Key reasons why organizations need a managed backup service.
Given the rapid pace of technology innovation, there is a tendency to look for emerging solutions that will drive business benefits. That’s a good thing, as long as organizations don’t forget about the basics.
Data backup, for instance, is one of the more overlooked aspects of running a business — and yet, one could argue that it’s the single most critical function in IT. If an organization can’t recover its data when computers crash or disasters occur, its operations may not recover, either. If the organization should fall victim to a ransomware attack, a recent, secure backup may be its only hedge against extended downtime.
Despite improvements over the years, backup continues to be a frustrating and problematic process. Too often, legacy backup systems are unable to support growing data volumes and data types. Increased adoption of server virtualization and cloud services has only exacerbated the problem. Managed backup services offer relief from these headaches.
Overcoming Backup Challenges
Backup was relatively straightforward when each application had a dedicated server. The backup application could use most of the server’s CPU, memory and storage resources during the backup process.
That’s not possible with server virtualization, which enables multiple virtual machines (VMs) to run on one piece of hardware. Conventional backup solutions can cause resource contention that could compromise performance or even result in a server crash. There are various tools and techniques for backing up VMs, but they increase the complexity of the backup environment.
Many small to midsize enterprises (SMEs) lack the expertise and resources to handle backups effectively. That’s why more SMEs are outsourcing backup processes to a managed services provider (MSP). Qualified MSPs have expertise in a variety of backup solutions and will ensure that backups are completed and data can be restored if needed. Some offer turnkey solutions that include all hardware, software and services in an opex model. They may also incorporate cloud-based platforms for virtually unlimited storage.
Benefits of Managed Backup
Outsourcing backups to an MSP offers proven business and IT benefits. The most obvious advantage is improved data protection. Managed backup will protect critical data from loss and corruption, reducing risk and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Qualified MSPs use multifactor authentication, encryption and other security controls to prevent unauthorized access to their clients’ data.
Best-in-class managed backup services feature 24x7 monitoring and proactive management. If problems arise, the MSP will address them immediately. If data is lost or compromised, the MSP will work quickly to recover files and restore systems. This minimizes downtime and the business impact of a data loss event.
The right MSP will assess the IT environment and discuss data protection requirements with stakeholders. Based on these conversations, the MSP can help determine the recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO) for each system and data type. The MSP will ensure that data is backed up as frequently as needed to meet these KPIs, providing peace of mind and freeing in-house IT staff to focus on other responsibilities.
Ensuring Data Protection
Managed backup solutions offer a sensible approach that ensures comprehensive data protection. Best-in-class solutions create both local and offsite backups by combining backup appliances with replication to the cloud. The local appliance enables rapid recovery, while cloud replication ensures data is protected from a site disaster. The MSP verifies backups daily and conducts more detailed testing at regular intervals.
The backup software creates an image of the entire system, including the operating system, settings, software and data, then makes incremental backups according to RPO and RTO requirements. Applications and servers are always available because the backup process does not require system downtime, and data can be recovered quickly and easily.
Data backup is a critical operation, but increasing complexity is making it a pain for most organizations — particularly those without large IT staffs. However, SMEs can offload that complexity and gain a dependable and cost-effective solution with a managed backup approach. Qualified MSPs have a team of experts with the experience and focus to deliver a comprehensive data protection solution for protecting and restoring systems quickly and completely.