A file server backup setup is necessary when multiple users need the same core of information like when running a business, organization, enterprise, etc. The file servers may vary in size, i.e., from TBs to PB and the file servers are simple to use. So, it is crucial to backup the data sets and invest in protection for the data backup. Data Backup is the defense against data loss. A Backup strategy is essential nowadays, and these server backup best practices and tips help to business continuity.
Server Backup Best Practices and Tips: 2022 Edition
Here are the essential tips and tricks when considering server backup. Do consider reading them to take on-time and periodic server backups.
Automate Your Server Backups
The first crucial step in the server backup strategy plan is Automate Backup. Some of the data backup software offers to backup the data through manual procedures. When you follow a manual method to backup, you may face some errors. It leads to left out, and the time pressure increases. To avoid the network and servers’ heavy load time, you have to proceed with an automatic data backup procedure.
Follow the 3-2-1 Rule While Creating Server Backups
You have to follow the 3-2-1 rule when you decide to do server backup.
- Create 3 copies of each file
- 2 copies of different media (disk, cloud storage)
- 1 file must be kept on off-site
Data Segmentation for Server Backups
There are different types of data like some may have a difficult time, and some may require urgent to restore them. Might keep the data into an archive so you can save the storage space of production.
These different types of data need an own protection solution, and without any storage process, time-critical data requires immediate access. To do this, you have to do data cloning or data availability. Archiware P5 Synchronize replicates SAN, RAID, NAS, and disk storage either via WAN to another location or locally.
Using a regular backup to disk cloud storage, or tape, the data can secure in less time. The runtime of the necessary restore can grow with the number of files and their storage size.
You can archive the data that is no longer a need for daily production. It will save the number of files on the production stage and save cost and space. P5 archive can write to disk, cloud storage, or tape where it allows the users to browse and search all the archived files with the inclusion of optional metadata.
You can backup your data hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. It ultimately depends on the data segmentation process.
Data Calculations
A perfect plan is necessary for a file server backup. The interval between the backup running process and the maximum amount of data is equal. If something error happens, it will lose all the data, known as Recovery Point Objective or RPO.
The backup procedures will be done regularly per day, and of course, the data availability is need for every couple of minutes. Based on the network’s performance, it has some consequences on the load of the server and the storage space that is needed.
In an emergency, the essential tolerance to consider during a server backup is the time taken to recover all the data. For your organization continuity, time tolerance will reflect as it entirely depends on the data’s size. The recovery data of all the files can take weeks, days, or even hours. The choice of backup storage and the backup process has to take into account as tolerance. The time that is required to recover all files is termed as RTO- Recovery Time Objective.
Off-Site Backup
If you face any error or failure, it directly shows the impact on the location, and there is a chance to affect the Backup. For these kinds of troubles, off-site recovery is the only solution to overcome disaster recovery. It can be a cloud storage format, and P5 Backup will work on both tape and cloud storage locations. These are to use as off-site backup locations.
Air Gap Storage
For maximum security to your data, Air Gap Storage is the answer to prevent threats and see any effect in permanent online connections. Of course, a backup needs a gap between the physical network gap and cloud backup storage. So, from this, you can easily prevent the threats that are happening nowadays. Using a hard disk is possible to get out from it, and it is not a long-term solution. Once they are connected, they become hot storage, and there is a possibility to infect.
For this, there is a medium built-in air gap, i.e. tape, whereas any tape is not mounted in the tape drive because it is separated from the network physically. If the tape is available in the drive, then it is safe, and there is no evidence of attacks on the tape drives until now.
Regular Check Log Files and Reports
The perfect and best solution always works if it is well maintained and monitored. If any small thing happens, it may be corrected like storage fill up or change in the directory name. There are different types of reasons to face when the backup does not work correctly. It is always good to check the log files up to date by a person and receive the backup system reports.
Documentation of Restore Process
To perform the restore process, it is always essential to maintain thoroughly up-to-date documentation. It will be easy to check if anything errors occur. Data recovery is necessary regularly, and the person who configured the backup procedure may not be present at that moment.
Backup Solution for your NAS
Most of the NAS devices are used to store data shared and considered the value of the data. If any error occurs, it may be challenging to continue with the office work. For this purpose, it makes sense to perform backup with a NAS device. For a specific and efficient backup solution, a NAS device will work itself. Netgear, Synology, and QNAP are some of the app centers that install a NAS itself. In all these three app centers, the Archiware P5 suite is available, and to protect NAS P5 Backup offers necessary features.
Backup Solution for Virtualized Servers
A snapshot will completely rely on a setup to work, and so it is not a backup. If you need anything on the snapshot when anything happens, it does not provide any data to you. A real data backup requires real storage with protection. ArchiWare software provides a robust backup solution for virtualized servers like VMWare.
Test the Restore Process Regularly
Before proceeding with a file server backup, you must check whether the complete chain devices and connections are working properly or not. It must have to check every month to ensure that the restore works when it is actually required.
If something happens, you must be relaxed with a backup and protect the data all the time. If you plan to backup your data up to date and implement it right then, it runs on its own and provides all copies.