If your company has (and regularly updates) a traditional file and folder backup system, then you’re certainly on the right track when it comes to minimizing downtime and improving business continuity. However, if that’s all you have for a backup system, it simply isn’t enough.
Think for a minute about how much your company relies on hardware and software to operate. If your servers all shut down right this very moment, would you still be able to run your business? Not really. When servers crash, it’s like your business simply vanishes. Your web address brings up an error for customers, your customer service agents can’t answer questions, and your sales team is unable to sell because they can’t process any orders. Hardware and/or software failure is detrimental to your business, and even a single hour can have a tremendous impact on your reputation.
You’ve probably heard a lot about cloud-based backups. Essentially, these services allow you to set up a bit of software that automatically sends and syncs your data with a cloud service provider. Then, in the event that a disaster strikes or your servers go down, you can simply recover your content and pick up where you left off – right? Not exactly. Unfortunately, recovering from a disaster by downloading your content from an online service provider takes ages. Your goal is to make sure you get your business up and running with as little downtime as possible.
Physical data storage is a much better choice for your backups. Colocation provides you with more benefits, since you can rent space for backup servers and other hardware in a different location. You can choose to manage these servers on your own, or you could pay the colocation facility to manage them for you. Alternatively, subscribing to a Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) service is another great way to recover from failed hardware and/or software. BDR solutions are typically fully managed on your behalf. BDR services provide very fast onsite and offsite recovery of your servers. Either way, if your hardware or software system fails on-site, you have replicated system on a server in another facility ready to go. This creates almost no downtime whatsoever, which is ideal when it comes to business continuity.
There’s no doubt that creating copies of entire servers and storing them in colocation facilities is an investment. However, you can rest comfortably in the knowledge that in the event of a disaster, it’s one of the best investments you’ll ever make. You have choices available to you, as well. For example, if you already have your own servers, you can simply rent the space on the facility racks. If you don’t have servers, you may be able to rent them from the company you choose or subscribe to a Backup and Disaster Recovery service. There are many options available to fit your company’s unique needs and budget.
Although a file and folder backup system is a great first step in protecting your business continuity in the event of a disaster or hardware failure, it isn’t enough on its own. Redundancy is vital to the success of your business in the event of an emergency, and there are companies out there that can provide just the right solution for your needs.
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