Disaster backup and recovery

Posted by Winnie Melda on January 22nd, 2019

Introduction

The primary concern of a database administrator is ensuring database uptime such as disaster recovery planning. Thus, an appropriate planning and the implementation of a full-scale disaster recovery solution must be readily available and also up-to-date at all times. Database backup refers to the processes of backing up data. It can involve copying and archiving the computer data so as to use it to restore the original data after a data loss event. Every company requires a backup plan so as to recover the data wiped out by an operator error, hardware failure, or virus.

Disaster backup

A backup refers to when one makes a copy of said files if the information gets lost or damaged on the computer. So as to ensure that one does not lose any important data, information, or files, it is necessary to be consistent in performing a backup of them. Backups tend to have two distinct purposes. The first purpose is to recover data from the loss of that data from maybe corruption or data deletion (Preston, 2009). The second aim of the backup is to recover data from an earlier time. Experts developed the backup software applications with the aim of helping reduce the complexity of performing backup and recovery operations. Data backup is part of disaster protection plan and it might not provide the level of disaster and data recovery capabilities needed without careful designing and testing (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015).

Testing the backups is essential as backing up. The aim of backing up is to enable the restoration of data at a later point. Hence, without periodic testing, it will be difficult to guarantee the goal of protecting data (Wallace & Webber 2011). There are several types of backups, but the most common backup type is the differential, full, and incremental backup. A full backup is the most basic type of backup that usually makes a copy of all the data to another set of media such as a CD, DVD, or a tape. The advantage of performing the full backup is that there is usually a complete copy of all the data available in a single set of media. Thus, full backup results to a minimum time in restoring the data. A disadvantage of this type of backup is that it usually requires a large storage space.

The incremental backup usually copies, only the data that changed since the last backup operation (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015). The backup applications record and track the data and time that the backup operations occur so as to track the files modified since the operations. It is possible to run the incremental backup as often as desired because the backup tends to copy the data from the last backup of any type (Preston, 2009). The incremental backup has the advantage of copying a smaller amount of data; thus, the process completes faster and also requires a small media of storage.

The differential backup usually copies all data changed from the previous data. It is almost similar to the incremental backup; however, each time it runs, it will continue copying all the data changed since the previous full backup (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015). Hence, differential backup stores more data than incremental backups, but far less than the full backup. It also requires more space and also more time to complete the backup than the incremental backup.

Among the three commonly known backups, there is a cloud-based backup. In the cloud-based backup, the storage of the data is offsite, and cloud vendors tend to provide expertise and features that many organizations do not have (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015). The data backup in the cloud tends to allow for automated recovery and verification and also the use of virtual servers or machines.

Disaster planning

Disaster may occur anytime and at any place and the unpredictable nature of the disaster is the reason for why preparedness is important. Disasters can be an ecological disruption or even emergencies of a severity and magnitude resulting in injuries, property and damage to the property (Wallace & Webber 2011). There are two categories of disaster including natural and man-made. An effective disaster planning can help in minimizing the harmful effect of an event and also reduce the recovery time needed.

The aim of a disaster recovery plan is setting steps in place to follow in case a disaster occurs. The disaster recovery plan tends to be an essential part of an organization (Wallace & Webber 2011). The plan is what helps the organization in getting back to business after a disaster, outlines who are responsible for what, where to run operations, and the system to use until the main system is back in operation. Disaster planning is not just for disaster recovery, but it is also about ensuring that the organization will be able to respond efficiently and effectively to a disaster and that the critical business processes can continue as usual.

Disaster planning must not take place in a vacuum. So as to work effectively, it is necessary to integrate it into the routine operating procedures of the organization (Preston, 2009). Important characteristics of an effective disaster plan are flexibility, simplicity, and comprehensiveness. It is necessary that during disaster planning, the plan must address all types of disasters and emergencies that the organization is likely to face. The plan must also include the plan for both immediate response and also long-term salvage and recovery efforts. During disaster planning, it is central to ensure that the plan is easy to follow (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015). Those people faced with a disaster tend to have trouble thinking clearly; thus, concise instructions and training is vital to the success of the plan.

Disaster planning is vital for any institution to offer the best possible protection for its collection (Wallace & Webber 2011). A disaster can strike at any time, on a large or small scale; however, is an organization prepared, the damage may decrease or avoidable. Disaster planning normally acts as a roadmap that an institution will follow so as to restore its operations back to normal after a disaster.

Importance of integrating backups and disaster planning

Backups normally represent a simple form of disaster recovery, and they should be part of the disaster recovery plan (Little, 2003). However, people should not alone consider backup as disaster recovery. Organizations should ensure that they integrate database backup and disaster planning. The integration of the two helps in ensuring the availability of the personnel, resources, and processes that are necessary for effective functioning of the organization. Integration also helps in ensuring that all the necessary resources are easily available in case a disaster strikes. So as to minimize the damage of the disaster or even avoid the disaster, it is important to integrate disaster planning and database backup (Ingle & Kulkarni 2015). The integration of the two also means that employees will be able to understand clearly the process that they should follow when a disaster occur. It also helps in easing communication and understanding the steps to follow during the recovery process.

When the organization integrates database backup and disaster planning, the employees will be able to perform their duties in recovery without any fear of losing vital information during the event of a disaster. The integration also helps in reducing the amount of time spend during the recovery process; thus, ensuring that the business goes back to operation as soon as possible (Preston, 2009). When the two work together, it ensures the institution is ready and well prepared to address any disaster that may occur and interrupt the functioning of the business.

The failure of integrating disaster planning and database backup can result in a negative impact on the organization. When employees do not understand the procedure that they should follow when recovering from a disaster, means that the damage caused as a result of the disaster might worsen (Little, 2003). The organization is likely to incur more losses, and the business may also get out of operation. Employees may decide to follow certain procedures during the recovery process that is not effective; thus, causing more damage. An organization may not always know when a disaster will occur; hence, failure of integrating disaster planning and backup may cause the long-term effect of the organization. 

Conclusion

Backup and disaster planning helps in speeding the recovery process after a disaster. Therefore, it is the obligation of an organization to make sure that it has a disaster recovery plan and backup so as to continue with operation even after a disaster strikes. 

Reference

Ingle, S. & Kulkarni, R. (2015). Designing secured incremental backup system for the cloud. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technologies, 6(1), 361-364.

Little B (2003). Implementing Backup and Recovery: Readiness Guide for the Enterprise. John Wiley & Sons

Preston, W. (2009). Backup & Recovery. Sebastopol, O'Reilly Media, Inc.

Wallace, M. & Webber, L. (2011). The disaster recovery handbook. New York, AMACOM

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in Online Writing Services if you need a similar paper you can place your order from free essay writing services.