Data Backup

• Organisations should understand and implement the best practices in data backup.
• The technologies used in cloud disaster recovery include sever clustering, database replication, high availability, failover, point in time recovery, load balancing, and data archiving.
• Cloud disaster recovery is a service that enables the backup and recovery of remote machines on a cloud-based platform, providing updated RPO and RTO in case of a disaster.
• Data protection continuum is a graphical representation of a series of data protection tools and services that are designed to help balance the overall cost of data protection against the time-to-recovery in the event of a data loss.
• Aka intelligent compression or single-instance storage is the process of removing redundant and extra copies of data, reducing the usage of tape or disks by clearing up storage space, and efficient use of disk space provides better RTO for a longer time.
• Data backup is the process of copying data into a secondary medium, so it can be used to restore the original data in the event of data loss or corruption.
• Backup is necessary for recovery and restoration process.
• Information systems are exposed to threats, which may result in data corruption and/or loss.
• Threats to data include failure of storage medium, accidental deletion of files, corruption of data due to malware, physical damage, theft of data, and natural disaster.
• Backup refers to copying of data into a secondary medium, so it can be used to restore the original data in the event of data loss or corruption.
• Cost, reliability, speed, availability, and usability are factors in selecting a backup media.
• Optical Disk (DVD, Blu - ray) can store up to 8.55 GB and are readily available at affordable rates, but are not used as much as in the past.
• Colocation Facility is more economically viable for small organisations.
• Snapshot backup refers to a copy of an application, disk or system.
• Data Replication Tools allow a computer to be restored without preinstalled software, with the exception of the firmware or basic I/O system (BIOS).
• Colocation Facility provides physical advantages such as security, video surveillance, and access based on credentials and identity.
• Virtual Tape Library (VTL) is a storage system that consist of hard disk drives (HDDs) that look like a physical tape library.
• Colocation Facilities have strong air conditioning to keep the servers and equipment cool.
• Data Replication Tools are faster than manual backup process and prone to fewer errors.
• Continuous Data Protection (CDP) is a storage technology used to capture real-time data changes and facilitates data restore points and recovery.
• Data Replication Tools refer to system restoration process in which an identical computer image/instance is created on a bare metal computer from the ground up.
• Colocation Facility incurs travelling cost when there is a need to modify the server or other equipment manually.
• Data Replication Tools can recover the whole server, OS and applications.
• Colocation Facility requires a long-term contract which prevents organisation from renegotiating the costs when there is a drop in prices.
• Organisations need to inspect the Service Level Agreements (SLAs) carefully so as not to be surprised by some terms and conditions or by hidden charges.
• Disk-to-Disk (D2D) refers to backing up data from one HDD to another.
• Some colocation facilities provide several backup strategies to protect the data and ensure business continuity.
• Colocation Facilities use redundancy systems to create backups.
• Recovery involves installing the OS and software applications, and restoration of data.
• Data Replication Tools can be used to automate server migrations.
• Data Replication Tools allow incremental backup and restoration, which safes space and bandwidth and helps remote backup.
• Blu - ray can store more data than DVD, but is less expensive, easy to store, reliable long-term storage, and has WORM option (Write Once Read Many).
• Magnetic Hard Drives/Flash-based Storage Devices are a better medium for data backup than optical disks, available in high capacities, offer faster storage and retrieval of data due to fast throughput and random-access capability for selected file restoration.
• RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) contains 2 or more drives, same data may be copied to multiple drives to support recovery.
• Incremental forever backup is a full backup that takes place only once, and all subsequent backups are incremental backups.
• Hot backup allows users to access the data even while it is being backed up, is useful in multi-user system setups and networks, but any data altered during the exact moment when the data is being backed up will not be reflected in the backup.
• Creating a full backup can be time-consuming and consume a lot of space.
• To restore the backup, start from the full backup followed by the last differential backup.
• Differential backup is faster, reduces stress on device and tape, requires fewer tapes or disks, is usually automatic, but restoration takes a long time.
• Incremental backup is easier data protection and restoration, backs up all files at one go, but restoration may be time-consuming, requires large storage, and may require multiple disks or tapes.