While the backup needs of small-midsized businesses (SMBs) are essentially the same as those of enterprises, there are some important differences that should be considered. Because budget and technical expertise are frequently strained in SMBs, an effective backup strategy must take those issues into consideration. The following tips can help you make successful backups.

The most important habit of effective backup is to make effective backups. "Effective" means regular backups of all the information you need to preserve at the appropriate intervals. This is especially critical with remote sites and corporate laptops. These systems are harder to oversee and it"s easier to let backups slide. But if they contain important information, they need to be backed up. Keep in mind that mirroring is not backup. Neither is imaging on the same system. Just because your array has two copies of your data doesn't mean it is completely protected. Also remember to back up more than just the data. If you don't have copies of your configuration files, program patches and system state information, you are, at the very least, in for a lot of work if you need to do a full restore.