Backups in a Multi Cloud World

Backups. They are a chore, right up until the time you need to get some data restored. Then backups become the greatest thing ever! Backup up data used to be relatively simple. You had data on servers, or sometimes on desktops and laptops, and these were all backed up periodically to tape. The latest tape backups were stored offsite at a remote location (if you were doing it right!) in case there was a fire or similar disaster at the main site. Backing up in this scenario was an operations and logistics exercise.

With the increase in private networks, plus leased lines, and then the Internet, backup increasingly switched to syncing data over the network to remote locations. With tape backup still included in the mix for completeness and long-term archiving.

Today things are not as straightforward. The modern, hybrid and multi-cloud application environment many organisations use means that there are data silos spread over multiple locations and hosted by various public and private cloud providers. Even for servers that are hosted in traditional private data centres, there is a good chance they are virtual machines that can move and grow as demand fluctuates.

Modern backup requires solutions that can encompass this broad landscape of services and their data, and provide a centralised, simplified, and comprehensive view that captures everything that needs to be backed up. It also needs to allow for backup schedules that make sense for each system, and that doesn’t require extensive downtime in the 24/7 world most organisations operate. Thankfully this is a solved problem, and Renaissance plus our industry partner network have the backup tools to protect the data in organisations of any size. Contact us to discuss your needs or read on for some of the considerations that need addressing by a modern backup strategy.

Thinking Beyond Data Files

Obviously, at the core of all backup strategies is the need to ensure that all data is backed up. This data could be stored in multiple databases, in files on various file servers, as PDFs and images in document management systems, and also proprietary data files in bespoke applications. All these need to be backed up, and there needs to be the ability to quickly restore any piece of data when required.

Backup strategy can and should go further than this. We all remember the significant ransomware attacks of the last few years. These attacks often encrypt and lock PCs and servers. Often the only way to get them restored is to completely wipe infected machines and reinstall the operating system from scratch. This is a costly and time-consuming process (see the excellent book Sandworm by Andy Greenberg for discussion on how some multinationals recovered from ransomware infections, and the costs they incurred). Modern backup solutions can, and should, be used to periodically take images of servers and desktops. If a ransomware attack evades your security infrastructure (talk to us about our protections in this area as well), then these system images can be used to restore a system to before the ransomware infected it. It should be noted that these images are an adjunct to data backups. They do not replace them - you need both.

In addition to protecting against accidental data loss, and malicious attack, having good data backups and system images protects against disasters like fires and flooding. As such, the backups can play a significant part in any disaster recovery planning.

Backup Considerations

Here is a high-level list of some of the things that need consideration in a good backup strategy and solution.

Backup your public cloud service data. While it is the responsibility of providers like Microsoft with Microsoft 365 (Office 365 was recently renamed) to back up their data centres, and your data. This is for them to meet their SLAs with users. If you have your email on Microsoft 365, it is a good idea to back it up as part of your overall backup procedure. So you can restore individual mailboxes in your time frames.
Don’t rely on virtual machine snapshots. Most virtual machine platforms allow individual virtual machines to have state snapshots taken periodically. Don’t rely on these as backups. They are often chains of linked partial copies of the state of a virtual machine. If one part is lost or corrupted, then the snapshot is lost. Do real backups of virtual machines as if they were physical servers.
Don’t have a single backup. Always have more than one recent backup of the data that is important. Three backups in different places and on different mediums at all times would be our recommendation.
Periodically test that restores can be performed. Backups are useless if you can’t use them when a restore is needed. Frequent tests to ensure that data can be retrieved from backups is a core part of any backup strategy.
Monitor and manage backup storage. If a backup is done over a network, the disk space used on the remote device must be monitored. If it runs out of space during a backup, it may result in data loss if the backup is needed (also see the point above about having more than one backup in place!)
Make sure that the backup software is application aware. Some data in applications needs to be backed up in specific ways. Make sure that any applications you have are being backed up with specific plugins if they exist. Examples include Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server.
Be aware of the rate of change for a data set. If a data set is mainly static then the backup strategy for that data can be set accordingly. Similarly, if a data set is dynamic and changes very quickly (for example, an online shopping application), then the strategy might dictate frequent backups. One size doesn’t often fit all when data is backed up. With the proviso that all data should be backed up, so it can be restored to an agreed point in time.
Use a backup solution that’s understandable. The best backup strategy in the world will be worthless if the software in use is opaque and issues are not seen. Powerful yet simple to use is the way to go.

Backup Security

This point could have been included in the list above, but it is important enough to be split out. Backups contain the same information that you protect when in use on production systems. So they must get equal protection. Backup data should be encrypted at rest, and also in transit over the network to remote backup locations.

ClearCrypt Secure Storage

If you need to do backups for PCs, or indeed occasional data copies from servers, then the ClearCrypt secure portable storage family from Renaissance is an ideal choice. Each device hardware encrypts any data copied to it, and it can’t be accessed without knowing the PIN code that has to be physically typed using the hardware keypad on the device.

Conclusion

Backups are essential, and in the modern multi-cloud environment are complex. This complexity can be tamed, and Renaissance and our partners can ensure all your data is backed up and protected.