Backups – the wrong way and the right way
It should be obvious that backing up your data is a really good thing. Having a copy of anything lowers the risk of losing it.
7 things that make a good backup include: having at least 3 copies, it is resilient, stored off-site, automated, checked, tested and documented. It’s also crucial to note that having only one physical backup does NOT, in our minds at least, qualify as having a backup!
We do meet organisations who are quite comfortable that they have this issue thoroughly covered because, for example, they back up all of their computers (and maybe even other devices) to a single Network Attached Storage (NAS) device in their office.
That is a wise start, but it is only a start. It doesn’t allow for the fact that, anything physical can be damaged, stolen or break down.
A fire or flood in a building, for example, could damage or destroy both the original computers and the backup. A similar issue arises if there’s a break-in.
And even though most NAS devices maintain multiple copies themselves, they are still a physical thing relying on software and hardware to function as it should when it’s really needed. You should never take that for-granted.
No doubt you’re ahead of us here! What’s needed is another backup to the backup, which is stored off-site. This now entirely feasible and affordable because of the maturing of technology that is commonly referred to as ‘the Cloud’.
That ‘Cloud’ is really only a repackaging of capabilities which have been around since the first computers were networked together across geographically disparate locations – the ability to store and/or process data in another physical location.
These days though it’s a mature technology, with sophisticated software allowing both the storage and processing power to be spread across multiple devices and processors, to the point that many providers are brave enough to give really solid ‘up-time’ guarantees because there is no single point of failure in their system – if a piece fails, others take the strain.
If you can combine that kind of reassurance with automated backup processes which keep your data safe on an ongoing basis and in a state whereby it can be easily accessed and restored, you can sleep pretty well.
Bespoke Computing has all of the capability and know-how to make this happen for your business, including our own Cloud infrastructure based here in the UK.
Whatever size your business, if you’re not confident you could recover quickly from a loss of data, talk to us and we’ll put a system in place to give you peace of mind.