Data Backup Digest

When you first visit Backblaze’s website you’ll be told that it offers “online backup made easy”. But just how easy is it? And what features do you get with the service? Data backup is a very important process and one that every individual and enterprise should undertake. If you lose your data then you’re not only losing time, you’re losing money. You need to make sure that you have an efficient backup plan in place. This article will explore Backblaze, analyse its features and discuss the price point.

Backblaze argue that if an external hard drive doesn’t count as a proper backup plan. It makes sense. With an external drive alone it means that you’re the one in charge of backing up your data. Sometimes you might forget to do it. You might even be backing up the wrong types of files. Perhaps you’ve got some data backup software installed that takes care of all that? Even so, that isn’t good enough. If your computer and drive are in the same place then they are susceptible to the same risks.

Backblaze is a program that you install to your computer. Whenever connected to the internet the tool will scan your computer and find all your important files – documents, photos, music and so on. All of this is then compressed, securely encrypted and backed up to the cloud.

There is no limit to how much data you can back up, the size of the file or how many drives you have attached to your computer. Everything is backed up apart from your operating system, application folder or temporary internet files. Essentially, this data is transient and would not be useful in the future, thus backing it up is wasting space and bandwidth.

Backblaze keeps versions of files for up to 30 days. That means if it is deleted from your drive accidentally then you have up to a month to restore it back from your computer. However, bear in mind that Backblaze should not be used as an extra storage facility; it is there to mirror your drive.

By default, Backblaze will back up all the time, meaning that you can start the program and just let it do its job. However, should you desire, you can set a specific time that you wish backups to run, or you can just click a button to do it as and when. However, for the majority of users, the default option is going to be the best bet.

Backblaze claim that is has developed a unique engine that will ensure no slowdown of your computer. It effectively uses your internet connection and standard home networks should be able to back up around 2-4GB of data per data. There is a throttle option available, should you wish to reduce the amount of bandwidth Backblaze utilises.

Individual users can sign up for $5 a month, or pay the whole year in advance and pay $50 total (that’s $4.17 a month). Backblaze supports Windows and Mac. There is also a business package available (for $50 per computer, per year) that offers a centralised admin panel, making the IT easy to manage.