A backup strategy is the most critical part of IT operations that is consistently overlooked or ignored. Your IT consultant or internal department should take the time to build a backup strategy focused around customer business needs, whether that is local, cloud or hybrid.

Types of Backups for a Backup Strategy

  • Block Level (Ex: Backup and restore of entire VM/Bare Metal): No way of restoring individual files/email.
  • File Level: Can restore individual or multiple files but no way of VM or Bare metal restore.
  • Hybrid: Most organizations will require both types of backups (Hybrid) (Ex you have a VM File Server. The “Server” is backed as a block level but all the shares and files are a file level backup. This allows quick backup or restore of individual or multiple files, and also a quick restore of the server. This can be accomplished at the same time or independent of each other).

Local or cloud backups or Both (Hybrid)?

  • Local: All the hardware for backups are located on site. This provides speed, security and maintains control. This has a high cost not only in hardware but is software and support staff. It is less flexible If you need to increase your storage capacity, you’ll have to invest in more hardware and the technical expertise to implement and if a disaster affects your business, your on-site backups could be destroyed as well.
  • Cloud: All the hardware for backups are located off site. This provides a very high degree of flexibility, cost effectiveness, and accessibility but at the cost of speed control and some security. You only pay for the storage you need and expanding storage is much cheaper and faster to accommodate growth on-demand. Support staff may be reduced (or contracted out).
  • Hybrid: Very high cost but has the advantages of both local and cloud. Usually, all the hardware for backups are located on site but is replicated to the cloud.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jonathan is an infrastructure technology professional with success in multiple industries. From defense to corporate America, technical experience is reinforced with process management and IT architectural design. Experience leverages strengths with business disaster response and providing timely and relevant solutions to industry professionals. He holds certifications through Microsoft and CompTIA. Jonathan is based out of the Oklahoma City office.