Make sure to check Zenfolio’s blog too. They added lots of features since I wrote this.

As for backups, I use external drives and an automated backup software to make regular copies. In fact I have backups on rotation, so all the files are copied to separate disks depending on the day of the week. If a disk fails, the other is ready to go.

You might also have a look at online backups. They are slow but have the advantage of being off-site and therefore less prone to destruction in case the house burns down.

A good online backup is CrashPlan.com (with the server option). It also works for local backups. With it, you can even do off-site backups for free, provided a friend lets you use some of his/her disk space.

If you are on a Mac, SuperDuper! is an excellent software to clone any disk in case the original fails.

Finally, if you use Aperture, you might want to use its Vaults feature to perform a semi-automated backup of all your photos. Also on a Mac, you could use Time Machine to perform automated backups.

Basically, lots of options would work. You just need a separate disk to keep the copies of your files and a program to copy them automatically. For added security, keep an extra copy stored online or in a remote location.

Hope this helps.