WHAT YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE CHOOSING (OR UPGRADING) YOUR DATA BACKUP SOLUTION (PART 1)

In 2019, 42% of companies experienced a data loss event that resulted in downtime. That high number may seem at odds with the fact that nearly 90% of all companies are backing up the IT components they’re responsible for protecting, only 41% back up daily. This can leave many businesses vulnerable to data gaps that are often difficult if not impossible to recover. Costly downtime and operational challenges can result.

As with many business- and IT-related issues, the best solution is a proactive one:
namely to prevent potential problem by more comprehensively considering your growing company’s needs as well as the pros and cons of available solutions. As the wise proverb puts it, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure..

Some factors to consider discussing with your IT consultant and/or detailing in your RFP:

Your Recovery Point Objective (RPO): RPO addresses how long it will take to get applications and systems back up and running as soon as possible within the pre-defined timeframe. Are two days acceptable? Is a week? Obviously, a backup solution that enables you to bounce back in minimal time is more valuable (and typically more expensive solution than one that’s substantially slower.

Your Recovery Time Objective (RTO): RTO designates the amount of “real time” that can pass before the disruption begins to seriously and unacceptably interfere with the flow of normal business operations.

Please note that RPOs and RTOs might vary for different files. For example, invoicing, payment processing, and team collaboration apps might demand very short RPO and RTO parameters. The best backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solutions strike the right balance between RPO, RTO, and cost to operate, and they are able to put the right priority (and cost) towards the data that is most critical.

Multi-Platform Compatibility: Your backup solution should support databases wherever they’re hosted (and on any platform), including managed database services (also called database as a service or DBaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments.

Application Compatibility: Backup solutions that are application-aware can generate consistent backups while requiring minimal downtime from critical database and other enterprise products.

Performance and Scalability: You don’t want a short-sighted backup solution—so do it right the first time! Make sure it checks all of the following boxes:

• Compliance with industry standards
• Rapid and flexible recovery options
• Self-service backup and recovery
• Protection against malware
• Auto-discovery (provides the option to automatically find applications on servers and install agents that can back them up)
• Reporting and planning

That’s quite a lot, admittedly— but it isn’t everything. Next month, we’ll detail some additional prerequisites for choosing an IT backup solution you can live with happily ever after. Stay tuned!

Shield Information Solutions provides client-focused “all-in-one” managed IT management services to organizations in diverse industries in the lower Hudson Valley and Bergen County area. Our experience, expertise, and proactive approach help ensure several substantial benefits, including: more predictable monthly IT costs; proactive monitoring and maintenance; regular software updates; optimal return on IT investment; and minimal downtime. If you’re looking for an IT partner with a backup plan that fully protects your business while lowering your monthly costs, please call Lee Sentell at 845-613-0600 or visit shieldinformation.com.