Data Backup is the safety net that helps you recover your data if the original data gets corrupted or lost. It is a simple process of making a duplicate of all the data on your system which also allows you to recover older files that you might have deleted. A majority of organizations and businesses keep their important data safe through backup, which makes it one of the most crucial elements of every company’s recovery plan in case of disaster and strategy to keep the business going uninterrupted.
Why is data backup so important?
The infrastructure that our modern world is built on is extremely reliant on data. It is integral to the survival of a business. In case of a disaster, a lack of recovery plans or a predetermined backup solution sends forty percent of companies under.
A Backup Administrator must be appointed in all the organizations to handle all the elements involved in a backup strategy. It includes recovery time objectives (RTOs), the backup scope, storage, schedule, network, backup tools as well as solutions, recovery point objectives (RPOs), and much more.
What to back up?
The most important part of the Backup Administrators job is to define, understand, as well as manage the data that needs to be protected through backup. To avoid data loss, you must not only back up databases and files but every bit of data you have, including applications, operating systems, and configurations.
Utilizing virtualization helps you back up your management console and hosts along with your virtual machines. If a cloud IaaS- infrastructure as a service is your choice, you should add that to your range. On the other hand, mobile phones should not be discounted as your CEO’s device could have crucial data that could be considered more important than some of the data on the servers.
When your infrastructure changes, regularly check your backup scope. The same data is used by solutions, new devices as well as services. You should keep in mind that you should regularly backup everything.
Before deciding on a remote backup solution, you need to check if it will protect your entire database. If not, there is a possibility that you’ll have to employ several backup solutions, or your data will be vulnerable.
RPO and RTO
Once you choose your backup range, you’ll need to follow it up by deciding on a definite schedule to back up your data. The data is constantly updated by the employees. If this data is not backed up regularly, all the data since the last backup will be lost in case of a disaster. This window of time is called Recovery Point Objective (RPO). It is the most amount of time you can afford to lose data due to an event.
Losing less amount of data is known as a shorter RPO. However, it needs more storage capacity, backups, network resources, and computing to allow the backup to function smoothly. On the other hand, a more affordable option is a longer RPO. However, this results in more data loss.
The majority of small and medium organizations normally have an RPO of approximately 24 hours. They back up their data daily. New backup solutions allow you to employ short RPOs, like a couple of minutes. Tiered RPOs are another fantastic option that allows you to assign extremely important systems for shorter RPOs, while secondary systems are backed up with longer RPOs.
The recovery time objective (RTO) is another leg of the foundation. It determines the time needed to recover from the disaster to then go back to working normally. When systems are not working, you need to recover as soon as you can because every moment wasted is money that the company is losing. However, similar to RPO, to accomplish a shorter RTO, you’ll need quicker technologies, storage, and networks since it is exceedingly expensive. Usually, a few hours of RTO is the preference of most organizations.
Your system RPOs and RTOs can be defined with the help of your business stakeholders, which can help you establish your storage and solutions.
Data Backup Solutions
There are several kinds of backup solutions as well as tools in the market that supply various RTOs, RPOs and handle varied scopes. Here’s a list of some of the most well-known ones.
- Hardware appliances These devices involve storage that is a 19” appliance mounted on a rack that is meant to be installed and then connected to your network. It is easy to install and configure these appliances. The majority of the time there is no requirement to install any kind of software, separate server, or operating system. The agents that are already installed on your systems take care of the backups. So you can easily get hold of the solution through a graphical interface given along with the device. However, it will do you well to remember that should your hardware device fail in any way, your whole backed-up data will be lost. If you have a secondary location where the data is backed up in, there’s a need to re-provision your backup solution which in itself can add to the recovery time.
- Software solutions Software solutions take care of the backup operation when installed in the system. Several solutions let you utilize systems that already exist, but there are others that need dedicated servers that operate only for backup. For the latter, you require the backup software and the operating system to be installed and configured. Several people choose the virtual machine (VM) to install the software. Software solutions, in comparison with hardware devices, provide more flexibility. It is highly beneficial if you change your infrastructure changes frequently. Software solutions are also considerably affordable than buying a hardware device bundle. They also provide you with the alternative to select and supply your own storage.
- Cloud service Several sellers provide backup-as-a-service (BaaS). It is a cloud-based service that permits you to supply and route your backups from your service provider’s or vendor’s cloud infrastructure. It is done by putting lightweight agents in your machines. Since Baas does not have systems to supply as well as operating systems to configure it is easier than software. In case your company deals with data that is sensitive or has to submit to regulatory requirements, you need to ensure it is acceptable to employ BaaS solution.
- Hybrid Data Backup Solution The newest innovation in the field is the Hybrid backup solution that is all in one that allows you to install software or if you so wish, utilize it as a cloud service. Several organizations opt for this perfect combination.
Summary
The data of your company is the foundation on which the company survives. You need to ensure a dependable data backup strategy, flesh out your business objectives like your RPOs, RTOs, and the backup range. It is also important to apply proper solutions, supply storage as well as monitor and carry out the backups. Taking these precautions can ensure your organization can operate safely in the face of unpredictable events.
If you have a website & looking for a backup solution for your website files, reach out to team bodHOST TODAY! bodHOST’s remote backup solution is famous for reducing the load as backups are taken at a lightning-fast speed, just in minutes.
