Many businesses, whether a considerable corporation or small enterprise, are aware of the importance of backing up data essential to the company. However, not having the right type of backup can be detrimental.
It all comes down to; if you aren’t backing up your data correctly, you might as well not be backing up your system at all. To ensure your information is safe, we recommend backing up to a reliable, offsite data center, a hosted cloud or a cloud-based storage system. There are pros and cons to some of the backup methods, so be sure to weigh your options and decide which backup method best suits your business.
Data Protection Strategies:
1. Data-Centers
The nice part about offsite data storage is that even if your network gets shut down or hacked into, you can still access and recover all of your crucial data because it is stored independently from your network. This option is also considered to be relatively inexpensive when compared to other options.
The downside is that because your data center is stored separately, it leaves your data at risk of fire or other natural disasters or even theft. These disk-to-tape backup solutions are better suited for offline enterprises.
2. Hosted Cloud Backup Storage System
As far as backups go, hosted cloud storage solutions are by far the most reliable option when it comes to security and the ability for retrieval. This backup method works great for large companies because there is no limit on the amount of storage space and a service provider fully manages them.
3. Cloud-Based Storage Solution
Cloud-based storage systems are among the most popular for smaller businesses. Common cloud-based storage solutions consist of applications similar to Google Drive and DropBox, to name a few. It is important to remember that these types of services limit what types and how much data you’re storing and they can also have input on what you do with that data, so it may not be best if you have a plethora of customer information.
Data Recovery Strategies:
4. Recovering from the Cloud
Although storing in the cloud may be a bit easier, it can cause quite a bit of downtime in the recovery phase due to the transfer of gigabytes through just internet connection. Before deciding which backup method is right for you, be sure to determine how much downtime you can afford.
5. Recovering your Data Directly in the Cloud
In case of a local device being damaged, the cloud offers the ability to create a virtual machine that then lets you download your data from there. This process is known as a DRaaS or a “disaster recovery as a service.”
6. Recover Backup Information from your Local Device
This type of data retrieval only relates to your business if you have a backup method on a local device. Backing up from a local machine can be an excellent option for your company if your server has failed or your computer system has been compromised or breached. Recovering from a local device offers a speedy completion time giving you little downtime.
These strategies are put in place to set you and your business up for success. Remember, when it comes to backing up data, you should have enough to rebuild your company from the ground up in case of an incident occurring!
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About the Author
Kayla Matthews is a tech-loving blogger who writes and edits ProductivityBytes.com. Follow her on Twitter @productibytes to read all of her latest posts!
