What Is Data Recovery And Why Does It Matter To You?

To be precise, the phrase ?data recovery? refers to the process whereby data is saved from storage media that has either been corrupted, damaged, failed, or made inaccessible for some reason. When data cannot be accessed the way it normally is, then we have to seek ways to recover it. This also happens to such entities as hard disk drives on computers, compact discs, DVDs, RAID, storage tapes, and other forms of electronics.

Data loss typically comes about as a result of either physical damage to the device storing the data or else logical damage done to the device?s file storage system. The latter type of damage results in the data being unable to be mounted by the host?s operating system.

The term ?data recovery? might also refer to the process whereby information that has been deleted is retrieved and secured from a storage system for forensic purposes.

Physical damage can afflict storage media in a variety of fashions. For one thing, a compact disc storing pertinent data can be affected by having one of its layers or its metallic substrate scraped off of it. Hard drive disks often experience mechanical failures, such as failed motors or head crashes. Quite often, tapes simply break down.

The problem with physical damage is that it always causes the loss of at least some ? if not all data on the storage device. Sometimes the system?s logical structures can be seriously damaged as well. Logical damage must be dealt with immediately in order for any data recovery to occur.

It is much more common for logical damage to occur than physical damage. Most of the time, logical damage comes about as the result of a power outage, which will prevent the structures of the file system from being written to the desired storage media. As a result, the file system remains inconsistent. If your system is behaving in a strange fashion or crashes, you might lose some pertinent data that will have to be recovered. Thankfully, it is much easier to do this when it is a case of logical damage, rather than physical damage.

Discover everything you need to know about data recovery here at Data Backup and Recovery - We also discuss free tools and software that you can download and use to recover you data.

 

Data Loss & Recovery

On Tuesday March 20th, 2007, the Associated Press reported a computer tech wiped out $38 billion dollars of account data for Alaska's Department of Revenue. The article reported that it would cost about $200,000 to re-key the data from their paper backups in over 300 boxes. This story is not uncommon, and data loss could cost more: it can put you out of business. For most home users, data loss means lousing address books, pictures, memories, resumes, check books, and music. While this probably is not catastrophic, some can never be recreated. For a business though, their data makes them more efficient: pulling something up in the computer and not having to pull a paper file. For some businesses, this data is critical. To determine how critical your data is, go a month without using is: do not open any existing documents, no computerized accounting, don't think about sending an email using your address book, and do not use Outlook in general. When your data is gone, it has gone to digital "La-La Land" to never return.

The Value of Data

When considering the value of your data, we have two routes: data recovery, and data re-creation. Data recovery for a single drive may cost from $750 - $3,500. A stripped RAID array with parity (RAID 3) would cost from $2,250 to $10,500. If data recovery is possibly, it might be worth considering.

The other method to recover data is to re-enter the data. This value could be determined by the amount you would pay staff to enter data. The quicker you need it, the more costly - over-time. Consider a company who louses a year of accounting data. The accounting department consists of 4 fulltime employees making $14 an hour. The cost to recreate this data would be approximately $112,000.

These estimates are for data that can be recovered. Sometimes data recovery is not an option, and the data is lost. Unlike on the TV series CSI and 24, data is not always recoverable. In preparation for this type of disaster, you might consider what data cannot be recreated, or the cost to recreate exceeds your means. Backing up data is not just important, but critical. The cost to recreate the data, the time required recreating data, and the loss to efficiency can strangle an organization.

Considering the cost to get your data back, you should be prepared to lose it. Backup any data you cannot go without. In all likelihood, these backups will be the difference between having this data, and having to go without this data.

[This is the first part of a series of articles covering data loss, backups, and interrelated topics encountered by Internetwork Consulting.]

Shawn Zernik
Lead Technician
Internetwork Consulting