While the title may sound more like a driver training strategy, it is a particularly important part of a modern disaster management and recovery plan. The philosophy of a 3-2-1 Backup has been commonplace for many years, but the many ways technology is changing is driving the need even further. With the threats today like ransomware and crypto-lockers, having a suitable backup strategy in place is critical.
So, what is a 3-2-1 Backup? It is a backup strategy that ensures you have the necessary redundancy to protect yourself but without being overly complex or having too many failure points. The 3-2-1 stands for having 3 copies of your data, on at least 2 different types of storage, with at least 1 copy being off- site. And if you look at the big picture that makes a lot of sense and easy to carry out.
What is meant by having 2 different storage media? In short that means to not keep all your copies on the same type of storage. Most commonly the on-site copy will be saved on a hard drive of some variations, whether that is a traditional spindle-type hard drives or the more recent solid-state drives that are becoming more cost effective. This will be one storage media. An alternative storage media that used to be common was magnetic tape drives or even using DVD based disc for storage. The benefit for that media is that they allow for easy off-site storage arrangements, which will fulfill the last criteria.
However, the latest method of carrying out off-site storage, which also fulfills the second media type will be using cloud storage.
What is Cloud Storage? Cloud Storage is a modern innovation in technology in which large data-centers with massive amounts of processing power and storage capacity allow others to sign up and use their infrastructure to support their operations. In the scale that these cloud providers obtain and manage their resources it becomes inexpensive, and so they are normally cheaper than an individual or company could setup their own infrastructure to do the same thing. And since that is all they do normally, they have it down to a science and know how to best set it up for the best performance. The last advantage is that normally these providers have geo-redundant facilities all over the world and you can make the choice to have multiple copies of your data or even full virtual machines all around the globe. That way even if one is not available, you still have access to your data.
So how do we implement a 3-2-1 Backup? The easiest way is to find a company that provides it as a service for others. Many IT and MSP (Managed Service Providers) companies will offer this as a service to their clients. And since they work in technology day in and day out, they understand the complexities of setting it up correctly. They also will periodically run checks to make sure that the backups are running properly and that a restore is able to be completed should it be needed. It does not matter how good the intentions are if the backups are not working correctly and the only way to tell is to try.
With that said, the mechanics are simple on the actual setup. There are several software packages on the market that allow you to setup and manage the backup process. You have your main files and data that you work with every day (first copy) and nothing changes to the end users. They continue to work with everything just like they always do. Now the software will step in and take over on the back end. The software will be configured to run backups on a scheduled basis. Normally there is a second local copy for quick access during a restore process. It is not accessible by the local users to ensure data protection and redundancy. And for the finally step, the software will normally encrypt and upload a copy to a cloud provider. That is how you end up with 3 copies, on 2 different media types, with at least one off-site copy.
What are the benefits of a proper backup strategy? This can be a subjective question to answer as it depends on the individual situation. It is most definitely a requirement in the modern business environment but the level at which it is carried out varies. For example, on individual computers it may only be a file backup to give access to individual documents. But, more common on servers would be image-based backups. This type of backup can allow a provider to quickly get an entire system booted up in an alternative method to minimize downtime. This alternative method can be to a secondary computer or server that is available or even to a cloud provider in a virtual machine. This allows for quick recovery from an outage and time to get the primary server back operational, whether it is ordering parts or a whole new system.
Final Thought. The need for a professionally managed and supported backup strategy is critical for today’s dynamic business environment. Find a local company to partner with, or one that knows your industry and can facilitate what is needed to protect your interest.
By Steven Foe. Video Introduction by Sydney Brashear
