Data Backup Digest

Simply put, cloud to cloud backup is copying data from a software as a service (SaaS) platform to another cloud storage location.

Generally speaking, cloud backup provided by third-party vendors has risen in popularity over the years. It means that customers don’t have to worry about setup costs or any surprise maintenance. Backups will run automatically, without intervention.

Of course, no backup system is failsafe. Cloud backup is generally considered to be more reliable than doing it locally, but it too can fail. As you should always do with backup, it’s better to have multiple copies stored in multiple locations as redundancy.

Data is always being created in SaaS applications like Microsoft Office 365 or Salesforce. If your business uses either, chances are it relies quite heavily on them. User mistakes do happen. People can delete data, either accidentally or maliciously. Asking for that data to be restored from the SaaS vendor themselves is likely to be expensive, which is why it makes sense to opt for a cloud to cloud backup solution.

There are many benefits from cloud to cloud backup. Data loss can not only happen because of a user, but also because of a system too. The SaaS application might suffer data loss or a targeted attack. Check your terms of service, because it’s often the case that the SaaS vendor promises upkeep of the platform, not necessarily your data.

Using a specific cloud to cloud backup vendor also ensures that it’s their primary focus. They are there to backup your data and help you recover. For the SaaS vendor, that’s not their only focus (if it’s their focus at all), and so the support you receive might not be as good.

It’s also good to have cloud backups because it means that you can access that data from anywhere in the world. Also, if the SaaS application is hit by a ransomware attack, having your data stored with a third-party vendor should mean that your data is immune.

While there are many positives, there are things that you need to look out for when deploying. SaaS applications can be very complex. Salesforce is a prime example. It holds lots of different data in different formats and you need to be confident that your solution is backing up everything you need.

It’s also important to keep an eye on the volume of data being produced. Cloud is easily scalable, which is great, but it also means that costs can balloon and managing that data set gets trickier. It’s not always the right thing to do to keep every single bit of data.

When choosing a cloud to cloud backup vendor, consider things such as how easy it is to test the backups for recovery, whether it meets recovery time and recovery point objectives, and whether the backups remain valid even if the SaaS license expires.

If you’re looking for a cloud to cloud provider, try places like Backupify, Spanning, OwnBackup, Barracuda, Druva, Acronis and Veeam. All of these offer slightly different SaaS options, so see which works best for you.