What is Data Backup and Recovery?
Data backup involves saving your files or databases to another device or media apart from your primary computer, so that in case of disaster you have your important files and information available in backup.
Data recovery is the process of retrieving data from a damaged or failed storage media where it cannot be accessed through the normal means of an operating system.
Creating a Backup Plan
Data backup is an insurance plan. A good backup and recovery plan can help you recover from any disaster. Without one, you're left with nothing to fall back on. There are several questions to answer before looking at the available storage options:
What do you need to back up?
Consider applications and data separately, prioritizing what affects your business relationships and what is legally or financially significant. Involve key people, since what may not be important to one may be critical to another.
- How often does the data change? How often your data changes determines how often you need to back it up. If key data changes daily, it should be backed up daily.
- How quickly do you need to recover the data? Slow recovery can cause revenue loss or hinder productivity, so time is critical when you need to get back online quickly.
- What is the best time to schedule backups?
- Who will be responsible for performing backups and how much time is needed to complete them? Backups process more quickly when system use is low, but completion during off-peak hours isn’t always possible, so carefully consider when backups will occur.
Levels of Backup
The level of backup needed is determined by the type of data you’re backing up and how convenient you want recovery to be.
- Normal or Full Backup - copies an entire database each time and marks files as being backed up. Full backups take a long time to run, but it is the foundation to other backup methods.
- Incremental Backup - copies and marks only the data that has been changed since the last backup. This is usually done nightly, with full backups occurring once a week. Although faster than a full backup, this method requires the longest recovery time because in order to complete a full restore, you need to restore the last full backup first, followed by each of the subsequent incremental backups up to the current day, in the correct order.
- Differential Backup - Similar to incremental backup, but doesn’t mark the files as backed up. If another backup occurs that week, files will be backed up again whether changed or not. This backup process is slower than incremental, but differential provides a faster recovery time due to the fact only a full backup and the latest differential backup are needed to restore the system.
- Copy Backups - are full backups generally used for patch installation in-between full and incremental backups. Files are not
marked as backed up, but it does allow users to recover data quickly when needed.
- Continuous Data Protection (CDP) - Data is backed up continuously and can be useful in situations where it is difficult to schedule
maintenance in downtime. With CDP, backup files are always current.
Storage Considerations
There are many storage solutions available. Some are fast and expensive, while others are slow but very reliable. Determining the right solution for your organization involves considering these factors:
- Capacity - Can the backup hardware support the required load given your time and resource constraints?
- Reliability - Can you afford to sacrifice reliability to meet budget or time needs?
- Extensibility - Will this solution meet your needs as the organization grows?
- Speed - Can you afford to sacrifice speed to reduce costs?
- Cost - Does the cost of the backup solution fit into your budget?
Where do you go from here?
There is a wide array of backup solutions available and it’s important to consider hardware and software options together.
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Contact a CCB Account Specialist to help you find a backup solution that fits your organizational needs.
Phone: 1-800-342-4222, or Request A Quote |
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