No matter what size your business is, automated backups and disaster recovery need to be considered if you want full confidence in your current IT set-up.
It’s not enough to simply backup data when you feel like doing so. If manual backups are still in action at your workplace, there needs to be serious reconsideration about how to make the process foolproof with minimal chance for error. Relying on users to conduct their own backups continually is not efficient and it is likely that this method will result in data loss due to inconsistency.
To improve the reliability of your disaster recovery backups, it is now essential to consider automatic backups that are carried out simultaneously and stored in an off-premise, secure environment.
Here’s why organisations need to consider automated backups to ensure data is at minimal risk:
1. AUTOMATED TICKETING
An effective automated backup system will be set up to provide businesses with reports on the system to make it easier to maintain and analyse. Centralised ticketing, reporting and logging mean that customers don’t have to wait for an administrator to notice an issue has arisen with a backup.
When an issue does occur, this allows IT to view when the last backup was performed to determine how much data has been lost. With additional DRaaS methods (see below) included, this can also determine when the recovery point objective is and how to restore data up until the point of corruption.
2. DRAAS
Disaster Recovery can be implemented alongside the process of automatic backups to ensure there is a minimum risk of data being lost. Disaster Recovery as a Service is not simply the exercise of recovering data, it is instead a method of preserving files, applications and databases.
Although DRaaS and backups are not the same, it is important to consider DRaaS as an additional procedure in the role of automated backups. By doing so, you are enabling these backups to be protected if an event were to occur where data was jeopardised. And by adopting a Disaster Recovery solution in the cloud, you will:
- Minimise lost productivity
- Utilise tried and tested recovery processes
Atlas Cloud’s DRaaS solution removes the process of manually recovering critical data. This results in a recovery service that provides your business-critical data, within 15 minutes of invocation. Unlike some recovery solutions which provide an RTO measured in days and an RPO based on the last available backup tape. We remove the risk of data loss and severe business disruption.
3. REDUCED WORKLOAD
Manually backing up critical files and data is evidently risky but can also be extremely time-consuming. To ensure manual backups are carried out fully, this would require one member of staff to carry out the same process on each and every hard drive in the office – this is even worse if there is more than one working location. By opting for automated backups, you will be removing this from the list of things to do. Productivity will be optimised to allow for a more efficient workforce instead of being hindered with the effort of backing up data.
4. IMPROVED SECURITY
With automated backups, there is no CD, USB or spare hard drive lying around the office with every piece of company data stored on it. Instead, the backups are stored within a secure cloud environment preventing the risk of theft, loss or any potential interference.
Cloud service providers must comply with registered standards – those who opt for the cloud will feel a peace of mind knowing that their data cannot be tampered with from outside sources.
Atlas Cloud was the first UK managed service provider to obtain the ISO 27001 certification and have since been featured on G-Cloud and CIF.
5. SAVING IN BUDGET
In order to carry out individual backups, businesses would require physical ways of storing this data – whether this is an external hard drive, USB or CD this additional kit would need to be purchased continually for each backup and then stored in a secure environment and not just simply in a locked cupboard.
By opting for automated backups, businesses are able to scale their service to ensure that the backup system is in line with budget and data volume – the ability to scale up or down is a huge benefit of automated backups.
CENTRAL MANAGEMENT – THE BACKBONE OF AN AUTOMATED BACKUP SOLUTION
Automation of backups removes the risk of human error from individual users. But IT must have central control over the backup policy setting to ensure that the automated backups are not simply backing up all user data (effectively wasting bandwidth and storage and resulting in increased costs). This should be configured with the managed service provider to ensure that data requirements and costs are in line with expectations.
To truly get the most out of automated backups, enterprises need to ensure their solution has been configured and modified to suit their needs completely. The ability to improve backups through a DRaaS solution also should be considered for optimum protection. Another option that can be considered is a pay-as-you-go cost model which means that disaster recovery is enabled as and when you need it, rather than an on-going cost in the background – for more information about this or automated backups in general, do not hesitate to contact us.
