Ten Reasons To Review Your Data Backup Recovery Plan

Businesses demand advanced infrastructures to recover quickly from unexpected server downtimes, as well as accommodate today’s ever-expanding data storage requirements. But implementing all this takes time.

Managed backup and recovery services take the burden out of IT backup, enabling companies to focus on other, more strategic projects.

Experienced consultants work to build the ideal backup and recovery plan, be it maintaining compliancy, firewalls or email security systems. But the service doesn’t end there. Managed backup entails regular reviews and updates to ensure businesses are using the latest technology in order to keep the process seamless and losses minimal.

Why review your backup and recovery plans regularly?

1. Outages inevitably happen. According to online statistics portal Statista, the frequency of server failures based upon the age of the server more than doubles from year one to year four (11%). The number of server downtime hours jumps from 2.5 hours in year one to four hours in year four. Therefore to avoid unnecessary downtime, the general advice is to change your server’s hardware every three years.
2. Wasted time and revenue are inevitable knock-on effects if your server’s hardware is not reviewed every three years. Outages lead to server downtime and hardware failures, meaning lost production and revenue.
3. Markets change and your business must have the flexibility to keep up with all kinds of trends, from government and industry regulations to market-driven initiatives requiring new types of data support. New devices generate significantly more data so your systems must be able to handle increased workload.
4. Avoid panics. This means testing the entire recovery system from time to time, without there being an actual outage. How much, if any, data gets lost or corrupted from the backup system when users try to go live again? Regular tests enable you to trust that your data recovery system is ready and able to kick in when needed.
5. Keep your IT staff trained and updated. Human error is a leading issue affecting server reliability and downtime so your teams need to be proficient in using all systems and tools.
6. Keep up with the times. Storage systems are constantly improving, be it in public and private clouds, flash storage or software containers, and your staff need to regularly review the methods you use.
7. Consider changing to cloud storage. Manually backing up data on external hard drives is time-consuming and costly. Fortunately, cloud technology saves time and is affordable for companies of all sizes. It’s easy to schedule how often data is backed up to the cloud and make adjustments to suit your company’s needs. Over time, cloud services bring significant savings, enabling your company to spend in other areas.
8. Email security. Your databases can be exposed to the perils of phishing, malware and spam which affect your network’s bandwidth and mail server. Email is essential for all businesses, yet still one of the biggest targets for security breaches. Regular, managed backup and recovery services provide accredited experts to improve your email security on a regular basis.
9. Firewall services greatly reduce the possibility of your online channels suffering security breaches which could cost your company untold time, credibility and money. Technologies evolve rapidly, meaning you or your managed firewall service provider needs to update your firewall configurations regularly to protect against unauthorised intrusions.
10. Peace of mind can’t be underestimated when important data is at stake. Regular backups mean that in the event of an outage, you can rest assured that your company will be safely up and running again with minimum impact.