Data Backup & Recovery FAQs
The starting point point for most businesses should be to backup all data. It is good practice to understand where your critical data is stored. For example if you operate a server based infrastructure, you may not need to worry about backing up individual PC’s. If you operate a cloud based infrastructure then backup should be managed by your cloud provider (it is always best to check there arrangements)
There are so many ways to backup data, but essentially regardless of the method chosen, backup involves writing a copy of the data to another computer or media device. At the low end of the range this could involve backup to a thumb drive or DVD and at the top end data can be replicated or mirrored in real time across a Wide Area Network. The method(s) chosen will depend on your resilience requirements, budget and technology. Please
Contact Us to discuss your needs in more detail.
The only definitive way to check if your backed up data will reinstall or restore is to test it. The test will make sure the media can be accessed and the restored data is complete. If your data is stored in the Cloud it is still vitally important to test the service, or ask your vendor to conduct a test for you.
Frequency of backup will normally depend on the criticality/value of the data you are creating and the budget you have available. Many modern data backup services can be scheduled to check for new data on a regular basis without intruding significantly on operating speeds.
It is often possible to recover data from extensively damaged hard drives. To illustrate the process please take a look at our
Lost your Data? – Maybe not article. It is important to note that a % of data may well be lost so this is not a recommended alternative to taking regular backups to an external device.