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Enterprise Backup Solutions: Why You Need One

You never know. A disaster can be right around the corner and sometimes even inevitable. In these situations, fortune favors those prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Posted on 26-Jul-2022

What’s the worst-case scenario? Well, In today’s tech-driven market, your data is one of the most important factors that decide your fate. There are few things worse than losing all of your valuable data and starting from scratch. 

It’s a terrifying image. But luckily, using an enterprise backup solution can help you prevent it from becoming a reality. In this article, we’ll discuss what enterprise backup is and why you need it.

What Is Enterprise Backup?
An enterprise data management and backup system is referred to as "Enterprise Backup."

Enterprise backup systems need computer hardware and software to transfer data from the central storage to a backup device. Hardware refers to the physical devices utilized to store data. Server networks and hard drives, for instance, are examples of hardware. An enterprise backup platform’s software, on the other hand, is system software. This software is developed to guide data transfer from one place to another.

Like everything else in the world today, enterprise backup systems have advanced at a dizzying pace in recent years. Data was formerly backed up on tape reels. Data is now stored on hard disks and even in the cloud.

With technology playing a more integral role in daily operations, the demand for enterprise-level backup and storage has intensified.

There’s a wide range of alternatives available nowadays. However, not all systems are made equal. Every business should consider its needs and weaknesses before opting for an enterprise backup solution when planning for a crisis.

Why You Need It
Business networks are becoming more sophisticated, and they’re using larger volumes of data. Consequently, network infrastructure becomes a vital component in ensuring that operations continue to run smoothly.

Can you imagine how your company would react in the event of a major data loss? For example, in a worst-case scenario, data sets may get entirely erased from the company’s backup storage. Depending on the amount of data loss resulting from this incident, a company may have to start from scratch.

Just like planning ahead for natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, etc., your company needs to develop contingency plans to secure its data. Among the most optimal options is an enterprise backup solution.

How It Works
Enterprise backup solutions, as alluded to before, rely on a tiered backup architecture. The data is initially backed up on a central storage device. This data is later transferred to a secondary device, providing extra data security.

Of course, this isn’t as easy as simply transferring files from one computer to another. Corporate network technology has progressed, right along with the technology utilized for enterprise backup. A breakdown of the various components of an enterprise backup system is delineated in the following:

Software & Hardware
Both hardware and software are essential for an enterprise backup system. The hardware, or more specifically, the disk drives, consist of the data’s exact location. Software, on the other hand, plays an equally valuable role. It specifies how data moves from one piece of hardware to another.

Data Transfer
Data movement refers to how the software will move data from one storage device to another. Previously, this task was undertaken by special devices that copied data from the primary software entirely and directly. This method is both time-consuming and costly.

However, technology is evolving, and a centralized storage device now handles data movement. Nevertheless, the method of transferring that data into the final storage device is different for every backup system. Despite advancements in data transfer and storage technology, copying the data of a complete system takes time and effort.

Data Administration
The data must be organized once it’s been moved to the backup system. Specifically, the data packet must be categorized and filed where it’s able to be easily retrieved later.

As a result, an enterprise backup system will also serve as a database. This database is capable of retrieving stored data rapidly and precisely. It also usually features properties that allow the user to search for names, date changes, certain periods in time, and a number of other specifics.

You can also limit redundant backed-up data with data management. Some data management software, for example, enables you to decide how many versions of a file can be stored. This reduces the storage space required.

Backup Management
Finally, an enterprise backup system must keep track of how data transfer and administration tasks are carried out.

Large data backups require a lot of network capacity. Consequently, it’s critical that the backup system’s numerous tasks are spread throughout the day. This enables the system to run smoothly and efficiently. The system can also reorder tasks to maximize resource efficiency.

Enterprise Backup Strategy
Assuming that all methods are essentially the same, it’s easy to overlook the importance of enterprise backup systems. However, this is far from reality; the corporate backup systems industry has developed to include multiple alternatives addressing a wide range of enterprise backup scenarios.

Among the chief reasons to deploy various backup methods is that businesses deal with increasing volumes of data every day. In light of the fact that transferring vast amounts of data in real-time could totally freeze some smaller infrastructures, you need a solid network infrastructure to secure reliable backups.

Basic Components
Essentially, the enterprise backup strategy must serve as the primary reference point for all backup-related issues and as a single system of records.

Here are several simple points you can incorporate into your enterprise backup strategy:

• A time interval between backups
• The person who’s in charge of your backups
• The data intended for backup
• The target location of backed up files
• The person responsible for monitoring backups
• The time required for data recovery

This is just a preliminary idea of what a backup plan could entail.

Best Practices
There’s significant disagreement when it comes to what to include (or not include) in a backup strategy. Now, let’s take a look at some of the best practices for an enterprise backup strategy

• Always test backups. Backup testing is among the most critical components of any backup strategy. Avoiding complete backup verification even once could ultimately be why your company is left with nothing. A distorted or flawed backup can be a disaster that’s easy to avoid. Being exposed to circumstances like these is not a wise backup strategy.
• Consider various security levels for different data. It’s safe to say that not all of your data is equally important. This means you may want to back up many sensitive files more frequently than others. This can also be a component of your backup strategy. Besides, there are many solutions available that can assist you in tracking down your data, classifying it according to its significance, and establishing a backup schedule specifically for this data type.
• Consider the various types of data in your business. True, we regularly deal with data stored on a company’s computers and other devices. Still, it’s also essential to note that some of your key information, such as official documents, contracts, and so on, may not even have a digital form, to begin with.

Why You Need an Enterprise Solution
It’s true that some business owners aren’t willing to spend resources on enterprise backup. However, they should know that while there may be a cost to implementing such strategies, the price is a small fraction of what they have to pay if they lose all data and have to start the entire business from scratch.  

If you don’t have a solid contingency plan or cannot afford to risk data security, it’s time to look at an enterprise backup solution. The reason? Please read on.

1. It Can Improve Speed & Reliability
   A backup solution is useless unless it can recover and restore data quickly and reliably. It’s impossible to recover individual files manually without wasting storage space on duplicate or unimportant data. But, when using an enterprise backup solution, especially a cloud-based one, it’s pretty easy to recover data.

2. It’s Scalable
   Where do you see your company in 12 months? How about the next 5 to 10 years? It’s difficult to predict how much growth you’ll experience.

   You may have been thinking about investing in on-site infrastructure. However, aside from being incredibly time-consuming and expensive, on-site facilities cannot adapt to your changing needs unless you put in additional resources for extra upgrades. 

   Using an enterprise backup solution eliminates all such problems. You obtain access to a modern third-party system equipped with the latest technologies, simultaneously highly scalable to your needs as well as competitively priced. 

3. You Only Pay for What You Need
   If you’ve ever looked at traditional enterprise backup systems, then you know that the price is beyond the budget of many small and medium-sized companies. Why? Because the system was often too advanced, with many features that a small business didn’t need but had to pay for anyway. 

   That’s not the case with cloud-based solutions because they can be adjusted to your specific needs and objectives. Simply stated, you won’t have to spend extra money on stuff you rarely need. 

4. Frees Up Your Time & Focus
   IT experts are too valuable to waste their time working on data recovery and backup in this day and age. By utilizing in-house resources, businesses are diverting time and energy from the most crucial aspect of their operation (generating revenue). 

   However, with an enterprise solution, the company gains access to a skillful team of professionals able to handle all matters related to data backup. That, along with built-in scalability, gives the IT team hours of free time every day to laser-focus on the core pillars of your business. 

Bottom Line
Any IT expert interested in incorporating enterprise backup into their daily operations should be aware of the distinctions between the various systems available. In recent years, the market has changed dramatically. Consequently, not every solution will be ideal for your requirements.

Plus, developing your own backup solution is a difficult task requiring extensive knowledge of a wide range of topics. In addition, you need to consider numerous possibilities and potential outcomes to be prepared for just about anything.

If you’re in the market for a comprehensive enterprise backup solution able to be tailored to your backup strategy, you should consult with us at IMTS Solutions. We provide a multifunctional solution providing you with all the above benefits. Please contact us and don’t worry about data security ever again!