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The word backup is pretty common place these days in businesses. Rarely do we see networks that don’t have some form of backup of their data operating – whether it’s an external drive, online backup, or a combination of many. However, what most businesses don’t realize is there’s more to the backup conversation than just making sure you have a copy of your data somewhere.
The three types of backup, and why you need all three:
Data Backup
The basic! This should be your bare minimal – a copy of your most important files. Whether it’s the built in backup in Simply Accounting, to a full blown online backup solution, it’s critical that you at least have a copy of your data elsewhere. We typically recommend an online backup solution that is automated and monitored to ensure that your data is offsite and secure.
System Image / Redundancy
Often ignored, but vitally important is the system image. This is a snap shot of your critical systems – whether its your server or a computer on your network that runs an important piece of software. What the data backup misses, this takes care of – which most notably is the system configuration of those important hardware assets. The data backup handles merely the data (word documents, files etc). The system image handles the configuration of the server they reside on – the network setup, the users, the passwords, email setup, etc. In the event of a serious hardware issue or other catastrophe, you may have you data, but without a system image, you may incur hours of downtime and thousands of dollars of labour in rebuilding your network.
Business Continuity
Technology fails. Issues happen. Disasters strike. Even with data backup and system images in place, you are still susceptible to downtime. While the data is restored and the hardware is replaced, what is happening to you network? Can your users function if your primary server is down? If they can’t, how long is acceptable for them to not be working, and what is it costing your business in the long run? The final piece of the complete backup program is some level of redundancy – a backup system in place that allows you to function even in the event your primary hardware goes offline.
We currently with a variety of these solutions to ensure our clients are protected at every level based on their budget. Ask us about how you can keep your network running and your data safe in the event of a major issue.
