Being Prepared is Key
No one expects a hardware failure or a ransomware attack. When it happens, it literally brings business to a grinding halt. How quickly you get back up and running depends on what you’ve done to prepare. With the right plan in place, you won’t miss a beat. Determining what works for you depends on your needs. Here’s a look at the two most popular backup solutions.
Image-Based Backup
Image-based backup is the fastest plan for data recovery. It essentially takes an exact snapshot of what your server looked like at the time of the failure. No data is lost, and the recovery can happen in a matter of hours. Not only does this system restore your files and emails, it also backs up your system configurations. This includes applications, access privileges and scheduling … all items essential to business operation and continuity. In short, image-based backup can have your system back up and running quickly and comprehensively.
File-Based Backup
File-based backup is not as thorough. It only backs up individual files and won’t restore your settings, software or the master folders of the specific documents you save. This type of backup system has a lengthy recovery process. Depending on the amount of data, it could be days, weeks or even months! In the business world, that type of recovery time is disastrous.
In this quick video segment, our own Chris Bomberger addresses the question, “What kind of backup should I have – file or image-based?”
This doesn’t mean that file-based backup is a bad thing. It’s just more suited for a home computing situation or a business that only has a few machines. In this case, if a file is lost, it can be retrieved from an external hard drive or a cloud-based system. It’s when your business has many machines or servers that you will want to consider an image-based backup system.Â
Have a Plan of Action
Once you’ve determined which type of backup system is best for you or your business, you should have a plan of action in place. This means doing routine integrity checks on your backup system to ensure it is working. No one wants to discover their backup system failed after a server crash. Integrity checks are just one more step in making sure your important data is being preserved.
Eliminate frustration and uncertainty when you let the experts at Higher Information Group manage the day-to-day responsibility of your IT. Schedule an assessment today by calling 800.564.7002! Or, contact us online.
