BEST PRACTICES FOR BACKUP

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1 BEST PRACTICES FOR BACKUP

2 BACKUP, DEFINED Organizational data is a highly valuable business asset that exists in many forms customer information, financial records, inventory data, human resources records, and so on. Losing this critical information could cause many organizations to go out of business. At a fundamental level, data backup refers to the act of copying information to a secondary medium and storing it separately from the primary source. By backing up information, your business is protected from data loss due to a variety of threats, such as: human error, file corruption, theft, virus, hacker attack, power outage, natural disasters, and technology failure. Yet backup is about more than copying and storing data. A business must also adopt a cataloguing and retrieving strategy to ensure data security, handle growing data volume, recover data quickly, and in some cases, meet regulatory compliance requirements. FROM LEGACY TO NEXT GENERATION Tape, with its high capacity capabilities and relatively low cost, is still viewed as a viable solution for long-term high-volume storage requirements. Simple tape backups have progressed to larger tape backup systems. Yet tape also has its drawbacks: backups and restores can take up to ten times longer than using digital methods; as data grows, the media management costs associated with tape also escalate; manual tape handling can expose businesses to security and corruption risks; backup bottlenecks are being created by server virtualization. Backup technology is rapidly evolving to keep pace with the ever-growing volume of data organizations are producing. Today, many businesses are moving away from their legacy systems by deploying innovative data migration technologies, thereby reducing data centre and data restoration costs, and increasing overall efficiency Town East Beaver Centre Creek Blvd., Road Suite Unit 201, #8, Markham, Richmond Ontario Hill, Ontario, L3R 0Y6Canada L4B 1G8 Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com

3 You may be facing the decision of what to do with your organization s tape-based legacy backup data. ADVANTAGES OF A MODERN BACKUP STRATEGY Next generation backup solutions tend to be based on software-defined storage strategies and are menu-driven, enabling you to deploy what s best for your particular business environment. Deduplication is a key aspect of modern backup solutions, and it has several upsides. When redundant data is deduplicated before it is saved to disk, the size of the backup is dramatically reduced. That means faster backups, quicker and more reliable restores, and the ability to retain backups for a longer period of time without incurring additional costs and risks Town East Beaver Centre Creek Blvd., Road Suite Unit 201, #8, Markham, Richmond Ontario Hill, Ontario, L3R 0Y6Canada L4B 1G8 Toll-Free: Toll-Free: T: T: F: F: E: E: info@blairtechnology.com

4 Other advantages of leading-edge backup strategies include: Faster offsite data replication means dramatically increased bandwidth efficiency and tape-free disaster recovery. A unified approach to backup, with web-based tools and dashboards results in simplified data management and recovery. Centralized enterprise-wide backup eliminates the need for local tape backups and offsite tape shipments, which reduces complexity and boosts efficiency East Town Beaver Centre Creek Blvd., Road Suite Unit 201, #8, Markham, Richmond Ontario Hill, Ontario, L3R 0Y6 Canada L4B 1G8 Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com

5 KEY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CHOOSING A BACKUP VENDOR An expert backup partner should provide these essential services: BLAIR BEST PRACTICES FOR BACKUP At Blair, we understand the importance of deploying a platform that will grow and scale with your business. By approaching backup in a holistic way, we ensure the solution supports the legacy platforms in which you have invested, and also supports newer technologies like virtualized infrastructures and the cloud. Our strong vendor partnerships allow us to offer the best possible technology solutions for your needs, but it s our methodology and services that deliver incremental value. Blair looks beyond technology we consult with you to gain a true understanding of your business and your organizational data. We re then able to recommend a backup solution that will protect your business from data loss and its consequences. In some cases, our East Town Beaver Centre Creek Blvd., Road Suite Unit 201, #8, Markham, Richmond Ontario Hill, Ontario, L3R 0Y6 Canada L4B 1G8 Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com Toll-Free: T: F: E: info@blairtechnology.com

6 recommendation may include selected managed services. And we take it one step further: we develop and document best practices to ensure the uninterrupted operation of your backup solution. A solid backup foundation is a precursor to high availability and business continuity. Each organization is unique, so it stands to reason their backup solutions should be one-of-a-kind too. Seeking out the expertise of a qualified professional will ensure your business has a fully operational and secure backup solution. Talk to Blair about the best backup approach for your business. ABOUT BLAIR TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS Founded in 1996, Blair Technology Solutions are experienced and trusted advisors who work collaboratively with you to develop customized IT solutions, expressly tailored to your business requirements. Our highly trained and qualified team provides professional expertise and innovative solutions, which are designed to maximize your business results East Town Beaver Centre Creek Blvd., Road Suite Unit 201, #8, Markham, Richmond Ontario Hill, Ontario, L3R 0Y6 Canada L4B 1G8 Toll-Free: T: F: F: E: E: info@blairtechnology.com