Laptops need not be a back-up strategy headache, reports Angus Kidman.

Published in AustralianIT, June 17 2003

FOR planners of an enterprise back-up strategy, notebook computer users are always a problem.

Desktop PCs are constantly connected to the network at relatively high speeds, making them easy to automate with existing back-up software, but what do you do with a mobile worker who only connects irregularly and often has little more than a basic modem line when they do?

The answer, for many companies, appears to be nothing. "The return on investment for the customer seems obvious, but because customers seem more interested in spending storage budgets on building the networked storage topologies, they continue to put protecting laptops on the back burner," Gartner analyst Carolyn DiCenzo noted in a commentary last year.

Analyst IDC estimates that 60 per cent of corporate data resides on unprotected PCs.

When back-up is considered, a common approach is to replicate the entire notebook to either a rewriteable DVD, external storage system or removable hard drive.

This provides a quick recovery time in the event of a problem, but makes the entire back-up process the responsibility of the user and provides no centralised archive of valuable files.

An alternative is to use an internet-based back-up service, transmitting files directly from the PC to a centralised server. Basic systems work with little more than a standard FTP connection. More advanced choices include built-in compression and encryption. Prices for such a service range from about $30-$50 per user per month.

Such packages are becoming increasingly capable. Connected's DataProtector with EmailOptimizer replicates both files and email messages but stores only a single copy of identical files, making server usage more efficient.

As a consequence, Connected encourages its users to store files on their notebooks, making better use of available space.

"Large companies can have terabytes of unused data," says Sandy McKenzie, Northern Europe general manager for Connected, whose Australian partners include Alphawest, Elantra and Hojo8.