Data Backup Digest

Over the past few years, more and more companies have turned to agentless backup to protect themselves against data loss. According to the parties providing these services, removing software agents from the process is an ideal way to streamline your backups — but is it really worth rethinking your data preservation procedures? Here's a primer to bring you up to speed on agentless backup.

Agent-based backups are still the most commonly used format, but their agentless equivalents have several advantages that might put them a nose ahead of the competition. An agent is a small piece of software installed on a server — and, as you might imagine, the added complexity of introducing any piece of software into such a procedure runs the risk of prompting complications.

It's not a case of the agents being bad, for the most part — it's just the fact that an extra component is always going to make things a little more unwieldy. It might be something as simple as an IT administrator being unfamiliar with the particular agent that's being employed, or the extra strain on system resources that comes with more software processes. The crux of the situation is that an agentless backup might save you a few headaches further down the line.

There are also security considerations to be made. An agent is another piece of software that could potentially be abused by disreputable sources. It's crucial that any business takes care to address the risks of any new piece of software that's going to be used in the workplace. Opting for an agentless approach means that only one piece of software will likely need to be vetted, saving time and effort. Being selective with the software your company chooses to utilize will also make it easier to find the source in the unfortunate event of a security breach.

Even if you've already settled on an agentless backup, it's important to make sure that the service you're receiving is truly agentless. Some less reputable providers make claims of offering agentless backups, but reports indicate that this might not always be the case. In some cases, a data recovery service will use an agent, simply deleting any trace of it when the procedure is complete. This is a shortcut that doesn't raise any benefit for the consumer, so remain vigilant when you're looking for a company to provide you with a legitimate agentless backup.

While there are certainly some pitfalls to be dodged, an agentless backup can be a very worthwhile endeavour for your business. Today, it's common knowledge that making sure that your data is salvageable is of paramount importance — as such, it's important to make sure that you're getting the best possible backup for your money. An agentless backup removes the possibility of certain complications coming to light in the future, and does so by eliminating smaller processes in the overall procedure. It's an intuitive way of streamlining and simplifying your backup, and it might just pay dividends when you need it the most.