How your data and code are backed up

One of the most important security issues in software development and maintenance is that of being certain source code and client data are frequently, regularly and reliably archived. Hard disks fail, and files get accidently erased. As a result of careful planning and discipline, Software Science is prepared to restore lost files within a matter of a few minutes. In the over-twenty years of operation, not one of Software Science's client's software or data has ever been lost.

Software source files, executable code and scripts, web site files and data are distributed over the array of servers at the company's undisclosed location. This server array is the property of SSI and is operated in SSI offices. Our staff always has complete access to the servers, both locally and remotely.

Each day of the week, SSI backup management software automatically writes incremental copies of every changed file from every drive of every server to an external USB 2.0 250 GB drive. These copies are written to separate directories for each day of the week. In this way, seven complete backups for the past seven days are stored for every drive of every server. Prior to the start of a new week, this external drive is swapped for another identical drive, which continues the process for another week. In this way, 14 complete backups are made.

A detailed record of files saved, start and stop times of the process, total bytes copied and other related statistics are kept track of and then emailed to management staff. These reports are reviewed each day to confirm that the backup process completed without error.

The not-in-use drive is always stored safely at an off-site undisclosed location. In this way, in the event of a disaster that would destroy all the servers (such as fire or theft), including the backup drive, our company would still be able to restore 100% of your files from the secure off-site archive drive.

Unlike some backup tools, we do not compress or encrypt or encapsulate files onto the archive drive. All such methods have the inherent weakness that the retrieval tool may or may not be able to unravel the data, in which case it is not possible to access files embedded on the drive (and this problem would not be discovered until the need to restore arises). All such techniques create a layer that can slow down the recovery process. At SSI, all files and directories structures are saved to the archive drive just as they are on the server. Recovering a file, a group of files, a directory, and so on, is a matter of nothing more than copy and paste. This has proven to be the fastest and most fool-proof recovery method.

On a related topic, Software Science deploys a physical security system that makes break-in, theft, or disruption of our operation highly unlikely. All windows and doors are monitored by video camera, which is input to motion detection software. When an access point is breached, images of the intruder are stored to a hard drive, ftp'd over the internet to an off-site server, and are attached to emails that are immediately sent to all SSI management. In addition, SMS (text) messages are sent to management cell phones. Of course an audio alarm is triggered which in most cases would send the intruder back out the door. The 911 service of our county has expressed an interest in integrating the ability to send intruder images in real time to the Sheriff's department.