Friday, July 15, 2011

Compare Standalone Storage Devices

Use stand-alone storage to keep your data safe.


Whether you are responsible for all the data on your corporate network or only your home computers, you want to choose the best and most cost-effective data storage option. Stand-alone data storage options like DVD burners, external hard drives and tape arrays provide a convenient way for computer owners and data administrators to store their data safely and securely. Choosing the best storage solution for your network allows you to save money without sacrificing the safety of your data. Does this Spark an idea?


Instructions


1. Check the speed ratings for the stand-alone storage devices you are considering. The faster the storage devices are, the faster your backups will run.


2. Calculate the cost per gigabyte of storage by dividing the purchase price by the number of gigabytes. Compare this cost per gigabyte for each external hard drive or tape device you are considering.


3. Compare how difficult it is to use each type of stand-alone data storage. For instance, a tape drive or DVD burner array can be more cumbersome to use than an external hard drive array, since tape drives and DVD units require computer owners to swap out the media when it becomes full.


4. Check the encryption capabilities of each stand-alone storage option you are considering. If your home or office network contains personal or legally protected data, you will want to encrypt your data as it is backed up to the external storage devices. If this is a consideration, look for a stand-alone storage device that supports low-level encryption.







Tags: stand-alone storage, data storage, external hard, your data, computer owners