BACKUP & DISASTER RECOVERY

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Data Backup and Disaster Recovery

Data loss and the aftermath that comes along with it can be both stressful and expensive. Even the smallest loss can affect revenue or time that could be better utilised. The cost of losing money whilst these files are lost, and the money spent trying to reobtain them can be heavy on the bank account. This is why its handy to have a data backup and disaster recovery plan in place – for the peace of mind everything is safe in one place and if anything were to go wrong, files and data can easily be recovered.

Backup and Disaster Recovery is more than just having your data backed up. It means having plans for technical solutions that are in place to keep the business fully functioning just in case anything goes wrong.

Why Is Data Backup & Disaster Recovery Important?

One of the main reasons its important to have a data backup and disaster recovery plan is because there are constantly threats to existing data. Data is integral to any business and so there is always the risk of leaks and data loss. Sometimes even the highest quality security systems fail, whilst they are good to have in place to create a shield over your data, its more worth having a data backup and recovery plan in place to amend problems quickly, should they occur.

One type of harmful but common virus is Ransomware which is a virus known to withhold data from a business in return for a random payment. Paying these cybercriminals is not encouraged as it encourages future attacks. Having a backup recovery plan is encouraged; this is because data is already stored in a safe location and can easily be re-obtained in their original form.

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If your company relies on data and files for it to run on a day-to-day basis, productivity can be suffering if there is a loss of data. The longer you have to wait for data to be recovered, the less work that your business can output and possibly the less profits you can make. Additionally, attempting to recover data quickly can soon become a costly expense. If you’ve planned ahead, fast action can take place without it having too much of an impact on daily business functions. If you haven’t got a plan in place, the recovery process can be stressful, time consuming and expensive.

One important thing to consider is that without a data backup and recovery plan, the possibility of never being able to recover your data does exist. This is why although this service is a precautionary one, it’s definitely something worth having or even something you wish you’d had if anything ever went wrong with your business data.

Types Of Backup ?

There are four common ways of backup that are mostly used for data backup and recovery plans:

The first one is a Full Backup; this is when every single file and folder in the system is backed up. For this type of backup, it does require a lot of storage space compared to others however restoring the lost data is much more simplified.

The next type is an Incremental Backup. This type of backup is a longer way of restoring lost data nut the initial backup is much quicker. Incremental Backups only store changes that were made since the previous backup meaning only this initial data that was backed up is protected unless new data is backed up manually.

Another way of backup is Differential Backup which is similar to an incremental backup. This backup requires more storage as it stores any changes made to the files since the previous backup. It also has an excellent restore time.

A Mirror backup is essentially an exact copy of the data that is made and stored. This is a great way of backing up data as you don’t have to store old obsolete files. The only disadvantage is that if files are deleted by accident, it’s possible that they are also deleted from the backup if its not brought to attention before a new backup. This happens because (like the name suggests) the mirror is an exact copy of your data.

Benifits Of Backup and Disaster Recovery

Added anti-virus protection – cyber-attacks becoming more and more common, they can corrupt files and sometimes cause permanent deletion without a backup solution in place.
Protection against hard drive failure. Hard drives are used as a common storage system and sometimes when it comes to age, hard drives have been known to fail. This isn’t really preventable and so the best most strategic solution is to have a backup plan in place.
They are also highly reliable and are there if you need recovery at any possible time.
The integrity and business reputation is protected as having a backup plan in place means that downtime decreases and therefore doesn’t hinder work productivity too much.
Additionally, it avoids leaving the task to alternative members of staff who might be inconsistent and irregular with backing up of files.
Technology isn’t always reliable. Viruses, ransomware attacks and even equipment failure can cause problems, therefore by having a data recovery plan and backup system in place, you’ve always got an alternative means of accessing your data.
Files are all protected and encrypted before being transferred, so by having a trust IT company like Discus Systems look after your recovery plan, you can have the peace of mind that everything is backed up safely and protected.