Backing up critical data is an extremely important aspect of any business’ infrastructure. Advancements in technology have made it easier than ever to backup critical data and restore things to normal should you experience data loss. But many companies aren’t sure how often to back up their data, or what data to back up. We’ll answer those questions.
First, let’s get into some basics about data backups. What exactly is a ‘backup’? A database backup is a essentially a direct copy of data. When the original data is lost or corrupted, a backup is used to recreate lost information or files within your database. In many databases, “this copy includes important parts of your database, such as the control file, archive logs and datafiles-structures” as explained by Oracle. In the event of a failure, the database backup is imperative in recovering your data.
So, if you’re not convinced already that database backups are important, we’ll explain further. Think of this scenario: your business is running along smoothly, everything is going great. Employees are rockstars, customers are grinning from ear to ear, and you’re sitting back in your chair ‘high-fiving’ yourself for a job well done. Then something happens. You don’t know why or how, but you’ve lost all the critical data your company uses to keep your employees rocking and your customers happy. Your online catalog now shows blank pictures, you can’t take orders, and you can hear money being flushed down the toilet. How could you have avoided this problem? How long will it be until we can return to business as usual? These are all important questions.
If you don’t have a backup of your data and database functions you could be in big, BIG trouble. Losing something doesn’t always mean you’ll get it back. However, if you had consistently backed up your data you would have been prepared for the situation. Sometimes, even a few minutes of downtime can be detrimental to a large company or organization, so it’s important that you can recover and restore the data as quickly as possible, having recent backups is critical.
Ok, so you now know that backing up your data is a critical part of running a successful business. But how do you know how often to back up your data? Another great question, of course. The answer is not so simple though. The frequency of backups is really tailored around your specific business requirements. If you’re unsure how often your organization needs to backup, you should rely on professional engineers like Neovera to create a “backup plan” for you and perform daily backups or other needs for your organization. Partners like Neovera can ensure that your business runs smoothly and help you avoid the technology headaches.