How long would it take to restore your data?

Your backup solution is vital in ensuring your business can continue to function should a crisis befall your systems. But do you know how long it would take to get back up and running if the worst happened?

When it comes to disaster recovery, many companies still have no discernible plan and, even those who run a nightly backup, are often unclear as to how long it might take to restore their data if ever this became necessary.

For example, in the case of a server crash where a tape backup is the only safeguard in place, it is not uncommon for the process to take several days, which is why it is important to understand the nature of your backup before things go wrong.

A common cause of confusion is the difference between backup software and imaging software, so we thought a simple explanation of the difference between these two technologies might be useful.

Backup versus imaging software

Backup software generally copies just your files to tape or disk. Many businesses opt for this method as a means of replicating data to keep it offsite, secure from the risks of fire and any other types of physical damage. It’s a fast and cost-effective solution for companies whose primary concern is safeguarding their information.

Users can control streaming from a mobile device or connect to Google Chrome on their laptops to stream a page from the internet straight to their television via Wi-Fi.

Google put the product on sale on 24th July and high demand saw it sell out on a number or sites, including Amazon. Initially, a three-month free subscription to Netflix was offered to entice customers, but this was quickly withdrawn after sales exceeded expectations.

On the other hand, imaging software offers a different solution which can make the disaster recovery process much faster. By taking incremental snapshots of your hard drive, your entire system – data and all – is replicated at regular intervals. Naturally, imaging solutions are more expensive and your investment decision should ultimately be a trade-off between cost and the downtime your business can sustain following a disaster.

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The most important thing is that you are clear about the system you are running and the likely timescales and sequence of events that would be necessary should you ever need to restore your data. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss any aspect of your backup or business continuity planning.