throw parties.
• Mac users are 80% more likely than PC users to be vegetarian.
• PC users like to read TV Guide, Redbook, US Weekly and the New York Times. Mac users choose Dwell, ReadyMade magazine, Macworld and the New York Times.

See what you think of the fun-loving infographic here. And let us know if you are a PC or Mac person and why.

Are You a PC or Mac Person? is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Here are five security ideas you may not know about to secure your SSH server:

1.)    Brute Force Detection software should be installed. Often attackers will try brute force methods to learn your password and then attack your server. Installing a good brute force detection software helps neutralize these attempts at your sever the minute they start.

2.)    Root logins are unnecessary. Under normal circumstances, there is no reason to allow direct root logins to your server and take the risk of having your root account directly exposed to the Internet. By restricting root logins, you make it harder for outside attackers to gain access. The system administrator can become root once logged in using su or sudo.

3.)    Use chroot to restrict users to their own/home directories. Linux and Unix servers have permissions in place that prevent a normal user from damaging your files but it does not stop them from seeing those files. So if you use chroot, you can keep those users within their own directories.

4.)    Demand secure passwords and periodic rotations. When you are the system admin, you can require computer users to adhere to your password strength requirements and also demand that users change their passwords now and again.

5.)    Prevent staying logged in. Also as the system admin, you can set the timeout interval in the SSH configuration file so users do not stay logged in. This can keep people from sneaking into user accounts that are always logged in.

Do you think you can use any of these ideas in the future? What tips do you have that you can share with other system admins? Please let us know!

Does Your Security Have More Bark Than Bite? Security Tips For System Administrators. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

The 3.0 will be released close to the 20^th anniversary of Linux in August this year. He had said earlier there was no major change in the release, but now it appears there is. In addition to being faster than 2.6.39, the Linux 3.0 kernel will not have a number of features. These include the Reiser4 file-system, the VIA KMS/DRM driver, an accelerated Poulsbo/PowerVR DRM driver, multi-GPU rendering and numerous other items.

Do you welcome a faster release? What are your thoughts?

Linux 3.0 Races Ahead of 2.6.39 To Be Faster. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Other special searches removed include Google Microsoft, Google Mac and Google Uncle Sam. Recent online discussions are focusing mainly on the loss of Uncle Sam Google Search which specialized in searching U.S. federal, state and local information. Google Community Manager addresses the change in a forum thread here.

Will this change affect you? Let us know.

Google Ditches Specialized Search Services. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Version 1.0 of the Linux kernel was released on March 14, 1994 and only supported single-processor i386-based computer systems. Version 2.6.0 was released on December 18, 2003 and this series of kernels is still the active series of stable kernels.

As the Linux kernel evolves and no revolutionary changes are likely in the near future, it could make sense to move the version number up or change to some other versioning scheme.

There are some users who do not want to change from the current Linux 2.6.xx versioning. How do you feel about it? Let us know.

This End Could Be For Real … The End of Linux 2.6 releases. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Much has been written and discussed about how Cloud computing will take over IT infrastructure in the next few years. But did you realize how eco-friendly Cloud really is?

See how Cloud stacks up as far as sustainability benefits. Check out the Cloud Infographic below.

Are you surprised by any of the statistics? Tell us what you think in the comments below.  And please share our infographic with those who appreciate the opportunity to go green with new technology.

Spread the good word about Cloud. Embed this image on your website. Simply copy the code below and paste it into your site:
<div align=”center”><a href=”http://www.codero.com/cloud-hosting/green/” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.codero.com/images/cloud/cloud-infographic.png” alt=”cloud infographic” width=”600″><br />Click to Enlarge</a><br />By <a href=”http://www.codero.com” target=”_blank”>Codero.com</a></div>

Codero’s Cloud Infographic Highlights Green Benefits and Cost-effectiveness. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

A report by Forrester Research showed small- and medium-sized businesses and enterprise organizations planned to spend at least 5% more on a Disaster recovery (DR) plan in the next 12 months.  DR spending is up due to increased awareness. We can now better identify, measure and quantify risk. Businesses are also realizing the economic impact of disasters and events. There is also less tolerance for downtime and data loss which is yet another reason DR plans are more commonplace today.

Codero is now helping businesses of all sizes increase the reliability of their backup strategies through Disaster Recovery (DR). The off-site backup solution can help ensure business continuity of mission-critical applications, data, hardware and communications in the event of an unplanned service failure or disaster. Codero’s off-site disaster recovery solutions bring you much needed peace of mind.

Disaster Recovery can be created by simply adding EVault off-site storage to a server or by adding EVault off-site storage to load balanced servers. Customers can set their own data backup schedules and can pay for only the storage used.

Putting DR in place ahead of time means you do not have to be subject to random external events. Entrepreneur, author and popular blogger Seth Godin has some pertinent opinions on “how to fail.” He reminds us about the common misunderstanding about failure…  “if you do not plan for it, it won’t happen.”  Right.

What are some of your plans? What are you looking for in a DR solution? What aspect of a DR solution are most important to you?

Business Continuity Is Ensured With Extra Layers of Protection Like Disaster Recovery. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Kansas City, Kansas and area community leaders worked hard to secure the network which will allow internet connections of 1 gigabit per second to up to 500,000 people. Google Fiber transmits light over a fiber-optic cable to send and receive information. To put it into perspective, Google Fiber can make internet access more than 100 times faster than the broadband connection now available in U.S. homes. And 2000 times faster than dial-up!

All parts of the Kansas City, Kansas community will receive the service with Google starting first in the neighborhoods where people desire the service. Installation will take place in 2012.

Why Kansas City, Kansas?  The search engine giant’s blog says,

“In selecting a city, our goal was to find a location where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations. We’ve found this in Kansas City. We’ll be working closely with local organizations including the Kauffman Foundation, KCNext and the University of Kansas Medical Center to help develop the gigabit applications of the future.”

We know the response from cities to build the ultra high-speed broadband network in their area was overwhelming and we couldn’t be more excited to have the experimental project taking place right here in Kansas. There’s no place like home.

Watch the Google announcement and see Kansas leaders in action:

Congratulations to Our Neighboring KC KS, Now 100 Times Faster Thanks to Google. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

As people start accessing the web more with devices like smart phones and tablets, the increased Internet connectivity is drawing shoppers as well.  A February, 2011 study by Forrester Research shows online retail sales grew 12.6% in 2010 to reach $176 billion. It will grow to approximately $278 billion in 2015.

Shoppers increased comfort online can represent a real opportunity for those businesses who are already up and running with a great e-commerce site. You can begin thinking about ways to fine-tune your online shopping experience like communicating through more personalized messaging and offers. It’s a good time to put your media and communications plan in place and move forward.

You can learn from the experience of others who have, or have not, gone online as a convenience for their customers. Reports are out saying Border’s made a mistake in not creating an e-commerce strategy and opting out of online sales. The book retailer recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  Borders loss was Amazon.com and Apple’s win as they cashed in on people’s desire for electronic books.

What do you have planned for online activities this year for your business? Let us know!

The New Comfort Level with E-Commerce. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog