For staff responsible for
data backup on multiple systems, it is strongly recommended that they use a strong strategy. This tip provides them with seven rules for an effective data backup process.
When dealing with
data backup, consistency is not only an advantage, but also a necessity.
If staff cannot handle all aspects of backup and recovery consistently throughout the organization, backups will become more difficult to handle. Next time you need to restore from these backups, you may find yourself facing more trouble.
Consistency is not as easy as using a tape drive and a computer. The world today is changing faster than before. In addition to the regular business readjustment that must be reflected in the backup, it is also necessary to understand new concepts such as information lifecycle management, new platforms such as cloud computing, and new rules such as GDPR all need to change the backup strategy.
Equally important, companies often need to back up multiple systems or types of databases. Although consolidated backup is a major trend, there are still multiple backup systems to manage in many enterprises. The job of the storage administrator is to keep everyone on the same page and keep it there.
Regardless of whether the worker is responsible for backups on one system or multiple systems, he needs not only backup strategies, but also an easy-to-understand data backup process to set these strategies. Follow the following seven rules to get on the right track.
1. Develop a consistent policy
If not, the staff process should encourage the use of a consistent backup strategy across all servers and backup devices in the enterprise. This is not always possible, especially in the case of mixed backup equipment, such as using a disk library to back up data centers and cloud computing backups for remote offices.
Generally, the strategy is a low-level standard, usually set in the backup software, and the data backup process is to determine the high-level structure of the strategy. So in backup, process management strategy.
Therefore, for people's purposes, "backup strategy" refers to the rules that control the actual backup. These are usually enforced by the software under term policy management. The data backup process is the method used to set the strategy.
2. Make sure the strategy is clear and easy to implement
A policy that people do not always follow because it is confusing, and it is no better than no policy at all. Ideally, everyone should understand the policy and why it exists. This means giving reasons in writing.
Backup involves critical data. Employees should recognize the importance of data and the backup and recovery process. The organization should continuously update data backup procedures and review them with employees.
3. Establish indicators
Effective procedures have clear, measurable and appropriate inspection methods to ensure compliance with policies. Modern backup software with automatic policy management functions helps a lot.
Testing the data backup process, like testing the overall recovery plan, is the key to an organization's understanding that it can properly follow a strategy in the event of a data loss.
4. Try to get the staff out of the loop
A good strategy will try to get people out of the backup process because the machine is more reliable. Due to economic or other reasons, it is usually impossible or impossible to completely eliminate humans from the process, but minimizing its impact should be a program goal.
Whether it is hourly, daily or weekly, organizations should have full confidence in their backup software, whether it is performing differential backups, incremental backups or full backups. However, staff should always check whether the backup is normal.
5. Gather continuous feedback
An effective data backup program can create strategies that respond to the real world. This means that companies need to work hard to understand the actual operation of the policy from front-line personnel.
Ideally, this is more than a passive effort. Storage management personnel should actively seek the opinions of people affected by stakeholders, especially those of staff.
6. Get support
Maybe people have heard of it before: get support from the people who do this work. However, this is particularly important here, because many backup and restore failures have human error as the root cause. In addition, another common cause of backup problems is usually the direct result of human error. It is well known that human error can be affected by human commitment to this process.
If the staff does not accept, then the backup failure rate will be higher. This is a special problem of remote backups when the person performing the backup does not belong to the storage organization and running the backup is a secondary job.
7. As technology and demand change, easily change policies
The purpose of the data backup process is to facilitate the establishment of a good strategy. A good policy is a policy that reflects and adapts to the actual needs of the organization. Slow, inflexible and overly bureaucratic policy-making procedures will hinder rather than help achieve this goal.
As threats and backup technologies continue to evolve, the data backup process must also adapt. Ensure that the process of the organization is up to date and up to date in the face of technology. If workers are in a backup and recovery situation involving critical data, they need to be prepared to recover quickly and efficiently.
