Data Backup Digest

Right off the bat, here’s the answer: no. Data backup is not the same thing as disaster recovery. Having your data backed up regularly is a great first step towards disaster recovery, but there is so much more to it than that. Imagine if a disaster did strike, do you know how to restore that data? Do you have the systems in place to make it quick and efficient? Are there contingency plans in place? All of these questions, and more, need to be addressed before you can consider yourself to have a strong disaster recovery plan.

Backup software isn’t flawless

Just like humans, machines can go wrong. Data backup isn’t as simple as just setting up the software and letting it run forever by itself until you need to access it. There have been cases where software hasn’t been backing up properly, even though it claimed it had been, unbeknownst to the company. A simple weekly check of the backed up data will ensure that everything is in order and being backed up as it should be.

Additionally, one backup plan isn’t enough. We’ve established that things fail, so if one goes wrong then you need to have at least another to fall back on. One onsite backup and one offsite is a great step towards a strong backup plan.

Backup with regards to recovery

It’s all very well boasting that all your data is backed up daily and that you have three different systems in place, but what about when it comes to restoration? When planning your backups you need to think about how the recovery process is going to play out. If your backups are all over the place or cumbersomely organised then it’s going to cost time and money to restore everything properly.

Make sure that your backup plan allows the easiest possible steps towards recovery. You want to be able to get all that data up and running as quickly as possible; it may require some extra planning in the initial stages, but you’ll thank yourself for it latter.

Beyond the backup

Let’s say you’ve got an ideal backup plan that is built perfectly to allow easy recovery. Brilliant! But that’s just the first step. You need to think forward and imagine what you’re going to need in a recovery situation. For example, do you have the right servers and operating systems in the recovery environment? Do you have the staff available that will be able to deal with the technical elements? There’s no point sitting on a pile of backed up data that is ready to be recovered, but being without the tools and facilities to carry out the procedure.

In summary, data backup is just a small part of the disaster recovery process. You need to think to the long term and consider the way you backup, the systems you use to recover and having a strong process in place to carry everything through if (or when!) things need recovering. Head the above advice and you should be in good stead.