Data backup is something that all businesses need in some capacity. The reasoning for this is simple: you can never predict the future, so your business’ life is never guaranteed… unless, of course, you plan for the worst. Today we want to share with you some best practices as they relate to data backup and disaster recovery, practices which we hope will give you the confidence that you can recover from even the worst-case scenarios.
Use the 3-2-1 Method
In data recovery, you should practice the 3-2-1 rule, which helps to dictate just how many copies of your data backups you should have available to you at any given moment. This rule suggests that you have three copies of your data, two of which are onsite for ease of access, and one in a secure off-site data center (the cloud). The reasoning behind having three copies of your data is so that even if one copy of it is corrupted or destroyed, you still have access to a workable copy of it, even under the worst circumstances.
Consider RPO and RTO
There are important metrics to keep in mind for your business’ data backup situation, chiefly your recovery point objective and recovery time objective. RPO is concerned with how much data you need to get back to an acceptable level of operations, whereas RTO is concerned with how long it takes to recover to an acceptable level of operations. Knowing your business’ desired metrics will help you work toward your goal of getting back in action as quickly as possible following a disaster.
Utilize a BDR System
Backup and Disaster Recovery, or BDR, tools are exceptionally useful for getting back to business as quickly as possible following a disaster scenario. While tape backup—the traditional medium of backup systems—was once the manual standard, BDR allows companies to automate their processes through automatic cloud-based backups. BDR takes snapshots of your data throughout the workday, allowing you to take more frequent backups, minimizing data loss and ensuring continuity. Furthermore, a good BDR system will include a hardware component that can act as a temporary server unit in the event you need it to do so, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.
Get Us On Your Side!
You shouldn’t leave your business’ future in uncertainty, and with Voyage Technology on your side, you don’t have to. We can help safeguard your business and its data from the plethora of situations that might require data recovery, such as hacking attacks, hardware failure, or even natural disasters. To learn more about how we can help keep your business safe, reach out to us at 800.618.9844.
