backup and recovery describes the process of creating and storing copies of data that can be used to protect organizations against data loss. This is sometimes referred to as operational recovery. Recovery from a backup typically involves restoring the data to the original location. Or to an alternate location where it can be used in place of the lost or damaged data. A proper backup copy is stored in a separate system or medium. Such as tape, from the primary data to protect against the possibility of data loss due to primary hardware or software failure.
Backup and recovery is the process of duplicating data and storing it in a secure place. In case of loss or damage, and then restoring that data to a location. The original one or a safe alternative. So it can be again used in operations. Ideally, this backup copy (often called a snapshot) is immutable. Meaning it cannot be altered after it is created to protect against mutations such as ransomware. Backup and recovery is also a category of onsite and cloud-based technology solutions that automate and support this process. Enabling organizations to protect and retain their data for business and compliance reasons.
Why Backup and Recovery is important?
The purpose of the backup is to create a copy of data that can be recovered in the event of a primary data failure. Primary data failures can be the result of hardware or software failure. Data corruption, or a human-caused event, such as a malicious attack (virus or malware), or accidental deletion of data. Backup copies allow data to be restored from an earlier point in time to help the business recover from an unplanned event.
Storing the copy of the data on separate medium is critical to protect against primary data loss or corruption. This additional medium can be as simple as an external drive or USB stick, or something more substantial. Such as a disk storage system, cloud storage container, or tape drive. The alternate medium can be in the same location as the primary data or at a remote location. The possibility of weather-related events may justify having copies of data at remote locations.
For best results, backup copies are made on a consistent, regular basis to minimize the amount data lost between backups. The more time passes between backup copies, the more potential for data loss when recovering from a backup. Retaining multiple copies of data provides the insurance and flexibility to restore to a point in time not affected by data corruption or malicious attacks.
What is Backup and Recovery?
Backup and recovery is the process of duplicating data and storing it in a secure place in case of loss or damage, and then restoring that data to a location — the original one or a safe alternative — so it can be again used in operations. Ideally, this backup copy (often called a snapshot) is immutable —meaning it cannot be altered after it is created to protect against mutations such as ransomware. Backup and recovery is also a category of onsite and cloud-based technology solutions that automate and support this process, enabling organizations to protect and retain their data for business and compliance reasons.
What are the 3 Types of Backups?
Backups are often bucketed into three categories:
- Full backups – Like filling up an extra tire at the service station. Think of this process as pumping all of the data stored on a production system into a backup system for safe keeping. Full backups protect every bit of data from a single server, database, virtual machine (VM), or data source. That is connected to the network, these backups can take many hours, even days. Depending on the amount of data being saved. The more modern a data management solution is, the fewer full backups it must perform, and when it does, the faster it goes.
- Incremental backups – Think of incremental backups as adding just a little more air each time you revisit the station — just in case. So you’re always ready to replace your tire. An incremental backup captures only new data since the last full incremental was performed. However, a full backup is required before a backup solution can perform its first incremental backup. Then it can automatically do them based on the last incremental taken.
- Differential backups – Like incremental backups, these add more air but the delta is from the last full backup, not the last incremental. Think of this backup as what’s different from the last time you even filled the tire with air. Again, this can only happen if a full backup has been performed first. Organizations typically establish policies about how much data and when incremental or differential backups should occur.
What is the Difference Between Backup and Recovery?
The key difference between backup and recovery is that the backup process is how you save and protect your production data and safely store. It away so you have it for a later time, when you might need to use it. Recovery is the process whereby you retrieve and restore that backup data to your production systems to avoid downtime. Reliable backups and fast recovery together ensure business continuity and business resilience.
What Are the Types Of Data Recovery?
The amount of data organizations create, capture, and store has skyrocketed over the last decade. And analysts anticipate the amount of new data generated will grow at more than 50% compounded annually. Because enterprises and people are storing data in more places, new categories of data recovery have emerged. These include:
- Granular recovery of files, folders and objects – Also known as file-level or object-level recovery, this is the process of quickly getting back one or just a few specific data sets from among many volumes
- Instant mass restore – This process allows IT staff to recover not just files but hundreds of virtual machines (VMs) instantly, at scale, to any point in time, saving time and resources
- Volume recovery – A process teams that need to recover an unlimited number of VMs at the same time use for faster recovery; for example, all VMs belonging to an application group
- Virtual Machine Disk (VMDK) recovery – This recovery process ensures all data and apps on a VM are restored quickly
- Bare machine recovery – The process of restoring an entire operating system (software, apps, and data) in one process
- Instant volume mounts – Teams can save time using a backup solution as a target to restore an entire volume to a Windows VM
- Instant restores of VMs – This process restores a large number of VMs to any previous recovery point with backup copies fully hydrated and available immediately.
What Is Disaster Recovery Backup?
For enterprises, a disaster is when a catastrophic event occurs that negatively impacts your people and/or your data. The event can be natural — a hurricane taking down a data center. For example. Or a disaster can be human-made such as a ransomware attack.
Disaster recovery is the process your IT organization goes through to restore data. And increasingly, organizations are setting aside a complete or full backup of entire environments — either on-premises or in the public cloud . To ensure all of their data could be made available, quickly, in the event of a catastrophe.
What Types of Data Sources Typically Need to Be Recovered?
All of the data sources that your organization protects may at some time need to be recovered. These include:
- VMs (VMware, Microsoft, Nutanix)
- Physical servers (Windows, Linux)
- Databases (RDBMs) and Distributed Databases (NoSQL, Hadoop, Mongo, Apache, etc.)
- Files (NAS)
- Containers (e.g. Kubernetes)
- Applications (Microsoft Exchange, SAP HANA)
- SaaS applications (Microsoft 365, Salesforce)
- Primary storage
- Mainframes
Why Do You Need a Data Backup and Recovery Plan?
Data is essential to organizations of all types and sizes. You need a robust data backup and disaster recovery plan. Because it provides a roadmap for the people responsible for taking charge in a disaster scenario. Who is doing what and in what sequence to restore operational functionality. Your DR plan should include both people and processes. Serving as a guide for employees to follow as they bring your business back up. A robust data backup and disaster recovery plan also should ensure that your data is always protected — as and after you move it from day-to-day. Production systems for short- and long-term retention. And with the best backup and disaster recovery plan, you will always have your data readily available should you need it.
Imagine if the data needed to operate your business, department, or agency was unavailable, even for a few minutes, never mind hours, days, or weeks. Customers would be unhappy. Employees would be, too. And in the case of ransomware, your entire business might even cease to exist. Therefore effective backup and recovery of important data prevents all of these scenarios.
Why is Backup and Recovery Important?
Data powers your organization and your competitive advantage. That’s why backup and recovery is important. With a robust backup and recovery strategy — and technology solution — in place, your organization can:
- Prevent data loss – The fallout from lost or compromised data ranges from irritating to costly. Businesses can suffer financial penalties as well as loss of customer trust and brand reputation. The main role of backup and recovery is to preserve critical data in case of loss or damage
- Sustain operations – In face of disaster — natural or manmade including a ransomware attack — businesses keep functioning
- Maintain a good customer experience – Lost customer records create business challenges such as reduced customer satisfaction and revenue as well as non-compliance with regulations. Alternatively, rich always-available customer datasets drive greater customer loyalty and, consequently, higher profits
- Keep employees productive – Effective data backup and recovery eliminates wasted time employees must spend rewriting reports, rekeying data, or recalculating spreadsheets when data and files go missing
- Retain historical records – Backing up data allows businesses to build corporate archives of their operations, and in some cases is mandated by industry or government regulations
- Satisfy auditors – Laws differ from one jurisdiction to another, but having important accounting and other financial records backed up, recoverable, and easily accessible for both tax reasons and audits is critical to business operations
- Achieve peace of mind – Whether a hurricane, cybercrime, or system failure, bad things can happen to even the most well-managed companies. Having a robust data backup and recovery strategy, supported by the right technology solution. That means that your organization can be resilient and weather even the most difficult circumstances.
Cohesity’s Modern Approach to Backup and Recovery
The single biggest challenge with trying to put an enterprise-wide backup and recovery strategy in place is that data typically resides in numerous places. In on-premises systems, clouds, and at the edge. Mass data fragmentation from siloed hardware and software and incomplete visibility into enterprise data means that time that should be spent on business innovation is wasted managing and maintaining disconnected point solutions.
Cohesity provides a backup and recovery solution that converges multiple point products and backs up data whether it is stored on-prem. At the edge, or in the public cloud on a single multicloud data platform. BUT By taking a complex operation and simplifying it for businesses, Cohesity ensures business continuity. Minimizes data loss, and reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO). Therefore that is trustworthy data storage, backup and recovery services in the specifically allocated other archiving spaces ensures prevention of data loss.