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Data Redundancy: What is it and why do you need it?

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Data Redundancy: What is it and why do you need it? Data Redundancy
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If you have ever lost data on your computer, it can be devastating! You may need to start from scratch or worse, you may never get the files back and will lose valuable data. It’s not always easy to get back what you’ve lost, so it’s important to take precautionary measures to keep the data safe. That’s why data redundancy is important in today’s digital world.

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What is Data Redundancy?

Data redundancy is the process of storing data in more than one location. The goal is to make sure that there are no single points of failure in the system. It’s a common practice in many businesses. It is like having an extra copy of the data on hand. Having an extra copy of the data will protect the organization’s information in case of data loss. This makes sure that all files can be accessed as needed. 

According to a report, 94 percent of organizations that suffer severe data loss aren’t able to recover. This practice ensures that no matter what happens to one database, there will still be a backup copy safely stored somewhere else. That’s important because with data redundancy organizations can protect data against many forms of data loss.

Data Redundancy: What is it and why do you need it? Data Redundancy

How does data redundancy occur?

Data redundancy can occur intentionally or accidentally.  

Intentional data redundancy occurs when organizations have more than one copy of the data. The same data is retained across several locations within the organization This may be useful if a drive fails or there is a server outage that prevents access to data. In case of Intentional data redundancy, organizations should be able to secure the data and maintain its consistency. 

Accidental redundancy can occur when copying large amounts of data to an additional location. After performing an online backup or uploading important files to a cloud storage system, there may be copies of data on both locations. In case of accidental redundancy, duplicate data can lead to data inconsistencies. 

Data Redundancy: What is it and why do you need it? Data Redundancy

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Advantages of Data Redundancy

  1. The biggest advantage of data redundancy is if a business’ server crashes or becomes inaccessible in any way, companies will still have access to the data. 
  2. It can be used by businesses to double-check data and ensure that it is accurate and reliable. 
  3. It gives faster data access and updates. Having multiple copies of data makes the employee’s work much easier and more accessible. 
  4. Data redundancy also allows for more efficient backups since it allows backing up exactly what needs to be backed up instead of everything all at once. It adds an extra layer of safety and strengthens the backup.
  5. This extra protection can result in fewer potential liability issues down the road. 
  6. A second copy of the data on a separate device means nothing can lock the organization out by damaging a data storage system or deleting files. 

Drawbacks of Data Redundancy

  1. Data redundancy can become incredibly complex; making sure everything works properly could be a full-time job.
  2. To store the redundant data organization needs larger data storage systems. It can also lead to excessive data and can cause complexity in the data processing.
  3. Data redundancy increases discrepancies in the data.
  4. In most cases, there is little increase in cost associated with implementing a redundant storage solution when compared to a stand-alone solution. The more backups businesses have, whether off-site or on premises in a multi-system configuration, all of that takes additional space and money.
  5. As similar data fields are repeated in different databases, data can be corrupt. Corrupt data is harmful to the organization. 
Data Redundancy: What is it and why do you need it? Data Redundancy

Is data redundancy the same as backup?

There’s a common misconception that data redundancy is equivalent to backup. This isn’t true. When we talk about data redundancy, it means when two or more copies of a file are kept in two separate locations or systems. This type of storage method allows for quick access to all files even if one of the systems fails. If organizations have redundant data on hand, employees may be able to keep working with minimal interruption despite a hardware failure. 

Backup, on the other hand, involves keeping multiple copies of files for safekeeping, in case something goes wrong with the computer system. While both methods protect against different types of risks (hardware failure, malware/virus), they also achieve their goals in very different ways.

What can be done to avoid data redundancy?

To successfully eliminate some levels of data redundancy, you must understand what types exist in the business, how they can cause problems if left unchecked, and how organizations can eliminate them. Following are a few key sources of data redundancy that companies should consider when trying to cut down on their use:

  • Use Master Data – Master data does not eliminate data redundancy but it allows organizations to accept a certain level of data redundancy. 
  • Deletion of unused data – To reduce data redundancy, identify the data that is no longer needed for the organization and delete it. 
  • Implement data management – Implementation of data management maintains the quality of the data and issues related to data redundancy. 
  • Organize data in a standard format. It helps to eliminate data redundancy and identify other errors. 

In the end, as technology continues to improve our access to data, there’s always going to be a trade-off. Data redundancy is an important method of data storage and to protect the data. This ensures that if a single piece of hardware or software fails, there are still backups to restore the information from. 

Although intentional data redundancy can help businesses, it’s important for businesses to watch out for accidental data redundancy. Eliminating as much of this as possible is an excellent way to increase efficiency and reduce potential problems in the business.

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