Does your organization have a data backup plan you can count on in the event of a disaster? Here are six ways to ensure you do not become a statistic.
1. Pick the Correct Backup Solution:
Choosing a data backup system or service should be one of the first things you do as a business owner, right up there with finding an accountant, a lawyer and a bank. Each business will require different backup methods based on if your company can sustain some downtime after data loss. Online backup providers’ help you eliminate many of the human prone errors seen by tape/media based backups. Also, there is no need to worry about where your backup is being stored; the very nature of cloud based backups is that your backed-up information is stored offsite. If you pair your onsite appliance, with an online backup, recovery can occur in a fraction of the amount of time.
If your business can not sustain any downtime, then you need to use a DR/BC backup solution. This will allow your business to continue to function even if your server can no longer boot. Fire up the virtual server and you are working as if no event ever happened.
If your organization needs to archive data for long periods of time, say in excess of seven years, such as many financial organizations, then it may be wise to use a conjunction of cloud based backup, onsite appliance and media to archive data (tapes, hard drives or cheap NAS solutions). The cloud based solution is to store backups for a year’s worth of time, the archival media for the long term DR storage and the onsite is for instant recovery purposes.
2. Know what to Backup:
For a DR/BC solution, the choice is simple, the entire device. The entire device needs to be backed-up in order for the device to be imaged correctly.
The general rule is to back up all information that you are legally required to keep or that is essential to running your business. Ask yourself “if everything was lost tomorrow, what would I need to get back to work?”
3. Check Your Backup:
The data to be backed-up has been chosen so you need to ensure that the data is actually recoverable. In the event of an emergency and none of that data is available, the backup is useless.
Check the logs and reports generated from the backup software at the very least once a week. Ideally, this should be done daily. This will help identify any files the backup software is having trouble backing up. It will also let you know the success and failure rate of the entire backup. For example, if you are using a cloud based backup solution and your ISP is down, the backup will fail because it cannot contact the data center where your backup is stored.
Test restores should also be performed at least once a quarter (once a month is preferred). Randomly choose some data from your backup set and restore it to a test folder on the device you are backing up. Ensure that all of the files that should be present are present and that the files can be opened and are populated with the correct information. Doing test restores ensures that your data is successfully being backed-up and is accessible.
4. Identify all your needs:
Identify the immediate needs of your organization. This can be anything from getting your computer systems running again to finding new trucks to make deliveries. Without identifying what is needed right after a disaster, it is impossible to create any procedures to ensure things run smoothly during and after a disaster.
5. Make sure everything is documented:
Document items such as key personnel, system passwords, inventory counts, backup providers. Without the proper documentation, it may be impossible to piece together your computer network after a disaster strikes.
A “How-To” document is a good way to prepare. It should include step-by-step instructions on what to do, who should do it, and how. List each responsibility and write down the name of the person assigned to it. That way, if you want to know “who is supposed to call the insurance company?” you can look up “Insurance”.
6. Is the DR Plan updated?:
As your business grows or changes, do not forget to update the plan and possibly the solution. Your DR solution and business continuity plan are never set in stone. You should think of it as a living, breathing document. If a disaster does occur and your business continuity plan is out-of-date, it can impact the amount of time it takes you to get back up and running.
If only one thing is taken away from this blog it should be to: backup, backup, backup. Backing up your data is one of the most important things that any business owner can do. The bottom line is that you can never have enough backup. Although it may seem expensive, backing up your business critical data and making sure that the data is properly backed up and stored on a regular basis, is much cheaper than having to re-start your business from scratch.
Ultimately you are not in this alone, hire the help of an IT firm or consultant. There are more than enough horror stories of business owners thinking their data is safe when it was not. Do not become a statistic. You have enough to do to keep your company moving forward. Focus on what you do best and let the IT pros do what they do best.
