What Type of Data Backup Is Right for You?
published 1/4/2022What does any company need to survive in today's digital economy? Well, two things. One is customers and two are reliable operations.
That's the foundation. If you have the foundation, everything beyond that will help you thrive.
No matter the size of your business or the industry you serve, your organization relies on computers and data in one way, shape, or form. That is why data backup of critical files, applications, and business systems is vital.
According to Richmond House Group, every five years, 20% of small to medium-sized businesses will endure a major disaster that will cause critical data loss. Symantec suggests that 31% of targeted attacks will go after a business with less than 250 employees.
Unfortunately, statistics also say that 60% of backups are not complete, while half of the restores will fail.
This begs the question: is your data backup complete, and correct? What type of data backup does your business need? Let's discuss the options in closer detail and help you decide so that in case of a disaster, you will be back up and running soon enough.
Data Backup and Recovery
Data backup and recovery refers to a process that duplicates data. It stores the data in a secure place, keeping it safe from loss or damage. Then, it restores the data to a location, either the original location or an alternate safe one.
This process helps so that you can use again the data in operations. A "snapshot", as they call it, is the backup copy and is immutable, ideally. This means that no one can change it.
Once there is a copy, it is safe from mutations like ransomware. Also, data backup and recovery are part of both onsite and cloud-based technology solutions that support and automate the process. They help businesses protect and keep their data for compliance reasons and for business operations.
Types of Data Backup
Data backup for businesses has three major categories which include full backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. Let's discuss each type separately, and inspect the differences.
Full Backup
It's kind of like filling up a spare tire for a long road trip, just in case. You are putting all the data that is stored in the production system and duplicating it on a backup system so that you have it for safekeeping. That's right, just in case.
A full data backup will protect every single piece of data from a database, data source, single server, and virtual machine that relates to the network. Depending on how much data must be saved, the backup could take a few hours or a few days.
If your organization has a modern solution for data management, this will require fewer full backups than you will need to perform. This is so that when it runs, it will move faster.
Incremental Backup
If you stop by the gas station for a beverage, and your tank is a little over half full, you might decide to top off just to give yourself some more time and more miles. With an incremental backup, you are "topping off" the tank. You are capturing only the new data from the last full incremental backup.
You would need to perform a full data backup before you can perform an incremental backup. You can automate this too, based on when the last incremental backup took place.
Differential Backup
A differential backup is not like an incremental one because it occurs from the last full backup. Remember that it does not go from the last incremental, but "full". But like the incremental backup, to do this, you would need to first perform a full backup.
Your company should establish policies around data backup. You should detail if, and when, you would want an incremental backup or differential backup performed.
Data Backup Services
In case you do not have a full-time in-house IT professional that is protecting your company's data from cybercrime, computer failures, and human error, there are data backup services that are available to assist you. These types of services include:
- Public cloud backup
- Private cloud backup
- Do-it-yourself backup
- Hybrid backup
Each type has its advantages. You just need to choose what is right for your business.
Public Cloud Backup
If the business always connects to the internet, you can upload all files to a public cloud that is located somewhere else to keep your files safe.
You will pay a monthly subscription typically. This covers storage, software, maintenance, infrastructure, and security within the data center of the provider. Subscriptions such as these usually are based on how much storage you will need.
Many small companies will be hesitant to allow their secure and confidential information to be shared and stored on a public server. If your business has concerns, do some research, and choose a provider that has robust security controls.
Private Cloud Backup
You also know this type of service as an enterprise, internal, or private hosted cloud. A company may choose this method if they have the infrastructure currently in place. You have more control and flexibility this way, but it costs more.
One advantage is that you get superior security as your data is not co-mingled with that of another company. However, this type of storage is usually for larger companies with strict requirements.
Do-It-Yourself Backup
If you are on a tight budget and looking for something straightforward, you might want the do-it-yourself approach. Usually, when a business takes this route, they use a NAS device, otherwise called a Network Attached Storage device. If you have a smaller data set of less than one TB, this may work well for you.
While this may work well, you will need to be proactive about managing your backups closely. This includes using a strict schedule.
Hybrid Backup
For the best of both worlds, a hybrid approach may be the solution for you. This means on-site and off-site storage. You can quickly backup data onsite with a local device, and as an added layer of protection, mirror the data backup offsite too.
You get the convenience of speedy backups onsite, but also the protection from natural disasters and such.
Ask the Data Doctors
If you want to know how you should handle your data backup for your business, let our experts help you! We're the Data Doctors and we help businesses every day achieve their goals.
We are not in the computer business, but the "people" business. Our customers are the most vital part of our business, and we empower you with our wonderful staff, who love to spoil you. Reach out today and let's talk data backup for your business.
