Backing up your data allows you to keep your operations running, preserve customer and sales data you need for business planning or a marketing strategy development. However, not too many business owners are familiar with this process which is rather simple to perform even though it offers a wide array of different methods, some of which should be combined for maximum effectiveness.
In our current article, we’ll go through different types of backup and technologies that allow us to protect our data.
Types of backup
There are three main types of backup that we can perform, each of them is best suited for different user requirements. Depending on what we wish to achieve we might go for:
- Full backup
- Incremental backup
- Differential backup
- Real-time backup
- Bare metal backup
The full backup is the most basic type of data preservation. It includes creating a copy of all the data available on the server. Full backup takes a lot of time and storage space, so it’s mostly performed just once when all systems are set.
Incremental backup means backing up only those files that have changed since the last backup. Imagine running a writing service and you wish to make sure that all information and data you share with your assignment writers are available and correct at all times. This type of backing up would make sure that every change gets a secure copy.
Differential backup is the type of data protection that backs up a piece of information the moment it’s changed back to the last full backup point that the user chooses.
Real-time backup tracks changes in your files as they happen and updates the backup information accordingly.
Bare metal backup allows backing up the entire server in a way that lets us restore all the lost data even on hardware that has no software or even OS installed. This is a great option in case there’s physical damage and new pieces of hardware are needed.
Local backup
This method of data preservation is somewhat outdated because backing up an entire server to a local physical drive would take too much time and space. In addition, the recovery process would take too long which is why this method is not recommendable for data centers. However, a friend of mine at EssayWritingLand told me he uses a physical drive to back up his work because textual files don’t take too much space and that makes disk backup a perfect option.
Cloud backup
This is a much faster method to protect our data and much easier to manage since cloud backup and recovery solutions often come with a series of features that automate and facilitate data backup and recovery. This method includes sending copies of files to cloud storage over the internet so upload and download demand fewer resources.
Types of data recovery
There are many ways to jeopardize the integrity of your information, depending on the type of issue and the amount of data that need to be recovered there are several types of data recovery:
- File recovery
- Volume recovery
- Bare metal recovery
- Instant recovery
File recovery means getting back a lost or corrupt file or a group of files. Files could be corrupted by malware or accidentally changed or deleted by a user.
Volume recovery is a great option when we need to retrieve a large number of files and folders, especially if we wish to preserve previously granted permissions and folder settings.
Bare metal recovery is a type of data retrieval that happens when a new piece of hardware is installed due to an equipment upgrade or a disaster. This type of recovery allows us to restore our entire server to a specific point in time even if our hardware has no software installed.
Instant recovery is one of the most advanced types of data rescue that could be achieved through local or cloud backup. In this process, data is being backed up continuously, and when there’s an issue the system redirects to the most recent backup, allowing the server uninterrupted work until the original data is restored.
Conclusion
The best option is to balance between the amount of time your business can afford to stay offline and the amount of data you can afford to lose, in most cases, this means how far back you must keep your data. Measure carefully both sides of the scale to benefit your business needs and secure the optimal data protection strategy. This guide should help you understand some main questions that worry those among us who lack technical expertise but have the need to personally take care of their data safety.
