3 File Management Tips to Keep Your Electronic Files Organized
Data backups and replication aren't the same. There are important differences in what they are used for and how they are set up. Most businesses need both, but to know for sure, you need to know the differences.
Data Backups
Data backups involve copying both critical and non-critical data periodically. They are typically performed once a day, but it can be more or less often, depending on a company’s needs. Achievement Solution copies most of our clients’ data once-per-hour, so you always have less work to do in case of an outage.
Once created, the backup files are stored on a storage device, which can be located onsite, offsite (e.g., online, at a company facility in a different part of the country), or both. However, only storing the backup files onsite is not ideal. If a natural disaster such as a flood or tornado strikes, both the original data and the backup files could be destroyed.
It is relatively inexpensive to perform and store data backups. Plus, they are well suited for compliance with government and industry regulations, as the backup files can be kept for as long as needed. However, data backups do not ensure continuity of operations if there is a disaster or system failure since it can take a while to set up a new system and restore the data from the backup files.
Replication
Replication involves copying and moving data to a secondary system, usually in near real-time. Replication is typically used for critical data that must always be available.
The replicated data is kept in an offsite secondary system, which is identical to the primary system. As soon as a change is made to the data on the primary system, it is permanently made to the data in the secondary system. As a result, there are no recovery points, which can be problematic. For example, if ransomware encrypts the data on the primary system, the encrypted data will be copied and moved to the secondary one. You can, however, combine replication with continuous data protection or snapshot technology to create recovery points to roll back to.
Replication solutions are designed to ensure that critical data and the applications used to work with that data are always available if there is a system failure or disaster. However, setting up and maintaining a replication solution can be expensive because the secondary system needs to be identical to the primary system.
What Should You Use?
Data backups and replication address different types of risks. Backups ensure that a business can recover its data after a system failure or disaster (disaster recovery), while replication ensures that critical data and applications are available for use if the primary system goes down (high availability).
Every business needs to be backing up its data regularly as well as making sure it can restore its data from those backups. A business might also need a replication solution if it has critical data and applications that always need to be available. If recovery points are created, the secondary system could serve as a backup mechanism for critical data. However, a data backup solution would still be needed for the business's non-critical data.
We can help you determine whether you need one or both solutions in your business. Achievement Solution provides fully-managed backup services, with both backup and replication built-in. We manage the entire solution for you, including testing the backups both onsite and in the cloud. Contact us for more information by calling 6295 5962 or email us at info@achievement.com.sg.
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