Data backup and recovery are closely related. Backup means copying your data for storage in another location or format, or even in several locations and formats. If you are affected by a cyberattack, natural disaster, or any form of data loss, you can recover your copied data and restore your systems. This enables business continuity in the event of what would otherwise have been a disaster for your organisation.
Why Do You Need a Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Plan?
Data is among any organisation’s most important assets. Without it, they cannot function. Managing the risk of data loss is as important as safeguarding any other asset, and possibly more so. Threats include cybercrime, natural disasters, and faults or human errors that lead to data loss.
Cybercrime
The World Economic Forum points out that violent crime and cybercrime are converging in an increasingly complex ecosystem that spans the globe. For criminals, the risks are low. They are often able to remain anonymous, and just as you have access to advanced software, a thriving black market allows them to access readymade tools to help them. This means that it is possible to become a cyber criminal without much in the way of specialised knowledge.
The threat is very real, as large and small businesses, as well as government organisations, have found to their cost. The answers lie in protection, education, and if these fail, data backup and recovery.
Natural Disasters
Climate change has heightened the risk of natural disasters, including wildfires, floods, and severe storms. After a disaster, you may not be able to recover crucial stored data. Data backup helps you to avoid an “eggs in one basket” situation in which a single event wipes out the data you need to function.
Errors, Failures, or Software Corruption
Less dramatic, but equally damaging, human error, hardware failure, or software corruption can lead to data loss. If you have implemented an effective data backup and disaster recovery plan, you can restore your data. When well-planned and executed, you can transform what would have been a catastrophe into a comparatively minor blip.
Types of Data Backups
There are three main approaches to data backups to consider, bearing in mind that your storage space is not infinite.
- A full backup copies and stores all your data. This can take a lot of time and storage space, so a full backup is usually only implemented at intervals.
- A differential backup only copies new data or data that has changed since the last full backup. If you have to recover your data, the full backup and the last differential backup are combined.
- Incremental backups also collect data that has changed or been added, but instead of comparing the data to the full backup, it compares it to the last incremental backup. To recover, you will need the full backup and all the incremental backups.
- Mirror backups copy data in real time so that there is a constantly-updated copy of the source.
IT professionals usually implement a combination of these types of backup in data backup management. Their aim is to ensure that you can restore your critical data as quickly as possible, regardless of the type of disaster that caused its loss.
Types of Data Recovery
There are various ways to look at data recovery. For example, you may just want to recover data from a malfunctioning device or find a file that was accidentally deleted. However, in this larger context, we should consider four different types of data recovery.
- Crash recovery after a database has become unusable, sometimes with unexpected interruption of tasks or transactions.
- Disaster recovery is needed when you must recover entire databases that have been destroyed.
- Version recovery restores a previous version of a database using a backup.
- Rollforward recovery restores data with changes made since the last backup being reapplied.
Each of these data recovery methods allows you to address a different scenario. Every organisation should design customised recovery strategies that will protect the integrity of its data while minimising downtime.
Types of Data Sources That Typically Have to Be Recovered
Almost any data source your organisation uses should be backed up and recoverable. That includes physical and virtual servers, databases, files, applications, and storage. The philosophy is simple. If you store data, it is because you need it. Since you need it, you should be able to recover it in the event of loss. This means that you must take proactive steps to back it up and devise a data recovery plan that you can implement if necessary.
Devising a Data Backup and Recovery Strategy For Your Organisation
Data Backup
Begin by conducting a risk assessment. Identify the impact on your organisation for each risk identified. This helps you to determine the scope of your backup plan. In other words, you can identify what data must be backed up and how often backups should occur.
Now, determine who is responsible, the methods they should use, and where backups should be stored, ensuring that off-premises backups will be available if the worst were to happen.
The type of backup will also be important. Most organisations begin with a full backup and follow it with differential or incremental backups at set intervals. You may use several forms of storage, and you should capture the process to be followed for each of these.
Finally, set data retention rules that stipulate how long data should be kept or when it should be moved to a different medium.
Data Recovery
Now that responsibilities and priorities have been assigned for data backup, recovery must be as well-planned. Assemble a response team and specify what each person’s duties are. Ensure that they are equipped with the right skills and knowledge, and run simulations so that you can evaluate how effective your data recovery process will be if a real disaster were to strike.
Set clear and achievable recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs), assigning the shortest times to the most critical data. In the same way, consider what points of recovery will be prioritised so that your team remains focused on urgent recovery activities.
This means having a deep understanding of your entire network so that you can identify data flows and risks and plan your route to recovery. Be sure to build record-keeping and reporting responsibilities into the recovery process so that you can ensure that workflows happen in the right order and to measure how effective your data recovery plan is.
Consult Advantex About Your Data Backup and Recovery Policies and Plans
Few people who use data are IT specialists, and even large businesses are inclined to focus on their core skills and outsource IT functions. With the right company to help you, your organisation has access to skilled professionals, automations, real-time network monitoring systems, and more. This holds potential for both cost savings and quality enhancements.
Build resilient networks with Advantex’s network and IT infrastructure solutions. We focus on delivering best-in-class technologies and round-the-clock support to clients across business sectors. Contact us today to work with us and benefit from our accreditations, partnerships, and proven track record. Your data backup and recovery policies and procedures may be vital for your organisation’s survival, and our expertise ensures that best practices will be implemented.
