Eliminate computer-backup disasters: anyone who uses a computer worries about lost data. Nursing home operators are no exception. (Feature Article).

On the way to catch an airplane, a nursing home administrator on the West Coast leaves her laptop in a taxi the day before a presentation to a key investor.

A supervisor at a distant location is terminated and then, in spite, eliminates all the data on his hard drive.

In a regional nursing home, an employee fails to put the manual backup system into effect the day before a crash.

The nightmare begins. Who thinks about data backup, storage, and recovery in the nursing home until disaster strikes? In fact, these scenarios could happen to just about any operator in the business. To the professional information technology (IT) manager in the head office, a backup system is generally a priority. But the farther away from the nursing home group's main location, the lower the priority given to a backup-and-recovery system. Not only are there generally few IT staff outside headquarters, but the individual nursing home administrator has vastly different concerns each day from those of the home office IT manager. Too often, backup in a nonheadquarters location is left to the person who, although he or she might know computers best, does not have IT as his or her primary responsibility. Yet when backup is not automatic, which is often the case with tape backup, this can create a problem. Key data might not be backed up at all and are subject to human error. Tape backup has a certain tendency to fail, or experience data loss. A false sense of security can arise from tape spools or other backup systems that apparently are recording properly. For example, tape can be damaged in transit or in environments that are too hot or too cold, resulting in data loss.

With the Internet, the entire question of data storage and backup has been altered radically. The Internet allows remote and automatic transfer of highly encrypted data via the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), the worldwide leading standard for data security. This permits the eventual disc storage to occur instantly at safe locations.

The trend, in short, is toward application service providers (ASPs) that consolidate storage and backup procedures over a wide area network. Technology is available to automatically manage data backup and store data off site. It creates, maintains, and edits backup sets at a preset frequency, monitors activities, initiates scheduled backups, and permits user-initiated data recovery. Taking full advantage of this technology, though, requires careful decision making--e.g., how to categorize the data:

Current data. This information is key to operating the business, including everything from resident to pharmaceutical records and administrative e-mails. This information should be available to those who require it when they require it. It must be regularly backed up. Gradually, though, it becomes far less relevant and can be moved offline.

Old data. This is information that isn't needed anymore because projects have terminated or employees departed. it should be moved offline and archived. It shouldn't be deleted, as it may be needed again.

Extraneous data. This is information of no use whatsoever, e.g., junk e-mail, downloaded MPEGs, and games. This can take up as much as one-third of a system's space.

Many chain operators aren't aware of how many old or extraneous data are on their servers. Typical space-wasting files include:

* Hundreds of copies of the same files

* Files not accessed in 30, 60, 90, or 120 days (although the number of days deemed excessive depends on the business)

* Large files, such as PDFs, the Web caches (i.e., saved Web site references that every Web browser generates), as well as PowerPoint presentations, which take up hundreds of gigabytes

* Zip files that have been decompressed, with original files that should be deleted

* Employees' files that have aged beyond useful limits

* Obsolete applications

Server storage may seem cheap and unlimited, but that is not the case. A poor storage strategy can lead to major inefficiencies and costs. As a basic strategy, organizations should develop precise policies on how much data space can be used by users/branches, as well as by particular applications. Some organizations use a concept called "storage utility," a method to charge branches for storage capacity.

In short, now is the time to re-evaluate your data-preservation strategy. This can save time, money, and worry, and improve operating efficiencies.

Omry Farajun is channel manager for Storage Guardian, a technology company that markets StorGuard, an IP-based backup technology. For further information, phone [phone] or visit www.storageguardian.com. To comment on this article, please send e-mail to [e-mail].