Server Backup: 5 Best Practices

There are plenty of disturbing data backup statistics everywhere you look. For instance, “60% of backups are incomplete and 50% of restores fail,” Ontech systems confirms. According to Invenio IT, “ 72% of all users had to recover from a data backup at least once in the past year, and 33% had to do so more than once.” All these statistics make one fact crystal clear: data backup software is essential for every organization.

IT teams strive to successfully back up data wherever it is stored, from endpoint devices to servers. Back up and protect your data with ease by following these server backup best practices.

Why server backup is important for IT

As the IT market continues to grow, the number of servers in use also increases. “Revenue in the servers market is projected to reach $95.65 billion in 2024, and it’s is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2028) of 5.81%, resulting in a market volume of $119.90 billion by 2028,” Statista writes. In short, more servers means more data that needs to be protected and backed up.

From minor setbacks to project failures, you never know exactly how data loss or theft can affect your organization, which is why it’s important to take proactive measures to prevent it. No business truly wants to deal with data issues, which is the reason why, “86% of businesses back up their data daily, monthly, or weekly.”

Why server backup is critical for MSPs

MSPs provide their IT services for many clients, so they are responsible for protecting and safeguarding clients’ data in addition to their own digital information. In order to ensure the security and accessibility of clients’ data, MSPs need an MSP-focused server backup solution that can successfully conduct server backups on a regular basis.

Why server backup is critical for IT departments

IT departments rely on server backups just as much as MSPs, except they do not deal with clients and instead perform backups only for their organization’s servers. IT departments are responsible for ensuring that every team within a company has access to the data that they need to succeed. Additionally, they are also responsible for the safety and security of the data, especially for confidential information. IT departments can use a reliable backup tool, such as NinjaOne’s remote server backup, to quickly and efficiently back up all servers within their organization.

Backup challenges and how to overcome them

Although backup should be a quick and easy process, that isn’t always the case. Currently, there are four main backup challenges that IT teams face:

• Backup space and resource requirements

All types of backups require space and resources; however, some backup methods require much less than others. For example, incremental backup requires significantly less space and resources than a full server backup. To overcome space and resource restraints, IT professionals often switch between the different backup types so that they can back up data completely without conducting full backups all the time.

• Damaged or incomplete backups

One of the worst feelings in the world is finding out your valuable data has been damaged or corrupted during the backup process. To avoid this situation, IT teams implement disaster recovery testing. This testing ensures that information remains safe and whole throughout the data backup and recovery process.

• Missing or failed backups

No one wants their backed-up data to go missing all of a sudden. The most likely cause of missing backups is forgetting to backup data and relying on manual work, or in other words, not setting an automated backup schedule. To prevent this, IT teams use a reliable backup solution that uses a backup schedule and automatically sends alerts/notifications regarding backups.

• Slow backup speed

In the fast-paced world of IT, professionals don’t have time to sit and wait for their backup to load. There are many factors that can slow down the backup process, such as lagging internet connections or using inadequate backup tools. Since there are many factors that can contribute to a slow backup process, the best way to resolve this issue is to investigate and identify the factors creating the issue and then resolve them.

5 server backup best practices to follow

1) Implement a 3-2-1 backup strategy

One excellent way to protect your data is to diversify where your backup copies are stored. A 3-2-1 backup strategy involves creating at least three copies of data, storing two copies on different types of media, and storing one backup in an offsite location or in the cloud.

2) Test data restores regularly

You never know when you’ll need to restore your backed-up data, so it’s essential to test your data restores regularly to ensure that they work properly. These tests will also give IT teams an idea of how long a restore will take, the amount of space it will require, and other important details so that no one is caught off-guard if a disaster occurs.

3) Automate backup processes

Manually backing up servers takes time, so it’s best to automate and schedule your backups rather than relying on manual efforts. With a server backup solution, you can schedule your backups to ensure that they are always done on time.

4) Monitor and manage backups

Sometimes, your backups don’t always go according to plan. Monitor and set up automatic alerts or notifications so that you can catch failed or incomplete backups early before they create any issues.

5) Secure and encrypt data

The best way to protect your backed-up data is to secure and encrypt it. This is especially important for any IT teams that handle confidential information, such as healthcare information that’s protected under HIPAA. Encryption will help protect against data theft, ransomware attacks, unauthorized access, and other serious threats.

Try NinjaOne’s server backup solution

Want to make server backup as easy and fast as possible? Try NinjaOne’s server backup, which provides high-quality full-image backups for your servers. Ninja also offers flexible storage options, quick disaster recovery features, automated backup scheduling, and complete integration with RMM, patching, and other Ninja tools. Start simplifying your backup today with a free trial of NinjaOne.