I am relentless. I’m always pounding people to back up. And I will continue to do so!
Because, if you care about it, then back it up!
Simple as that.
So let’s talk. (Yes, I’m talking to you, my non-technical friend.)
You’re not a techie, I get that. Can’t be bothered, I get that. Very busy, I get that. But let me just say this – you are going to be busier if you lose access to your enterprise file sharing account, or lose your laptop on the train.
Ok, so I’ve backed up my data. Will you stop nagging me now?
NO!
So I’ve lied. It’s actually not as simple as that.
Because merely backing up your data is NOT ENOUGH!
You need to test it regularly. Because if you don’t, then it is as good as not having one in the first place!
Don’t understand? Let me walk you through a little story:
You’re driving along the highway when suddenly, you hear an ominous sound coming from the rear of your car: thumpa-ta, thumpa-ta, thumpa-ta. What could it be? A bird? A barrel? An astronaut?! I’m kidding – it’s just a flat tire. Well, that’s not a problem because you remember placing a spare in your boot 3 years ago. “Let me just pull over.” But lo and behold, your emergency spare is flat too!
Familiar story?
Data Backup is Not Enough!
Similarly, your company may already have a data backup plan set in place. But there is one thing that is often overlooked even by the best decision makers or leaders – regular testing.
If I am being honest, I must admit that it is so easy to skip the testing process because of how time-consuming it is to do so. However, this is a necessary action to take in order to ensure success if and when you actually do need to retrieve your backup.
The base line is this – Every Business needs a Business Continuity Plan!
I mean, if you want to minimize loss and downtime in an event of a disaster, you need a proper plan set in place to successfully recover your company’s data fast. And if you’ve never tested your data recovery solution, I am sorry to say that there is a higher chance of it failing when you need it the most (thanks to this thing called “Murphy’s Law”).
Disaster? What Disaster?
We are fortunate.
We do not experience disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, or fires. But that doesn’t mean we do not experience disasters at all?
When it comes to losing data, there is a long list on how it can be done, including but not exclusive to:
Accidental deletion
Bugs in your software
Cloud security breach
Hardware failure
Human error
If one of these or another situation renders your data unusable or unreachable, your business’s fate hangs on the reliability of your backup systems.
So what can you do?
Testing your Backup is the Way to Go
At this point in time, if you are frantically searching for ways to increase the reliability and success of your data recovery solution, let me just save you the trouble by telling you point-blank that testing is the only way to go.
Imagine this scenario: one of your employees accidentally typed the wrong code and now your whole company’s system has crashed. You try to run your disaster recovery solution only to realize it can’t run because your application is 3 versions behind the latest one!
What happens next? You panic, you incur downtime, you lose potential customers, your company now flat lines, and you sourly regret not testing your disaster recovery solution regularly.
Testing your Backup isn’t a One-Time Task
Now, if you think you just need to test it once in decades, then you are poorly mistaken.
Testing your data backup solution is NOT a one-time task you do after you get your disaster recovery solution set up. It needs to be done REGULARLY!
If not, your backup data may be missing, outdated or defective when you actually do need to recover it.
Now, in a perfect world, you would run backup and recovery testing every time your system completed a backup. However, this is seldom a practical answer because ain’t nobody got time for that.
So according to the wisdom amongst IT professionals around the world, the minimum testing cycle is once per quarter.
At eVantage Technology, we think there’s no harm in testing more often than this. I mean, its always better to be safe than sorry!
It may sound like a lot of work and effort to test your backup, especially if you are a large company spread out over multiple locations. However, this is not a good excuse to put off testing.
For example, if you have a large and spread out system, consider using a structured plan to test portions of your system one at a time.
Sometimes, You just have to Outsource
We can talk all day about the importance of testing your company’s backup solution, but the bottom line is that it will only get done if your company’s leaders value testing and are intent on doing it.
If adding another responsibility like this onto your already overflowing plate seems too burdensome, then outsource it to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) like eVantage Technology.
At eVantage Technology, we don’t just sell you a backup solution, pack our bags and be on our way. Instead, with our Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) solution, our IT experts do proactive data backup monitoring, testing and restoration, that lets you be assured your company is in safe hands!
Depending on your company’s size, needs and budget, our BCDR solution is comprehensive, customized and cost-effective to suit any business’s requirements. Fundamentally, there needs to be regular testing and restoration process to ensure the integrity of the backup data.
Basically, a robust and reliable Data Backup and Recovery solution is critical in rescuing your Business and getting it online as soon as possible when disaster strikes.
Your Company now can handle the worst!
Sometimes, you just got to channel your inner superman!
If you want to equip your business with a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) plan, and never have to second guess if your company would be able to survive a disaster, then click the green button below now!
eVantage Technology is a professional and trusted IT solutions provider, dedicated to providing exceptional service to companies in Singapore and across Asia.