Disaster-Proof Your PC
Step 4: Data RedundancyAnother safeguard to employ in securing your data is redundancy. This can be accomplished via internal RAID arrays and via external storage. RAID, a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (originally known as Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks), refers to computer data storage schemes that divide and/or duplicate data across multiple hard drives to provide increased performance and/or increased reliability. For our purposes, we're going to focus on RAID variants that offer a level of redundancy, specifically RAID 1, the most cost-effective option (see Wikipedia's listing on RAID for a more in-depth understanding of the technology and alternatives available). Simply put, RAID 1 is achieved by pairing two identical drives in an array where the data on one drive is exactly mirrored on the other. Unlike the performance-enhancing permutation referred to as RAID 0, where data is divided (or striped) across two drives but seen as a single unit, with RAID 1 the computer sees both drives as a single drive of half the aggregate volume. The cost per megabyte of RAID 1 is greater, but so is the security offered with no loss in performance over a solo drive. RAID 0, while it provides greater overall capacity and performance, does so at greater risk to your data (if one drive fails, all data is lost). For greatest data security, stick with the redundancy offered by RAID 1. If you really, truly need the performance offered by RAID 0, invest in a RAID alternative that combines the benefits of both, such as RAID 0+1 or RAID 5. It's a lot more costly, but it's hard to place a long-term dollar value on the worth of your data (and your time). Most current game-oriented motherboards include built-in controllers that handle the basic RAID flavors. Though, you can employ an add-in card (shown), if you want to expand your options.  If your motherboard doesn't offer RAID support, cheap add-in boards like this are a simple way to gain the feature External storage takes a different approach to safeguarding your data. Rather than mirroring it internally, external storage allows you to safeguard critical data outside your computer at the individual file level. Then, in the event that disaster renders your PC completely inoperable (being fried by lightning, for instance), you have current backups stored on external medium. Moreover, included backup software usually allows you to store multiple historical versions of your data files just in case you need an older variation of a document, a pre-edited image or a save made prior to a game-altering mistake. In fact, if you have a computer with limited internal storage, such as a laptop, external storage may be your only valid option for securing your data investment. Outbound options include, primarily, optical discs, external hard drives and online storage. Optical discs, in particular, provide convenient backup of critical data for storage offsite. They require more handholding to produce and maintain, and are limited in capacity, but they’re handily stored away from your current premises in case of catastrophic loss. Online data storage also allows you to secure your critical files offsite, for data redundancy purposes and ease of access when away from your primary PC. While simpler to maintain than optical disc backups, they're less attractive from a cost standpoint (though, some services offer a limited amount of free storage) and you may not feel comfortable storing your private data on someone else's computers.
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