Data Backup & Recovery

There are many benefits to cloud backup and recovery, especially in today’s world where data loss and security breaches, ransomware attacks and malicious deletion are becoming increasingly common.

While backup involves making extra copies of data to protect it, disaster recovery refers to the plans for quickly re-establishing access to data, applications and other IT resources after a disaster or outage.

In the event of a serious outage, it’s important to have both backup and a disaster recovery plan. Having a robust cloud backup and disaster recovery plan in place helps businesses to:

• Reduced downtime — The downtime that follows a disaster can be catastrophic for business. A sufficient backup and recovery plan protects you from data, productivity, security and revenue losses.
• Business continuity — Protecting your data from threats is essential for preserving your business’ reputation and ensuring its continuity. Businesses without an effective backup and recovery plan often never fully recover from this disaster.

Yes, disaster recovery can be implemented in the cloud — there are many advantages of cloud computing backup and recovery over traditional disaster recovery. Cloud disaster recovery allows businesses to quickly recover critical systems after a disaster without the need for the infrastructure and manual processes that go hand in hand with traditional disaster recovery.

In addition to significantly reduced processes and downtimes, cloud disaster recovery often comes at a fraction of the cost of traditional disaster recovery, especially when delivered via the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. At Jim’s, our cloud backup and disaster recovery solutions are provided through Datto SaaS, meaning our clients get the highest level of service and protection without needing a large capital outlay.

Due to its scalability, reliability and cost-efficiency, cloud disaster recovery has become a preferred option for many SMBs who simply don’t have the resources or budget to build and maintain their own separate disaster recovery site.

A cloud disaster recovery plan is vital to ensure business continuity after a disaster. With an effective disaster recovery plan in place, businesses can restore data from backups and resume normal operations without an extended period of downtime after a disaster.

Unlike traditional disaster recovery, which relies on on-premise resources, cloud disaster recovery makes use of cloud infrastructure, which helps to make it a simpler and more cost-effective solution. A cloud-based disaster recovery plan should generally include three phases:

• Analysis — The analysis phase of the plan should include a detailed risk assessment, along with impact analysis of existing infrastructure and workloads. Once all risks have been identified, potential vulnerabilities and disasters can be pinpointed.
• Implementation — The implementation phase helps outline the technologies and steps required to address disasters once they occur. The goal is to create a plan that helps implement all necessary measures and respond to the disaster promptly.
• Testing — To ensure the plan remains viable, it must be regularly tested and updated. All technologies and automated processes should also be tested to ensure that they are in working order and ready to be used at any time.

To secure your data and prevent loss after a disaster, it’s wise to perform regular backups. Making several backups and storing them in different places can also help you recover data quickly and easily. When it comes to the most efficient place to store backups, most people choose between cloud and local storage:

• On the cloud — There are several benefits to using the cloud for data backups. Besides being a safe space to store data, the cloud is easily accessible at all times, no matter where you are. All that’s required is an internet connection and your account name and password.
• Locally — A local backup refers to any backup located on-premises or close to the data source. Local backup devices include external hard drives, flash drives, and CDs. Some businesses prefer local backups due to their higher control over their data.