Data backups are really non-negotiable. In fact, the standard recommendation is to have at least two backup copies of your data with at least one being stored off-site. A good data backup partner in Roseville can help to make that a reality for you. Here is some guidance on what to think about before you choose one.
Decide if you still need to back up to a physical device
In the old days, it was taken as read that data backups meant backing up to physical devices. You then sent one off-site and kept the other one in a safe place. Safe meant protected from environmental hazards such as fire and flood as well as safe from criminals. These days many companies see physical backups as being more hassle than they’re worth. They only really have value if you’re uncomfortable relying on your network connection, for example if you’re in a remote area.
Even in that situation, however, you could still split the difference and get some benefit from the cloud. Backup to two physical devices and send one to a vendor which can both upload the data to a cloud and keep the physical device secure (or send it back to you to be securely stored in another off-site location). This approach can vastly increase your options for restoring your data promptly.
Decide how often you need to take full backups
In an ideal world, all data backups would be full backups. In the real world, this would demand far too much in the way of time and resources. The standard approach is to run periodic full data backups, preferably out of hours and to supplement these with incremental and/or differential data backups. Incremental data backups only back up data which has changed since the last data backup (regardless of whether it was full or incremental). Differential data backups only back up data which has changed since the last full backup.
This means that incremental data backups are essentially “pay later” as they are fairly quick and easy to do but it can be a pain to restore from them. By contrast differential backups are “pay now” in that they consume more resources to perform, but it’s easier to restore from them.
Decide if you want to backup your data to a public cloud, a private cloud or both
Before you start deciding whether or not you want to back up your data to a public cloud, you’ll first need to check if your data is suitable for storage in the public cloud. As a rule of thumb, the more sensitive data is, the more carefully you need to think before entrusting it to the public cloud at all and the more rigorous you need to be about implementing effective security once it is in the public cloud. Undertaking data backups in a private cloud may be more expensive, but it is the only way to ensure that you have both complete privacy and complete control.
Public clouds and data backups
If you are already working in the public cloud then you may be aware that public cloud providers automatically perform data backups. For many people, this service is so useful that they actually see it as a selling point for the public cloud. It can indeed be very helpful as far as it goes, but it still only leaves you with two copies of your data in one location, whereas the standard recommendation is to have three copies of your data (including the production copy) over two locations, one of which is to be off-site.
This in itself is one reason why anyone using the public cloud is well advised to have at least one copy of their data elsewhere, even if it’s in another public cloud. The other main reason is that it acts as a safeguard against data being accidentally (or maliciously) deleted. Remember that public cloud IT vendors only secure their own platforms against external threats (both environmental and human). It’s down to you to safeguard your own data against internal threats (both accidental and deliberate).
If you’re working in a private cloud (or in a traditional data center), then undertaking data backups to a public cloud can be a very cost-effective way of undertaking data backups. You will, however, need to be aware that the initial implementation may be more challenging than you might expect as it is currently more complicated than you might think given that public cloud platforms often market themselves on their simplicity of use.
If you’d like to speak to a reputable and data backup partner in Roseville, please click here now to speak to Aperio.IT.
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