Top 10 Windows backup tips of 2006

Backup and restore functions in Windows: Advantages and limitations
Windows has several built-in data protection mechanisms -- NTBACKUP, Automated System Recovery, Device Driver Rollback and System Restore – plus Data Protection Manager. In this tip, Brien M. Posey looks at the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Why DPM is replacing traditional disk-to-tape backups
In many organizations, disk-to-disk-to-tape backup is replacing the traditional disk-to-tape backup systems that have been the standard for disaster recovery for many years. A big part of that reason is Microsoft's backup and replication product, Data Protection Manager (DPM).

Backup failure: Five reasons backups fail
Media failure, human error and hardware failure are among the most common reasons backups fail. Learn what you can do to prevent failures resulting from these issues.

Four ways to increase the lifespan of your backup tapes
Tape doesn't last forever. If you have critical archival data that must be maintained for a while, here are some tips on increasing the lifespan of tape.

USB drive backup: Pros and cons
There are good reasons for Windows administrators to use external USB drives for backup. There are also reasons not to.

Install backup on Windows XP Home Edition
Although the Backup utility is not mentioned at any point during the default installation of Windows XP Home Edition, it is included. However, you need to do a manual install to prepare it for use.

CDP not always a substitute for conventional backup
Continuous data protection (CDP) technology may be the hot backup technology, but it doesn't fulfill every enterprise backup function, particularly when it comes to archival storage.

Backup tape encryption grows up
Backup tape encryption technology has come a long way and offers security you wouldn't have otherwise. Here's advice on how to encrypt your backup tapes more efficiently.

Worst practices for backup and disaster recovery, Part 1
Even when network administrators are aware of the need for a solid data backup and recovery plan, too many companies observe worst practices, thereby dooming the plan.

Like life, the best things in backup are 'free'
When it comes to discussing backup architectures, the word "free" pops up a lot. There's server-free backup, LAN-free backup and SAN-free backup. The question for you is, which one of these "free" backup architectures is best for your storage set-up?