Offline backup is a way to store files from a network so that they will be accessible even when the user is not connected to the network they are stored on. It is a beneficial feature to users who often rely on telecommuting with portable computers or mobile devices and who therefore are not always in direct contact with the network they typically access files from.
Offline backup is used as a safety precaution because it is not available for updating, so it remains as an untouched copy of a file at the time it is saved or copied offline. Saving a file or folder into offline backup will ensure that there is a copy of the file that is available for being referenced, should an error occur with the network or if the system were to crash.
Because of this, many users depend on offline backup for peace of mind in the home or in the workplace. Many businesses use this type of backup to store files so that they are unchanged and easily referenced.
This sort of backup is available by using downloadable software. Users of Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or later editions of the operating system can use offline folders to backup files offline. Once saved into offline backup, these files can be referenced whether or not the user is connected to a network that once supplied the information.
The only drawback of using this type of backup is the time it takes to store the information. The database of information saved onto the network cannot be accessed when the content is being backed up offline. While it takes a little time to save the content, it is often implemented for safety reasons and as an added precaution should a system failure occur.