What are the best backup and recovery protocols for handling network failures and recoveries?

1 Types of backups

There are different types of backups that you can use to protect your data from network failures and recoveries. The most common ones are full backups, incremental backups, and differential backups. A full backup copies all the data from the source to the destination, and it's usually done periodically or on a schedule. An incremental backup copies only the data that has changed since the last backup, and it's usually done more frequently or after every change. A differential backup copies the data that has changed since the last full backup, and it's usually done daily or weekly. Each type of backup has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of storage space, speed, and recovery time.

2 Recovery point objective and recovery time objective

When designing your backup and recovery protocol, you need to consider two important metrics: the recovery point objective (RPO) and the recovery time objective (RTO). The RPO is the maximum amount of data that you can afford to lose in case of a network failure or recovery. The RTO is the maximum amount of time that you can tolerate to restore your data and resume normal operations after a network failure or recovery. These metrics depend on your business needs, your budget, and your risk tolerance. For example, if you have a critical system that handles sensitive or financial data, you might want a low RPO and RTO, which means more frequent and reliable backups. If you have a less critical system that handles non-essential or static data, you might be okay with a higher RPO and RTO, which means less frequent and cheaper backups.

3 Backup media and location

Another factor that you need to consider when choosing your backup and recovery protocol is the backup media and location. The backup media is the physical or virtual device that stores your backup data, such as a hard drive, a tape, a CD, a DVD, a flash drive, or a cloud service. The backup location is the physical or virtual place where you keep your backup media, such as a local server, a remote server, a data center, or a cloud provider. The backup media and location affect the security, accessibility, and durability of your backup data. For example, if you use a hard drive as your backup media and store it in a local server, you might have fast and easy access to your backup data, but you might also risk losing it if the local server fails or gets damaged. If you use a cloud service as your backup media and store it in a remote server, you might have more secure and durable backup data, but you might also face slower and more expensive access to your backup data.

4 Backup encryption and compression

One way to enhance the security and efficiency of your backup and recovery protocol is to use backup encryption and compression. Backup encryption is the process of converting your backup data into a secret code that only you or an authorized party can decipher. Backup compression is the process of reducing the size of your backup data by eliminating redundant or unnecessary information. Backup encryption and compression can help you protect your backup data from unauthorized access, theft, or modification, and also save you storage space, bandwidth, and cost. However, backup encryption and compression can also introduce some challenges, such as performance degradation, compatibility issues, and key management. Therefore, you need to weigh the benefits and risks of backup encryption and compression, and choose the appropriate methods and tools for your backup and recovery protocol.

5 Backup verification and testing

The last step in your backup and recovery protocol is to verify and test your backup data. Backup verification is the process of checking the integrity and validity of your backup data, such as by comparing the checksums, hashes, or signatures of the source and the destination. Backup testing is the process of simulating or performing a recovery from your backup data, such as by restoring it to a different system or environment. Backup verification and testing can help you ensure that your backup data is complete, accurate, and usable, and also identify and fix any errors, issues, or gaps in your backup and recovery protocol. You should verify and test your backup data regularly, preferably before and after every backup or recovery operation, and also document and report the results and feedback.

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?