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

Read all about it in this press release. The full program details with new enhancements and a downloadable reseller data sheet are available here.

Reseller Program Holds New Additions. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

You’ll find Linux in your TV, on your desktop, at the movies, powering stock exchanges, in your car, in your phone and at your ATM.

Back in 1991, it was Linus Torvalds, who released the first Linux code and decided to share his operating system with the world.  Linus is also the one who chose a penguin as the Linux mascot … he was inspired by the penguin that bit him in 1996 at an aquarium.

To commemorate its 20-year anniversary, the Linux Foundation created an infographic that highlights the events of the open-source movement since 1991.  It shows how big an impact the open source operating system has made since its inception.

Linux Infographic, click to enlarge.

Linux today continues to be the biggest OS player in the cloud as well. So it looks like it’s here to stay.

Take a look at the history of Linux in this short video produced by The Linux Foundation:

20 Years Later … Linux is More Than Just a Hobbyist’s Experiment and a Penguin. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Here are a few procedures to implement before you pack your bags:

1.)  Designate an IT staffer to handle your duties in your absence. Leave them your admin passwords, the keys to the server room…any type of security device you normally solely possess.

2.)  Leave written instructions for simple basic operations, too, such as how to power down servers and which buttons to press. Document policies and what to do in the event of an emergency.

3.)  Delegate your decision-making authority. Remember that warranties for equipment might be in your name, so ensure someone within your department has access to vendor and warranty information along with the authority to purchase parts.

4.)  Make sure you tell upper management and everyone within your organization you are leaving town and who they can contact in your department in your place.

5.)  Notify your server hosting provider with contact information for your second in charge and provide updated emergency contact information. At Codero, we offer Emergency SMS Service Notifications. The system accepts multiple contact numbers. That way, your staff can be notified about emergency situations should they arise while you are away enjoying your vacation.

When IT duties like data security, compliance and access control are all in your hands, problems can compound quickly when you take time off. The last thing you want is to never be able to take a vacation.

What are your tales of IT terror while you were on vacation? Share your stories with us anonymously. For example, have you ever been called back to the office from vacation to troubleshoot an IT issue? Did your number two in charge do more harm than good? Let us know, no names will be posted.

How to Take a Vacation Without The Burden of IT Baggage. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

Today, newcomers such as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks are available.  However, FTP is deemed more secure than P2P which is mandatory when it comes to transactions such as online banking. P2P is considered growing faster in its technology driven by the explosion of mobile devices and is appreciated for its file sharing and download speed.

Are you still using FTP?  What are you using FTP for in your organization? Let us know.

40-year-old Is Still Working Hard for Technology. 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

The event takes a business objectives first approach to help you learn how to obtain scalable social programs. It also includes hands-on interactive sessions, group collaboration and a Q&A.

For Codero, this event will give us a chance to help web enthusiasts learn more about our new on-demand offering, Cloud beta. If you would like to attend, we would love to connect with you. 

For a promotional code offering a discount to Social Business Summit, simply email your request to marketing@codero.com.

You can view Owyang in action on the speaking circuit in this video:

Codero to Sponsor Social Business Summit & Strategy Workshop. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog

It was designed for cluster administration where the same configuration or commands must be run on each node within the cluster. It’s just one of many tools out there available for your IT toolbox.

ClusterSSH is a Tk/Perl wrapper around standard Linux tools just like XTerma and SSH so it will perform on most any POSIX-compliant operating system where libraries are available. Instructions on how to install and configure it can be found here.

ClusterSSH may not be considered a complete replacement for having a configuration management system when you’re responsible for maintaining a lot of machines. But when speed is of the essence, or if you are performing prototypes, it sounds like it

Efficient Tool for Linux System Administrators. 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

There are a range of security solutions which can help protect the confidential data you store on our servers. Managed Firewall is the most popular Codero offering used for this. It acts as a protective barrier to stop attacks before they can damage a hosted server and your data. Managed Firewall is completely dedicated to your environment and automatically blocks unwanted incoming traffic to your server based on pre-configured rules. It guards against service interruptions giving you the highest level of security and ensuring business continuity is never impacted.

With Managed Firewall, you’re essentially buying peace of mind by taking a proactive approach against attacks. You can download a data sheet for more information.

Safeguard the Security of your Transactional and Customer Data. is a post from: Codero dedicated hosting blog