Data Backup Done Right

Most business owners and IT department heads will recognize the critical importance of backing up company data. You probably do, too, especially if you've heard your share of horror stories about companies shutting down for good due to catastrophic data loss. But simply running those backups isn't enough – you also have to make absolutely sure that they're done right.

Here's an explanation of some common backup mistakes that our Austin business IT support team at Gravity Systems can help you avoid.

Mistake #1: Scheduling backups too infrequently. A comprehensive weekly backup may sound like a good idea, but what shape would your business be in if that catastrophic failure occurred on Day 6? Never schedule your backups further apart than the period of data your business can actually afford to lose.

Mistake #2: Not monitoring backup progress. Automatic timed backups can be wonderfully convenient – but they also encourage a “set it and forget it” approach to your IT monitoring. Unfortunately, an unmonitored backup may get interrupted, corrupting data or causing the backup to fail completely. This not only leaves you unprotected, but it may cause all your future backups to go bad as well. Always watch the backup to make sure it actually finishes properly.

Mistake #3: Not testing backups. Your backup appears to have reached a successful conclusion. But do you really know whether it'll restore your data as it should? Things can and do go wrong even in apparently successful backups, so always run a test to see if you can actually use that backup.

The easiest way to steer clear of all these potential pitfalls is to leave your organization's backups to the experts at Gravity Systems. We have two decades of experience at scheduling, monitoring and testing our clients' backups on a regular basis. Contact us today!