Which of the following backup media will contain the most complete copy of the backups you ve made
Some argue that data has become the world’s most valuable commodity, worth even more to businesses than gold. Unfortunately, it is also much easier to lose all of your data than a stockpile of precious metals. As the importance of data increases, so does the need to protect it using backup software and recover it if a disaster strikes. Show
Conceptually, a backup is fairly straightforward – it involves making a copy of a file, database, or computer and saving it as a backup file. Usually, the initial backup will take longer since all the data must be captured. Still, subsequent backups can be much quicker as usually only the changes since the last backup are saved, which is used with an incremental or differential backup (these are discussed later). Recovery allows you to restore that backup file to the original or new computer with the same information or state as when it was backed up. When planning your backup strategy, there may be dozens or even hundreds of variables that you will want to consider. Some organizations plan their backups based on the location of their datacenter(s), others will make the decision based on their existing storage providers, some look at the feature set or cost of the backup software. In contrast, others will make the decision based on how quickly they can recover after a disaster to minimize their downtime. There is no right strategy, so ultimately, it comes down to the organization’s priorities and budget. This article introduces computer data backup for enterprises by explaining how it works and reviewing different planning considerations. Components which can be Backed Up in the EnterpriseHere are the most common components that enterprises should consider protecting, starting from smallest to largest.
As you can see, it is possible to protect almost every datacenter component. Next, you will want to consider where you are storing those backup files. Storage Options for Enterprise Computer Backup DataStorage will be a key factor in defining your backup strategy, and it may also impact which backup ISV you select. When you plan your backup strategy, you want to also think about the reasons that may lead to you needing to recover data. Is it because you are working with unsophisticated users, are you a target for hackers, or could a natural disaster destroy your datacenter? For this reason, you want to consider local, shared, and offsite storage options. The amount of data you are protecting (capacity) may also influence your decision as there is usually a tradeoff between ease-of-use and price. Finally, you will want to consider how quickly you need to recover from a disaster, and the storage speed can impact this.
Once you have defined your site requirements, then you can consider additional backup features. Storage Media for Enterprise Computer Backup DataThis section will review some of the storage media options that enterprises should consider with their backup strategy. These will be more applicable to shared storage, which is managed by the company, as local storage and cloud storage may have limited options. Centralized storage used to be more expensive when servers had to be connected using a storage area network (SAN) with proprietary storage connections called host bus adapters (HBAs). Now there are numerous storage protocols that use ethernet connections and NICs, simplifying management and reducing costs. The best solution for an enterprise will depend on its budget and recovery speed needs.
Many organizations use a combination of storage media, which often dedicates the faster (and expensive) hardware to critical workloads and the slower (and cheaper) devices to less frequently accessed backup files. This is known as storage tiering, and more information can be found in this blog. This section describes the most common methods to create backup files. There is a tradeoff between storage capacity and recovery time, which organizations need to consider when selecting the best option for their business needs.
It is possible to use multiple backup methods for different types of workloads based on their priority or other business needs. There are even more advanced backup types, which include synthetic full, reverse incremental, and incremental forever, although these are usually not offered by all ISVs. Backup Features for Enterprise Computer DataThis section will review some of the popular backup features which different ISVs offer to enhance the speed or maximize the capacity of the backup and recovery process. It is still important that you verify with your ISV that the features you needed are supported by them on your specific operating system, hypervisor, and storage media. The following list shows the most commonly requested features.
Recovery Options for Enterprise Computer DataBeing able to efficiently and completely recover your backup is a critical part of the process. Recovery should be tested regularly as part of the standard operating procedure to familiarize the staff with the process and to minimize the chance of data loss. When planning for recovery, the two common goals that organizations should consider include:
Check out Altaro’s blog for more information about RTO and RPO [add link]. The final set of recovery options to consider are whether the recovery can be automated or if it requires manual intervention to find the backup file from the storage media.
This article was designed to provide you with an overview of computer data backup and recovery. It described some of the key features which organizations should look for when selecting their backup software vendor. There are many tradeoffs to be considered when evaluating the frequency of backups, the cost to store those backup files, and other desirable features. Altaro is one of the industry’s leading backup providers and supports a majority of the scenarios described in this article, so be sure to consider them as you plan your organization’s backup strategy. What are 4 types of backups?The most common backup types are a full backup, incremental backup and differential backup. Other backup types include synthetic full backups and mirroring. In the debate over cloud vs. local backup, there are some types of backup that are better in certain locations.
Which of the following media can be used for backup?Hard disk drives
Hard disks continue to be the dominant media for backup storage appliances, active archives and long-term retention.
Which backup does the backup of the full machines?Full backups are commonly performed as the first backup followed by subsequent differential or incremental backups. Since full backups contain all of the files and folders that were selected for the backup job rather than just the changed files, they are usually larger in size and thus requires more storage space.
Which type of backup only saves copies of files that have been changed or created since the last backup?A differential backup backs up only the files that changed since the last full back.
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