When an organization engages a backup service, the first step is to complete a full backup of the data that needs to be protected. This initial backup can sometimes take days to finish uploading over a network as a result of the large volume of data
The sole purpose behind backup is peace of mind along with data recovery, and in some cases regulatory requirement. When your data is unavailable, downtime is real and costs escalate. Both SMBs and large enterprises need appropriate backup solutions to support business structure and goals. TeamLogic IT provides solutions that span local, remote and hybrid. The right solution depends on factors that include speed to restore, protection from local disasters, to full image or specific file backups. Contact us for help weighing the pros and cons of all backup options to determine the best protection for your business.
It’s protection that can help minimize the impact of a complete outage, natural disaster or malicious attack that results in your inability to access your data. And that’s when the benefits of our data backup services kick in, just when you need rapid data recovery. Because it’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Be prepared. Contact your Compotus IT Service office today.
Your business is built on data. Every department depends on having the latest information to perform their necessary functions. Without data, your business would be left in the dark. So, does your business have a plan in place in the event of a major data loss? You may think you’re prepared, but you don’t want to find out when it’s too late. Data loss can occur in any number of ways, from theft or a server crash to a natural disaster or simple human error. Having a data backup and recovery plan established will have your business up and running in no time even after the worst-case scenario. Working with the experts at Compotus IT Service will give you the peace of mind knowing your critical data is secure, and you have a recovery strategy in place to handle any event.
Before we go into what goes into data backup and recovery, let’s explain what it is exactly. Simply put, a backup is an up-to-date copy of all your business’ data and information. The key point is that it is up-to-date. A data backup will do nothing for your business if it’s a day old, let alone a week or more. What’s backed up is the priority; how often is second. Another thing to consider is where your backups are stored. We will get into more detail about all aspects of data backup later. The recovery part should not be overlooked.
In the simplest of words, backing up your business’ data and information is creating copies of the files and putting them onto an on-site or off-site storage system. Backups are an integral part of your operations to ensure your information is secure and available in the event of data loss, theft or hardware failure. There is more to backups than copying the files. Different types of backups meet different needs of your business. Understanding them helps you choose the best solution for your organization. Let’s get a better idea of the different types of backup.
The most basic type of backup is a data backup. This is what people think of when they think of a backup. A data backup consists of copies of all or some of your business’s files. This backup mostly applies to desktops or other workstations, ensuring the files and information your employees need to complete their jobs are secure and available to them. A data backup doesn’t just protect against data loss due to theft or computer failure. Most data loss happens due to human error, i.e., accidentally deleting a file. A data backup lets your employees retrieve their lost files with ease and assurance that nothing is truly ever lost.
Implementing a data backup is better than having no backup at all. With that said, a data backup will only copy your files. It will not backup the operating system and other components, such as your databases or email systems, which may be lost if the hard drive fails. Leaving you with just the files and no way to access them. When your budget allows, you’ll want to step up to the next tier of backups for your business.
A more comprehensive backup for your business is a system backup. It goes beyond that of a basic data backup. With a system backup, not only will your data and information be copied and stored, but the operating system, programs, and settings are backup up as well. This allows for an entire network-wide restore in case of hardware failure or a natural disaster. A system backup is known as a snapshot or image. This means the backup is how your network or system is at a specific date or time.
The primary purpose of a system backup is to have it when you need to restore your network after a server crash or other event. Another use of the system backup is to have a recent version of your network when you upgrade or make improvements to your infrastructure. If at any time during the upgrade or maintenance you encounter an issue, you’ll be able to restore to the moment before the changes. This lets you investigate what issues occurred during the project to improve implementation and reduce the risk of future problems.
To ensure the data for your critical programs are secure, you’ll want to consider a database backup. A database backup is simply a copy of the back-end database tables for your software or servers, for example, a SQL server. The backup represents the database at the moment in time the backup was finished. If the program or system were ever to go down or have an error, you would be able to use the database backup to restore from a specific point in time without affecting the rest of your operations.
Each of the three types of backups covers different areas of your businesses infrastructure. Data backups cover the files, database backups secure the back-end database tables of programs, and system backups copy the entire operating system, programs, and settings of your network. Having all three backups in place will guarantee that you will have all your bases covered in the event of a data loss or hardware failure.
Nothing is more critical to your business’ communication than email. Having your email data accessible at all times is important for a business to operate. Data loss can occur in a number of ways and happens more often then you realize. While servers crash, and data is lost, there is a much more common cause of data loss: human error. Think about, how many times have you accidentally hit delete on an email or contact? It happens all the time, and it’s usually accompanied by a heavy sigh or a few not so nice words. We’ve all been there. Having an email backup puts those fears to rest.
An email backup includes all the critical components of your employee’s email: messages, contacts, and calendar. Accidentally trashing your messages or experiencing a server outage doesn’t mean your emails are lost forever. Simply access your backup and retrieve all your messages, contacts, and calendar appointments. So, whether you lose your data due to slip of the finger or mechanical failure, you’ll rest assured your team will always be able to access their email data.
Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure or catastrophe. The secondary server and storage systems are usually hosted by a third-party service provider, who charges the backup customer a fee based on storage space or capacity used, data transmission bandwidth, number of users, number of servers or number of times data is accessed.
In an organization’s data center, a backup application copies data and stores it on a different media or another storage system for easy access in the event of a recovery situation. While there are multiple options and approaches to off-site backup, cloud backup serves as the off-site facility for many organizations. In an enterprise, the company might own the off-site server if it hosts its own cloud service, but the chargeback method would be similar if the company uses a service provider to manage the cloud backup environment.
Cloud backup services are typically built around a client software application that runs on a schedule determined by the purchased level of service and the customer's requirements. For example, if the customer has contracted for daily backups, the application collects, compresses, encrypts and transfers data to the cloud service provider's servers every 24 hours. To reduce the amount of bandwidth consumed and the time it takes to transfer files, the service provider might only provide incremental backups after the initial full backup.
Data loss can be devastating. While backups are a no-brainer, having a professional team to manage the backups and be there when restoration is necessary is not always thought about. Contact us today to find out more about our backup and recovery programs so you can be at ease that your data is safe.