Hybrid Server Managed Backup Solutions

If a server does not have a backup and crashes, all data could be lost. Even if data could be recovered, data recovery can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars – and include possible downtime of several days or more. The hard drive that stores the data is a moving part, that will eventually deteriorate, fail, and require replacement. When this time comes it is very important to have a backup. (Proactive measures can be taken to determine when a drive is failing – which we cover with our Server Monitoring package)

A backup solution protects from data loss in the event of server failure. A managed backup solution provides monitoring of the backup – confirming it is working as expected. It is very important to monitor the backup solution for failures. It is common for a non-managed backup solution to have an issue and stop backing up, making the backup setup useless.  CSSI’s managed backup solution monitors the backup, confirming the backup is completing and the backup software is working appropriately.

CSSI recommends a hybrid local and cloud backup as this combination offers protection from most types of possible hardware or software failures. After the initial setup, CSSI will manage both the local and cloud backups for you – looking for issues on a daily basis and doing any maintenance necessary.

Local Backup: The local backup provides a complete backup of your server to an external hard drive or local backup server. A local backup has many advantages: Restoring from a local backup is faster than from a cloud backup. Additionally, local backup allows full restoration of an entire server, while a cloud backup typically provides file-level backup. A disadvantage of local backup is that it does not protect from fire or other damages to the hardware. To address this disadvantage, CSSI recommends the local backup drive be rotated out weekly to provide full offsite redundancy for your server. If a fire destroyed the backup drive you could restore the server from the offsite backup drive, but the files would be out of date. This is where cloud backup has advantages.

Cloud Backup: The cloud backup provides a file-level backup of your server to a secure and encrypted cloud storage. Cloud backup protects from physical destruction like tornadoes or fire and has the advantage of always being up-to-date. A disadvantage of cloud backup is that it can’t typically do full server backup – just file level.

Solution – Hybrid Managed Backup Solution (Local and Cloud Backup)

CSSI manages and provides all labor, hardware and software required for multiple levels of backup.  Protects the server, user information on server, and files.

• Backup of server including different facets required for server
• Managed – monitor the daily, weekly, and monthly operations of each backup level
• All hardware and subscriptions provided and managed by CSSI
• Multiple level backup AND multiple generation backup
  • Local Backups
    • Backup of everything listed below
    • Rotating hard drives (daily backup, approximately 2-month history kept, rotated onsite)
    • Drive rotated by designated client user (CSSI does all the server and software – client just has to plug in cable periodically)
  • Additional Cloud backups
    • All client data (file shares)
    • Does exclude some server/IT information
    • This additional redundancy is a cloud based backup service with additional daily backup and approximately 3 week history kept
  • Complete CSSI management of the backup process, ongoing audit and checks of backup
  • CSSI availability for support from simple deleted file restore to recovery of an entire server
  • Items to be backed up
    • Server Operating System
    • User database
    • Shared files
    • Server configuration information (also includes IT information and assets like DNS, DHCP, Group Policy and other data as appropriate)

Interested in securing your data? Contact CSSI, in Lexington, Kentucky, and a technician will reach out to you!