Computer Associates BABWBR1151S38 Implementation Guide - Page 18

Data Transfer Requirements Backup Schedule Requirements The more data you have, the more time, hardware, media, and network bandwidth you require. You need to decide: ■ Whether you need to back up user data only. ■ Whether you must also include system configurations and installed applications. ■ Estimate the total size for the data that you must back up, allowing a reasonable margin for growth based on past experience in your organization. Data Backup Window Considerations As well as the amount of data that you have to back up, your infrastructure and management requirements will depend on the time that is available for backup operations in any given period. Ask yourself the following questions: ■ Can you run backups during non-working hours, at night or on weekends? ■ Do you have to run backups concurrently with normal business operations because your network is in use round the clock? Identify the blocks of time that are available during the day and the week. If your organization shuts down for any long periods during the month or year, you might consider these times as well. Hardware Data Transfer Rates Your backup hardware is unlikely to be a limiting factor in reaching your target data transfer rate. Most devices are very fast. However, you should evaluate hardware speed at the planning stage. At a minimum, you must have enough hardware, or fast enough hardware, to write your data to storage media within the time allowed. Smaller numbers of fast devices or larger numbers of slower devices can often achieve the same total throughput. Use the information that follows to estimate the aggregate data transfer rate for your hardware. 18 Implementation Guide