Data is a major asset for almost any business. Losing all your records could sink you permanently– or at least disrupt your functioning for days, weeks or months. All businesses need a plan for recovery after a crisis, and data backup should be at its heart. Don’t be one of those companies that realizes too late how valuable a data backup and recovery (BDR) strategy is.
Backup v Disaster Recovery – the Difference
Data backup and disaster recovery are linked, but are not the same thing. Data backup is simply that – creating copies of your data. Disaster recovery involves using that backup copy to restore your data. This might seem like a minor point, but it’s important not to lump them together. Let’s take a look at the role each plays in business continuity and how they are managed.
Backing Up Data
It’s important to think ahead when implementing a data backup solution. What data is the priority for backing up? What data is the most important for keeping your business up and running if a problem arises and access to your data is disrupted? Ideally, you should back up absolutely everything, but that may not always be necessary. It may be useful to separate out your core data, so that if you need to restore it there’s less to deal with. Automatic data backup at regular intervals should ensure that you have an up-to-date record. It’s always a good plan to backup automatically, so you’re not reliant on people remembering to do it.
Recovering Data After a Crisis
Whether it’s a fire, flood or hardware crash that’s caused the problem, the most important thing is to be able to restore your data as quickly as possible. That’s how you can get back to normal without too much delay. The longer you spend picking up the pieces., the longer you’ll be operating at a loss. Don’t forget that the disruption to your customers is also key. Not being able to deliver the service they expect can be very damaging to an organization’s reputation.
Experts recommend that you should have at least three copies of your data. Two of those can be kept on your premises but, if there’s been damage to your premises, you need a third copy to be stored elsewhere. Cloud storage is ideal for doing this. Remember that setting up a data backup system isn’t the whole solution. You also need to test it so that you know it’s functioning as it should. Tests of this kind can be automated, so you know it’s being monitored.
Do you need help with a BDR solution? We can provide what you need, so that you’re covered if disaster strikes. For more information, call Quikteks today at (973) 882-4644.