What is backup storage? - Definition from Whatis.com

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backup storage

In computers, backup storage is storage that is intended as a copy of the storage that is actively in use so that, if the storage medium such as a hard disk fails and data is lost on that medium, it can be recovered from the copy. In an enterprise, because the loss of business data can be catastrophic, it is important that backup storage be provided.

On a personal

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computer, backup storage is commonly achieved with Zip drives and DVDs. In an enterprise, backup storage can sometimes be achieved through replication of data in multidisk storage systems, such as RAID; as part of network-attached storage (NAS); as part of a storage area network (SAN); or as part of a tiered storage system. Enterprise backup storage often makes use of both disk and tape as storage media. Special software is used to manage backup as part of a storage system.

The same means and media used for backup storage are often used for archival storage.

Related glossary terms: hard disk, magnetoresistive head technology, yottabyte, serverless backup, byte, partition, InfiniBand, failover, RAMAC (random access method of accounting and control), Fibre Channel

This was last updated in May 2005

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Coming in the August 2011 issue of Storage magazine

A sneak peek at Storage magazine's August 2011 issue. Learn more about the state of backup deduplication, storage virtualization and new trends in data storage.
Coming in the July 2011 issue of Storage magazine

A sneak peek at Storage magazine's July 2011 issue. Learn more about backing up virtual servers, performance tips and how to turn your data center storage into a storage cloud.
Storage magazine May 2011 PDF

Download Storage magazine's all-digital issue at no cost. This month: The benefits, functions, future outlook and buying considerations for automated tiered storage technologies.

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