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What is the best way to test backups without affecting production systems?

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As a database administrator, you know how important it is to have reliable backups of your data. But how do you make sure that your backups are actually working and can be restored in case of a disaster? Testing your backups is the only way to verify their integrity and functionality, but you don't want to risk affecting your production systems or wasting valuable resources. In this article, you will learn what is the best way to test backups without affecting production systems, and what tools and techniques you can use to automate and simplify the process.

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Khushal Mistry

Information Security | ISMS | ISO 27001 | Cybersecurity | GRC

1 Why test backups?

Testing backups is not only a good practice, but also a requirement for many compliance standards and regulations. By testing your backups, you can ensure that your data is consistent, complete, and recoverable, and that you can meet your recovery objectives and service level agreements. Testing backups can also help you identify and fix any issues or errors in your backup strategy, such as missing files, corrupted data, or incompatible formats. Testing backups can also give you confidence and peace of mind that you are prepared for any emergency or outage.

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Sachin Krishnan

Technical specialist - Unix/DB / Oracle DBA
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Testing backup and recovery scenarios is very important for a DBA and how much we can rely on backups. 1)Backups can be tested without affecting prod systems by triggering a backup when system is least loaded. Database won't be loaded all the time; taking a backup after the business hours make sure we aren't hampering DB performance. 2)We really can't test a recovery in a prod system, but we can create a preprod environment where we can refresh the prod on a weekly basis to ensure preprod is in sync with prod. This ensures that our backup integrity is tested every week and whether is data is upto date till that point. This also ensures that production operation doesn't get hampered.

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2 How to test backups?

Testing backups is an important part of any backup strategy, and there are different methods and levels of testing depending on the type, frequency, and retention policy. Restore verification is the most basic and essential method, where a backup is restored to a different location or system and checked for functionality. Data validation involves comparing data in the backup with data in the production system to ensure they are identical. Recovery simulation is the most comprehensive method, where a disaster scenario is simulated and the backup is tested for functionality and performance in a production-like environment. This can be done using virtual machines, sandboxing, or cloning tools, or by setting up a separate test network or system.

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Henry Kelly

Director of IT Applications at Woodruff Arts Center
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There’s no substitute to cloning or creating a sandbox with the current backups, and seeing all the things that need to be updated in configuration of the DB or App to make it work on a different server. When this is well documented, and both the network admins and the app admins know what needs to happen, recovery can run a lot smoother, and testing backups can become more rote.

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3 What are the challenges of testing backups?

Testing backups can be difficult due to time and resource constraints, as well as security and privacy risks. It can take a lot of time and resources to test backups, especially when dealing with large or complex data sets. Additionally, testing backups on external or shared systems or networks can lead to unauthorized access or misuse of sensitive data. Human errors and oversights are also common when testing backups, such as forgetting to test regularly, skipping some backup files, or using outdated test procedures and tools. These challenges make it important to plan ahead and take the necessary precautions when testing backups.

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4 What are the best practices of testing backups?

To ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of your backups, you should plan and document a backup testing strategy that aligns with your backup policy and business requirements. Automating and scheduling backup testing tasks can save time and resources, as well as reduce human errors. Additionally, it is important to isolate and secure the backup testing environment by using encryption, authentication, or firewall. Finally, make sure to delete or wipe all test data after testing is complete. Following these best practices can help you overcome the challenges of testing backups.

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Khushal Mistry

Information Security | ISMS | ISO 27001 | Cybersecurity | GRC
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Document Procedures:Document the testing procedures and results for reference and improvement. Security Verification:Confirm that restored data retains its security settings and access controls. Disaster Recovery Drills:Conduct disaster recovery drills to simulate real-world scenarios and assess the entire recovery process.

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5 What are the best tools for testing backups?

Testing backups is essential for ensuring the reliability and integrity of your backups. Depending on the type, format, and platform of your backups, there are various tools available to help you test them. Backup software such as Veeam, Acronis, or RMAN often have built-in features or options for testing backups, such as restore verification, data validation, or recovery simulation. Data comparison tools like WinMerge, Beyond Compare, or SQL Data Compare can help you compare the data in your backup with the data in your production system. Lastly, virtualization tools like VMware, Hyper-V, or VirtualBox can create and run virtual machines that can simulate your production environment and test your backup functionality and performance.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What is the best way to test backups without affecting production systems?

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6

1 Why test backups?

2 How to test backups?

3 What are the challenges of testing backups?

4 What are the best practices of testing backups?

5 What are the best tools for testing backups?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Database Administration

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What is the best way to test backups without affecting production systems?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Why test backups?

2 How to test backups?

3 What are the challenges of testing backups?

4 What are the best practices of testing backups?

5 What are the best tools for testing backups?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Database Administration

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