The other aspect that many forget is when previously on their home computers the data they stored was important but not essential to their job. Now starting a small business many owners either forget to back up their data or see their computer data as a low priority. This is normally the case until they actually lose it.

So we know computers are important to our small business but they can be replaced it’s the data that is the essential requirement for the company’s survival and something that is not easily replaced or restored unless you have a good backup plan. Although you can backup locally this will not protect your data against a true disaster like theft or fire. That is why an online back up using your internet connection is not only a convenient option as it often just works in the back ground but also takes your data off site.

Understand your Small Business Data

To be able to back up such data the first thing you need to do is understand what data is important to the company and then where it is stored. This sounds easy most people will say I need to back up everything and it’s all stored on my computer. For the majority of us this is not true.

Email

Probably one of the most important pieces of data to any business as it is not only a list of contacts but also a history of communications with customers and other companies. How can you prove you had an agreement without that email. Also if you have used email over a long period some systems (Microsoft Outlook) archive old emails into a separate file. So often business’s emails are not backed up. If you use outlook then the chances are you will have outlook open while you are trying to backup. Ensure the online backup software you use backs up your email files usually .pst or .ost files if using outlook. These can become very large so the slight change may take a long while to actually backup. A better option can be using a web mail application like Gmail and duplicate your emails online and locally. At least then you will have them in two locations. Just be aware this will not store the other data in your mail client like contact and appointments.

Database

Any database of important information should be backed up and that will depend on the database software you use. Some run a scheduled process where they extract the data into a separate file that can be backed up. This will get over the problem of backing up a database that is constantly being used.

Documents

Probably what most people think about when you talk about your files however so often people save them in different locations and forget to back a location up. This commonly happens to people saving documents onto their desktop and then they only backup documents folder. All too often this is only realised once they have either lost a document or want to go back to a previous version. One cheap and free option to back up your data is to use dropbox. This gives you 2GB (gigabytes) worth of data however you have to ensure you save everything into the dropbox folder. The great thing about dropbox is you can put it on more than one computer and the files are synchronised across all machines.

Whatever online backup service you use there are some issues you should consider before choosing one. You can see my article on the pros and cons of using an online data backup service.

So we now realise how important this data is to us but in a busy small business environment it is very easy to push backups down the priority list as something that is not important. Not only that many of us do not consider a true disaster recovery plan. Now don’t get me wrong this can sound a lot less interesting than working on your actual business you have a passion for. However part of managing a small business is to plan for every situation and if you are ever unfortunate enough to have to cope with a disaster like a business theft, fire or flood then you will be glad you have done so.

All these disaster scenarios have a potential of losing critical business data. Even if you backed up your data to a local hard disk that could also be lost. Although I would recommend most business’s that store critical data locally to consider using raid 1 which mirrors data across two hard disks . This at least protects you against one of the most common  computer problems hard disk failure. Apart from the cost of an extra hard disk there is no overhead on your time to run backups. However this  will not protect you against premise damage or theft.

One of my aims at Tech Tumble is to show you a system that will protect your data but is simple and easy to administer. If a backup is automatic and doesn’t cost you a fortune then other than testing it worked will take up very little of your time. So you will not only have more time on your hands but also confident you will never need to worry about data loss.

Online backup is a great option for backing up your small business data. It is usually a seamless software that just works in the background that copies your data to an online server. Some even keeps versions of old files so if you have changed a file and wish to go back to an old version it can be achieved at the click of a button. Below is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using an online backup

Advantages of Online Backup for a Small Business

• Stores remotely in another location which is essential for a true disaster recovery plan.
• Very little user intervention required as most systems work automatically in the background.
• Unlimited data capacity as you can increase your capacity with your provider as you require it.
• You have support from your provider to ensure all files are normally backed up.
• Some providers backup open files and backup almost immediately to reduce the chance of data loss between backups.
• Backups are encrypted across the internet which is more secure than the backup ta eor disk you carry about with you.

Disadvantages of Online Backup for a Small Business

• Reliant on your internet bandwidth. If you have a slow connection this could make it even slower.
• Depending on the amount of data and files sizes your backup can be slow.
• Restoring a large amount of data over the internet can also be slow especially when you need to restore a backup in a short space of time.
• If you have a monthly limit on your broadband connection this will increase the data you transfer over the internet.
• Your providers SLA(Service Level Agreement) maybe of a level that gives them no responsibility for lost data.
• If you need a large amount of data backed up and a high level service agreement then the cost can soon add up. However you have to compare it to the true cost to your business.

Available Features of an  Online Backup Provider

Although an online backup software seems a basic process there are different features available and you should make sure the provider you select has the features you require.

Capacity

Do they have the online storage capacity you require. Most providers have a scale of costs depending on the capacity you require and some charge you for the bandwidth you have used e.g. the amount you have uploaded or downloaded in a month.

Operating System

Ensure you understand all your data you wish to backup and the platform the backup software needs to work on. For example Windows 7 or a Mac. Don’t  forget mobile device data such as smart phones and laptops.

Database and Email Backup

Backing up open files can be essential for some business’s  as both databases and email are nearly always being accessed from boot up. Some of a business’s most important data is held within the email or database system.

Backing Up Revisions

If you want to be able to go back to a previous version of a file you will want your backup provider to have this feature. In my view this is essential as there is no point in backing up a corrupt file, if you can’t roll back  a file to before the problem. It could also save you many hours of work if you have changed a file and you require the original. This feature is also known as versioning.

Seed Loading

If you have a large amount of data to back up the first backup can take a very long time. Some providers offer a removable device which you send them to get you jump started e.g. the initial seed backup.

Bulk Restore

When you have a problem you want to be able to restore as quickly as possible. If you backup a large amount of data and need to do a full restore you want your provider to be able to physically supply you a full restore that you can pick up or receive in the post.

Time Scheduling

The last thing you want is for computer to become slow or even worst your whole companies internet to become slow. This can be easily solved by scheduling the backups late at night or when your computer is idle.

Bandwidth Controlling

Similar to scheduling some providers offer the ability to limit the amount of bandwidth your backups will take. Although this will slow down your backup you can minimise the effect of backups on your internet speed. You shouldn’t overly worry about online backups affecting your download speed as the majority of data is using your upload link. If you are delivering information to others outside your business for example using a terminal server where people connect to your server then this needs to be considered. You can mitigate this by scheduling backups at an off peak time or have another broadband connection. Another broadband connection(with a different supplier) will have the bonus of building in redundancy protecting you against a broadband supplier failure.

Compression & Encryption

You want your data to be safe and secure so ensure your provider has some form of encryption to protect your data while being sent over the internet and when it is stored on their servers. Hopefully this will also include some form of compression as well as this will increase the speed of backups and reduce the amount of bandwidth you use.

Is Online Backup Right for your Small Business?

You have to way up the pros and cons of online backups for your small business. Although on the face of it there are some huge advantages to be had you have to ensure you check the detail. If it is too expensive at this stage in your small business then only backup the data you require which reduces the capacity you need. Most providers offer a limited capacity short trial of their service which should give you a chance to test the performance and more importantly test restoring data.

The one thing I would want you to take away from this article is ensure you test your backups. Pretend you have had a total failure and you need to restore your data onto another PC or laptop. Only then can you sleep soundly at night knowing your small business data is safe and your future is secure.

As with many new technologies today they seem to creep up on us and before we know it they are common place in all our lives. The sad thing is so many of us IT geeks spout these words believing everyone understands them. In fact a lot of the time I am not sure we truly understand them ourselves. One the these terms that is be used more frequently since 2007 is Cloud Computing. With Apple also releasing the icloud we will surely be hearing a lot more about it.

A little like a cloud in the sky  the true definition of cloud computing is a little fluffy. It originates from the diagrams people produced  to represent the internet. Cloud computing is basically a software or platform stored where the user doesn’t need to administer the software but can purely connect to it. Cloud computing is really a form of a client server platform that is stored and administered elsewhere. Now that would be using a computer network and would normally involve the internet. The most common type of cloud computing is the public cloud. This is normally in the form of offering a SAAS (software as a service) in which the public subscribe to and sometimes pay a monthly subscription for. This is also sometimes known as utility computing as you pay for the service just like your gas or electricity supply.

What is Grid Computing?

Cloud computing has been made possible by grid computing. Grid computing is used to make cloud computing scalable for the general public. By using special middleware software the grid computer system uses multiple servers and computer resources which can be allocated depending on the systems demand. So cloud computing is just a form of using grid computing to deliver a service via the internet. Grid computing has made such a service very scalable. Which means as their user base increases they can continue to add new band width, processing power in the form of hardware and increase the storage space.

How Cloud Computing Can be Used For a Small Business

So now we hopefully understand what cloud computing actual is, we  need to identify the benefits of using such a system for the small business owner. In the company I work for we are fortunate enough to  be big enough to be able to justify a dedicated IT department. By having these IT skills in house we can administer and support our own IT system. oeH=dddAlthough the benefits of cloud computing seem obvious for the small business that doesn’t have the infrastructure and skills for such a system it is becoming common for the larger business to consider cloud computing as a method of reducing costs and cutting overhead.

So What Are Common Examples of Cloud Computing

The most common example of cloud computing is webmail like AOL, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or Gmail. Now most of us have used such a service which we purely accessed via the internet or should I say the cloud. I think this is why so many of us are confused by this term because it is just another description of a service we have probably all used before. We are now starting to see further uses of the SAAS model replacing our commonly installed software like Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google Enterprise which replaces the traditional office applications like word processing, spread sheets and presentation software.

List of  Common SAAS Providers

Microsoft Office 365 : Office application including outlook and exchange client
Google Enterprise: Office application including a mail client
Adobe Photoshop Express: Simple to use free online photo editor
Salesforce.com: Customer Relationship Software and database

Now that we understand what cloud computing is and the type of software that is currently available we need to highlight the pros and cons of using cloud computing versus traditional local server software installations.

Advantages of Cloud Computing

Cost

This is always a good one to start with and gets people’s attention. Although cloud computing is not an automatic cost saving the up-front cost is drastically reduced.

Cheaper Setup Costs

Most SAAS has a relatively small monthly cost in comparison to buying  the server hardware, installing and administering the software. However the more users you have there could be a tipping point where doing it all yourself may be cheaper in the long term although a lot will depend on how long a server would last.

More Tax Efficient

With a service in many countries taxed less compared to purchasing an asset this gives another immediate benefit to cloud computing.

Cheap to Test

Again the cost to try some of the SAAS providers is relatively small and risk free. In fact some offer a free 30 trial of their software so you can test the features and performance.

Speed to Implement

Cloud computing is normally very quick to implement as it just normally requires you to sign up to a service. You also find most clouding computing providers are very good and online help and training so the learning curve is usually quicker.

Disaster Recovery

One aspect we hope you never have to use is if your business had a disastrous event they have to recover from for example a fire or flood. Because all you need to access your software and data is an internet connection you could setup business virtually anywhere at a push of a button.

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

Bandwidth Requirements and Reliabilty

You are totally reliant on your broadband connection and if you are in a poor area for broadband  speed or reliability you will have to consider carefully the risk this is to your business. The traditional model of locally installed software means as long as your computer is working then you have access to your information. However even the traditional model will still probably require a broadband connection to deliver its information.

What are the Cloud Computing Security Issues?

Although with data encryption your data should be secure however you are very reliant on your provider to take the necessary steps. You should pick your provider very carefully and read through the SLA (Service Level Agreement) so you go into the process with your eyes open. Many of such agreements are very one side in the favour of the provider. Even large companies are at risk as Sony proved when they lost thousands of peoples data when their PlayStation Network got hacked.  Although your own server setup is at risk a large SAAS provider will probably be more of a target for the hackers.

You should also check your providers SLA for what form of backups it provides and if you needed to access a large amount of data that you can physically go and get it rather than rely on a slow internet connection. This is particularly important if you are using an online backup service.

This is definitely one area where you maybe get what you pay for so beware of very cheap or free cloud computing solutions.

The other issues to consider is regulatory problems when personal data is stored internationally. Although your provider may be a local company they may be storing your information almost anywhere round the world.

Data Migration

One aspect you may not consider is whether you are tying yourself into a provider for good. You should consider the options available to you if you become unhappy with your current cloud computing provider. You should also consider how stable your provider is and the likelihood they will be around for many years to come. Can you export the data in a format that you can either transfer to another provider or even another software package.

Is Cloud Computing Sustainable, Green and Eco Friendly?

Your actual business should see a reduction in your carbon foot print as it means you can totally switch off your computers when you are not using them, unlike the traditional model where servers are left running all night and weekends when not being used. However this is just moving it from one premises to another although some believe there is an energy saving by the use of shared process power and hardware. This has yet to be truly proven but as new technology improves the energy efficiency of these large server farms will probably provide a further carbon footprint saving.

Conclusion

The size of your small business and your software requirements will help decide if the real benefits of cloud computing are worth the risk. In some cases the cost implication for very small user system really gives you no choice than use a cloud computing service. Select your provider carefully and ensure the software has the features you require. If possible test the service thoroughly before implementing it in your business. Understand their SLA and how your data is backed up. Although cloud computing is not a one size fits all solution. Cloud computing technology and SAAS is still in its infancy but is on the increase every day. In years to come I believe every business will use some form of cloud computing service and it will become part of all our everyday life.

How To Test If Your Computer Or Laptop Speakers Have No Sound Coming Out

When you first realise your speakers are not working you have to ensure you are playing a sound to not only make sure you do have a problem with your computers sound but also to test when you have changed and setting or plugged in a wire if  it has fixed your problem and your sound is working again.

Now you could put a CD in you drive and try and play some music or open another media player like windows media player or iTunes however this could be adding another complexity into the mix as you may just have a problem with that software. For this reason you are best to try and play a test sound from your operating system. Below are instructions for playing a test sound for the Windows 7 computer operating systems.

Windows 7

Press the Windows 7 Start Button  (Normally bottom left of your screen)

Control Panel > Hardware and Sound >Change System Sounds

Select one of the sounds that has a speaker against it for example Critical Stop

Press Test to play the sound

You can click Test as many times as you like to ensure if you can hear anything.

How To Fault Find and Fix Your Computer When It Play’s No Sound

In my many years’ experience as an IT Manager I am asked on a weekly basis to help with both work and home related computer problems. My first question normally is “has it ever worked” and “have you made any changes on your computer recently.” Depending on these answers will set you down specific paths of finding the fault. So follow the flow chart below which will get you to test individual faults by a process of elimination.

How to Check If External Speakers Are Setup Correctly

If you have external speakers whether they are on a laptop or desktop PC then below is the common problems you may have. Run the sound test after making any changes.

• Check the power supply to your speakers is plugged in and switched on
• If there is a power light, is it illuminated? If not then go to “How to Test the External Speaker Hardware”.
• If the speakers have a volume then check the speaker volume is turned up. If you are unsure of which direction to turn the volume control knob, turn it to both extents and leave it somewhere in the middle.
• Check the sound lead from the computer is plugged into the input of the speaker. In fact I always pull the connector out and then push it back in just to make sure.
• Check the lead going to the speakers is plugged in the correct port on your computer. This is one of the most common faults when first setting up your computer speakers. I am never quite sure which port to plug the speakers into and although normally color coded I have to look closely to identify the correct port.  The table below shows the common color coding and explains what each symbol means.

Sound Card Connections
Port Color Code	Symbol	Description
		Microphone Audio Input
		Line Level Audio Input
		Line Level Output (To Speakers)

How to Check Your Laptop Speaker Volume

Now with laptops depending on the design of the laptop you may have a buttons or rotary wheel to set the volume and a separate mute button.  Look carefully around the laptop for anything that looks like volume wheel or mute button. If you are unsure then refer to your laptop manufactures manual. Examples of such buttons can be seen below.

Again if you are not sure which way to turn the rotary volume wheel, rotate the wheel to the full extents and set it somewhere in the middle. Also if you are unsure if the mute is on or off then test both cases, although there is normally a clear indicator light.

How to Test the External Speaker Hardware

So you are suspicious the speakers may be the culprit. To test them confirm they are to fault  just plug the speakers into another sound source for example an MP3 player or stereo. If that doesn’t work you can double check to confirm they are faulty by also plugging another set of speakers into your soundcard. If you haven’t got another set of speakers you could always try a set of headphones as they should be the same size (3.5mm) jack.

How to Check and Change the Sound Level on Your PC

If your speakers have been working and you now get no sound coming from them then this is one of the most common causes. If you have muted the computers sound then no sound will come out of your speaker. To check this, do the following.

1. Select the speaker icon in the hidden notification area . (Normally bottom right)Or
2. Press the Windows 7 Start Button  (Normally bottom left of your screen)
3. Control Panel > Hardware and Sound >Adjust System Volume

1. Push all the sliders to the top and ensure the speakers are not muted.
   e.g. If they display click the icon until it displays

One other place to just check although this normally links to the OS levels seen above is if you have a multimedia keyboard. Make sure the mute or volume buttons  are not stuck. Test with another keyboard if you suspect this maybe the problem.

Check the Sound Card Driver and Reinstall

If you have got to this stage then you are probably beginning to get frustrated but don’t give up this isn’t as complicated as it sounds (excuse the pun) . To check the sound card driver do the following:

1. Press the Windows 7 Start Button  (Normally bottom left of your screen)
2. Control Panel > System and Security > System
   
3. Click Device Manager in the left hand menu
4. Click the arrow by Sound, video and game controllers to expand the tree
   
5. If there is a yellow exclamation triangle by the soundcard driver then there is something wrong driver. To correct right click the sound card driver in the tree and select
   Update Driver Software….
   
6. Then click Search Automatically for updated driver software
   
7. If it finds an updated driver, Windows 7 will install it. If it doesn’t find a driver you will need to go to the sound card manufacturers website to download the latest driver and run the driver installation package.

Glossary

Bass: Lower end frequency sounds.

Mono: Mono or monophonic describes a system where all the audio signals are mixed together and routed through a single audio channel giving no time phase information that would simulate directional sound.

Satellite Speaker: Normally are the smaller (satellite)  speakers which carry the mid-bass positioned either side of the sub-woofer .

Sound Card: Sometimes known as an audio card is a computer expansion card that enables audio input and output.

Stereo: True stereophonic sound systems have two independent audio channels, and the sounds that are reproduced have a specific level and phase relationship to each other. This would simulate directional sound of the original sound source.

Sub-woofer Speaker: The speaker that carries the bass sound which is  normally a larger powered speaker  postioned centrally.

Treble: Higher end frequency sounds .

Tweeter: The speaker that carries the treble sound.

Speaker Configurations