Data backup involves copying and moving data from its primary location to a secondary location from which it can later be retrieved in case the primary data storage location experiences some kind of failure or disaster.
Additionally, the data backup process can be used to recover copies of older data that were deleted.
Data recovery is typically a software-based process that makes it possible for an organization to restore data that cannot be easily accessed by conventional methods because it has been deleted or corrupted. This process returns the recovered data to the device where it was originally stored or to a new device if the old device proves to be too damaged to hold it. The typical recovery method calls for an organization to restore a backed-up copy from another location.
The process of data backup comes in three primary varieties. These three backup varieties are:
Data recovery is meant to protect an organization from suffering potential losses related to the loss of data. It ensures that an organization maintains the ability to restore any critical data that is lost for one reason or another.
There are several types of recovery systems that users can choose to use when they suffer from a loss of data. These types include:
Online disk backup. This recovery type saves the data to a cloud server of some kind. It is a highly flexible, time-saving, and cost effective method. It enables users to constantly save their data so that there is little possibility of something being truly lost.
Continuous data protection. This recovery type backs the data up both to a location within the local area network and to an offsite location. It also takes a log of the backed-up data, which consists of various snapshots of the data. When using a recovery system of this kind, users can quickly recover their data.
Backup and recovery software function by either copying data and exporting it to a location where it can be accessed when it is needed, or by reconstructing the lost data so that it is returned to the state that it was in before it was lost.
The requirements for backup and recovery tools, as well as their actual implementation and performance can vary widely. As architectures grow more complex, so too can the demands on backup and recovery packages. PeerSpot members comment on what selection factors are best to consider when looking at the purchase of backup and recovery solutions.
PeerSpot members cite performance as an important selection criterion for backup and recovery software tools. Reviewers explain that they want their backup and restore to be fast and easy to use. Instant recovery is prized. Users want a simple GUI, too. Many members put forth a powerful, simple idea, though, which is that backup success is all that counts – that no number of features can ever compensate for a failure to restore missing data.
Other members express a desire for reads that are nearly instantaneous. People want zero downtime backup. A good backup and restore solution should eliminate latency from long distance replication, making synchronous and asynchronous unimportant as descriptors. The backup system should also ideally ensure that all information is backed up continuously across multiple locations. The rationale for this requirement is the goal of providing fail over to get continuous high availability of operational systems.
The ability to perform backup recoverability tests in a virtual lab or on-demand sandbox is considered valuable, as are backup from storage snapshots, de-duplication and simple integration with all operating systems. Application specific selection criteria include item-level recovery for Active Directory, Exchange, SQL Server and SharePoint. Members prefer software that can recover user-specific data such as a mailbox or a file server.
Backup and recovery has to map to specific architectural styles. For example, instant VM recovery is valued because it is known to help speed up recovery objectives (RTOs). Backup managers expect backup and recovery tools to offer useful and easy reporting.
Backup and recovery policies tend to overlap with data management and disaster recovery, which are separate work streams but often rely on the same tools. To this point, some PeerSpot members prefer software that provides long term archiving / retention options. For example, certain types of files can never be purged, by policy. Others want their backup tools used for replication for disaster recovery between data centers.
Backup and recovery software solutions typically offer users access to a wide array of features. These features include:
Backup and recovery software can offer users various benefits. These benefits include:
