Backup and Recovery Strategies for Effective Data Protection

When it comes to your electronic device, you’ll want to know that your data is secure. Unfortunately, many people will lose precious files on their computers, because they did not take the steps to protect their data.

That’s why it’s of the utmost importance to learn about backup and recovery strategies for your computer.

Keep reading this guide to learn about the best backup and recovery strategies for effective data protection.

What Is Backup and Recovery?

Backup methods work by saving an extra copy of the data on your desktop, laptop, server, phone, or other electronic device and archiving it. Recovery is the process of retrieving data that has been deleted, damaged, or corrupted.

Why Should You Back Up Your Data?

Here are some of the main reasons why you should back up your data.

• Prevents Data Loss – Backing up your data will prevent you from losing important files in the event your computer or hard drive crashes.
• Protects Data Against Malware – If your data becomes infected with malware, it could be unretrievable. By backing up your data, you are preventing this risk.
• Data Can Be Recovered Quicker – Not backing up your data can make files difficult if not impossible to retrieve. Back up your data and your files will be recovered quickly.
• Saves On Costs – Recovering files that were not previously backed up can be incredibly expensive for you or your company. Even though you will be paying to back up your data, you will cut down on costs in the long-term.

Backup vs. Recovery

Backup strategies work by duplicating the data on your computer. This may include files, photos, videos, and more. Recovery takes place once these files are restored and retrieved by the user.

Types of Data Backup

1. Full Backup

A full backup is the standard system backup. It works by copying all files, SaaS data, folders, and hard drives and relocating them to another storage location.

The advantage of a full backup is that the restore process is fast and your files will be organized easily. The disadvantage is that the process could be time-consuming. The risk of data loss is also higher than in other methods since all storage is in one set location.

A full backup is best for individuals or businesses that have small amounts of data.

2. Incremental Backup

An incremental backup only backs up data that has changed when the last backup occurred. This will allow for more storage space compared to a full backup, and the process is fairly quick.

The downside of incremental backups is that restoring files may be time-consuming and harder to locate because the files are coming from different locations. It is also not possible to restore certain files that are not damage-proof.

Incremental backups are best for those who have a wide range of data and need to use less storage.

3. Differential Backup

Differential backups are similar to incremental backups. However, differential backups work by backing up data that has been changed since the last full backup. This results in a much faster restoration process than incremental backups. However, the backup process is more time-consuming and uses more storage space.

Differential backups are ideal for anyone who owns a large amount of data and wants a balance between full backups and incremental backups.

4. Snapshot Backup

A snapshot backup works by creating a storage snapshot of the metadata on your device. This essentially creates a clone of your database.

While snapshot backups are a good tool for data protection and testing software for errors or corruption, they are not a full-proof backup method and are best to use as an extra short-term layer of protection.

What Are the Types Of Data Recovery?

1. Point-In-Time Recovery: A point-in-time recovery recovers files that have changed during a specific point in time.
2. Bare-Metal Recovery: A bare-metal recovery recovers data to a new device. This involves removing all data from the old disk and transferring it to a new system.
3. File-Level Recovery: A file-level recovery allows you to access files from specific restore points, including single and multiple files.

Effective Strategies to Safely Back Up Your Data

When it comes to backing up your data, you will want to make sure it is done the right way to ensure the safety of your files. Here are some effective strategies to safely back up your data.

• Increase backup frequency. Backup your data multiple times a day through block-level incremental backups, instant recovery, or streaming recovery.
• Align backup strategy to service-level demands. Use chargeback and showback techniques through rapid recovery and BLI backups to help speed up the recovery process for your data.
• Continue to follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. The 3-2-1 rule means that you should always have three copies of data. Two of these copies should be local on a different media and the other should be offsite.
• Use cloud backup with intelligence. Be sure to use cloud backup cautiously. Finding a vendor who will provide you with disaster recovery as a service (DRaaS) will allow you to test discovery plans more often and ultimately save on IT costs.
• Use an online backup service. Use an online backup service such as IDrive, Carbonite, or Dropbox for offsite data storage.
• Invest in a Network Attached Storage (NAS) Device. This connects to a network and provides data to employees 24/7.
• Use Runbook Automation for disaster recovery. Download a Runbook Automation tool like RunDeck, IBM, or Azure for your disaster recovery.

Backup and Disaster Recovery Strategy in the Era of Remote Work

In the era of remote work, people rely on electronic data more than ever. Losing important files could significantly impact your work life or business. Therefore, it’s important to know the proper backup and disaster recovery strategies to prevent these catastrophes from happening in the first place.

Further Your Knowledge of Technology at Erie Institute of Technology

With the prevalence of technology in this day in age, it is so important to find the best backup and recovery method that fits your needs. If you’re interested in a career in the technology field, Erie Institute of Technology is here for you with our Network and Database Professional Program.

Give us a call at (814) 529-7971 or request info today to learn more about our programs.