Anyone who wants to protect their data will sooner or later face the question:
"Is my cloud storage sufficient? Or do I need a proper backup?"
Terms like backup, archiving, and synchronization are often confused in everyday use - yet they serve completely different purposes.
In this article, we'll explain the differences briefly and clearly - and show what really matters for genuine data security.
Archiving refers to the long-term, immutable storage of data, usually for legal or internal company reasons. The data is stored in a format that is protected against modifications. S3 Storage with Object Lock is typically used for archiving data.
Important: Archived data is often not intended for daily access but serves for traceability and documentation.
Synchronization means aligning data between two or more devices. If a file is modified or deleted on one device, the same happens on all other synchronized devices - almost in real-time.
Typical tools: Filesync, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive
But beware:
If you accidentally delete or overwrite a file, it's gone everywhere - including the cloud. Without versioning or trash bin, data often cannot be recovered.
A backup is a security copy of your data - created at a specific point in time, automated, versioned, and stored separately from the original system.
A professional backup system like our Server Backup protects you from:
Only a real backup offers:
Further recommendations for data security are provided by the National Center for Cyber Security (NCSC), the Federal Office for Cyber Security.
Whether synchronization, archiving, or backup - all three concepts have their justification but pursue completely different goals. Those who only synchronize enjoy flexibility but risk data loss. Archiving ensures legal compliance but doesn't actively protect against data loss. Only a real backup provides the comprehensive protection that modern companies need in the digital age. Therefore, it's crucial not to rely solely on well-known cloud services but to invest specifically in professional backup solutions.
Function | Purpose | Safe from data loss? |
---|---|---|
Archiving | Proof, retention | No |
Synchronization | Access, collaboration | No |
Backup | Protection, recovery | Yes |
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