Backup or Archive your Website? Both!
Web archive and back up are the two terms we often come across in the same context when it comes to securing the data in the long term and most of the times these two terms are considered analogous. But there is a huge difference between the two.
Website development has become a crucial step for every business of every size. No matter what you do and what kind of business you own, the website is an important part of your day-to-day work. Also, the folks managing your website are also prone to committing errors which can cause downtime. This is where website backups are essential. Website backups follow a complex methodology and use one or more techniques to ensure files and databases of the website gets backed up on desired time.
It has to be kept in mind that website development is not a onetime process. The backend updates are important and with time you may need to get the code and design changed as well to ensure everything is streamlined and up to date. Again those who are updating the website or making the required changes can make some mistake or you may not like the change and want the old features or design back. This is where archiving your website comes in handy. It is much simpler in comparison to backups and can contain only screenshots.
The above two concepts are very helpful for website development and maintenance but they follow a different approach and use different technologies altogether.
Why you need a website backup
The main goal of the backups is to keep a copy of the previous version(s) of the website in case you accidentally delete something or in case of web server troubles. Most of the parts of these backups are not for the layman and you need experts to recover your website from any disaster. These backups can include files, server configurations, databases and the codes used for the development of the website.
The importance of website archiving
The main goal of the archives is to keep a visual track of the development and changes that you have made on the website. For creating such an archive you don’t need to have all the technical knowledge that the person handling backups of the website should have.
Usage
You can use the backups of the website to restore the website that faced some disaster like server failure, accidental deletion or malware/virus attack. On the other hand, you can use the archives to track the changes and can find a particular spot to which you want the developer or the designer to visit and make the changes to bring back a feature or design element.
Backup and web archiving process compared
For backups, the recovery process is whole different game. You need to have precise knowledge of the file system, database tables and recovery process to make sure you successfully restore the website.
The process of archiving web pages is ridiculously simple with Stillio. All you need to do is to add the pages that need to be achieved to your account and set the frequency like daily, weekly or so on and it will create and maintain the archives automatically. You can visit the older version’s screenshots in your Stillio account and download the images if desired. You can also switch on automatic syncing to your Dropbox account for easier access.
CONCLUSION
Both backups and archives are important for the website development in their own way. They not only make it easier for you to access the old versions of the website but also save you in the time of a technical or man-made disaster.