July 2015 - Page 3 of 3 - Latest News from Backup Technology

RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is based on virtualization technology to store data. In RAID system, many drives are used to make one logical unit. There is a variety of RAID levels and each of them is optimized for particular condition. As a matter of fact, RAID levels are not standardized through industry groups, and therefore, companies often have distinctive numbers and accomplishments.

Commonly used RAID levels are:

RAID 0
RAID 5
RAID 6
RAID 10

Software to carry on RAID functionality is usually positioned on controller card. In Mac OS X and Windows Server 2012, there are software for RAID functionality.

RAID Level 0

In this level, data is divided into blocks. If multiples disks are used, RAID 0 provides greater I/O performance. This level gives satisfactory performance in write and read operations. Storage virtualization is easy to implement. The drawback of RAID 0 is the inability for fault-tolerance. In case, one of the drives get failed, available data in RAID 0 will be lost. Consequently, it cannot be used for critical systems. It is perfect for non-critical data storage where the basic aim is to write or read data at highest speed; such as video editing station. For critical system, it is better to use cloud backup technology so that important data remain backed up to the cloud.

RAID Level 5

It is known as secure level and needs three or more drives. Across the drives, data blocks are banded. With the help of parity data, the computer calculates the other blocks of data even if data does not exist any longer. In other words, RAID 5 has the capability to survive. If one drive fails and replaced, data can be accessed easily. RAID 5 offers fast transactions of read data; however transactions of write data is a bit slower.

Drawback of RAID 5 is that failure of one drive influences on others as well. When one drive fails, data restoring process needs one day or more depending on the controller speed and load. When another disk fails during data restoring process, it is impossible to retrieve the lost data.

RAID Level 6

It is similar to RAID 5 however two drives are used for data parity. Consequently, RAID 6 needs minimum 4 drives and bears the loss of two drives at the same time. It is true that failure of two drives simultaneously is rare. RAID 6 has fast transaction of read data. The drawback of this level is slow speed of write data just because of parity. When read operation is selected, it reads the data from drive-1 parity and then drive-2 parity. Similarly, write operation means to write parity one and then write parity two; which is time consuming.

RAID Level 10

It is known as uncomplicated level for calculation. It has mirror sets and each of them writes data two times to develop mirroring. As a result, write performance gets slow. RAID 10 is an easy and fast process for rebuilding data to new drive from existing mirrors. In this level of virtualization, maximum storage capacity is utilized for mirroring and makes it expensive method.

Conclusion

It is the basic needs of enterprises to keep their important data secure. Though there are various performance levels of RAID, but each level has some drawbacks. In RAID array, all drives have same age factor so failure of one drive can lead to other. To keep data safe from natural disasters, drive failure and/or hacking, the best option is a cloud backup service.

It is a fact that IT related business is growing by leaps and bounds, and has changed the usage of organizational devices significantly within the last decade. With the growth of business, it has become essential to have some security measures. IT professionals have warned about risks associated with hyper-connectivity. Enterprises face great risks because the shortcomings of unpatched software are exposing data to cyber crime attacks. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to use advanced systems for data security.

Windows XP has lost its value due to security issues and instabilities which are associated with the operating system. When an OS developer like Microsoft cannot provide patches and critical updates to cope with security issues, the need for a new and well-defined operating system emerges.

What are the consequences of data breaches when complying with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)?

HIPAA Breach Rule

HIPAA is an act related to accountability and health insurance portability. In order to give maximum protection and privacy to health information, federal law has set some rules and regulations. OCR (Office for Civil Rights) is responsible for enforcing security law. For data security, OCR gives notification to organizations when certain information is breached. When businesses do not apply latest software patches, customers could get affected by data breaches and their social security numbers and/or credit card numbers could be stolen; and as a result, HIPAA penalty could be levied. Organizations have been fined by OCR because many have become the victim of malware caused by failure in selecting software patches.

It is notable that HIPAA or OCR does not inform organizations to keep their software updated. When companies do not pay attention to software flaws and keep on working with patching software, issues such as data breaches become unavoidable.

How to Run System Smoothly?

To check data security, it is significant to use vigilant approach and observe applications of third-party against protection vulnerabilities. Unsecure data can be the result of supportive software or operating system that is functioning in the environment. To cope with data issues, security updates and advanced patches should be applied. For a small business or an enterprise, assistance of IT administrator is the only solution to get peace of mind.

In a nutshell, the penalty of data breaches should not be only in form of levying fines, but there must be some rules to meet the demands of industry. Organizations know methods to find out security risks and satisfactory solutions. In other words, patch your software and use updates to keep your data safe and secure. Organizations can improve ways of data protection by using cloud computing. As compared to public cloud, private cloud using companies are much more satisfied with security of data.