NCET Tech Bite - Cloud Storage and Data Backup - June 2015

www.SierraComputerGroup.com 775-322-6455

Cloud and Backup Tips for Protecting Your BusinessIncluding: The 20 most common backup mistakes


Many small businesses have backup problems

But….they often don’t know it.

Gartner Group says that 43% of companies were immediately put out of business by a “major loss” of data.

It’s Best Not to Ignore Backup & Business Continuity

A few Stories


Opening Questions How many of you have a server? How many of you *think* you backup

your server daily? How many of you have experienced some

type of data loss? (46% per year) How many think a copy of your data to

another drive is a backup? Do your employees save any data to

workstation drives? (28% do) Should have roaming profiles

Do you have Apps in the Cloud? (25% by 2020)

How long will a laptop stored on a shelf retain data on it’s solid state drive?


Opening Question How long can your computers to be down

without a substantial cost or business impact?A. 2-3 hours (Less=HA)B. 4-8 hoursC. 1 dayD. 2 daysE. 3+ days


What Scenario Scares you the Most?A. Disaster like earthquake, flood, or a fireB. Hacker gaining access to my systemC. Hard drive crash or server hardware failureD. Power bumps or power outagesE. Infection by Malware or virusF. Our own employees making a MistakeG. Disgruntled employee


Common Causes of Data Loss Most Common Hardware failure: hard drive. SSD second. Some statistics claim power failures & bumps may be involved or third leading.

Note that a “local” only backup might protect you in 90% of cases.

Fun fact: Symantec Executive says Anti-virus software lets viruses through over 55% of the time. Signature based AV isn’t working

Studies vary. For example Google Docs says Data loss is 63% from Human error.

Theft and hacking are also significant. 15% of households experience burglary or theft each year. Up to 8% of data loss may now due to hacking.


20 Common Backup Mistakes1. “It’s all Automatic”. Never accept this! Backup

file existence, size, date not checked regularly.2. Backup Logs not checked daily. Preferably use

RMM tool or email notification.3. Believing RAID 1 (Mirroring), 5, 6, or 10 is a

backup.4. Data does not get sent off-site. 10% problem5. Backing up Data only with no OS/ programs or

ability to do “bare metal” to foreign hardware.


20 Common Backup Mistakes6. Machines running critical applications at

night, with skipped files. (The CEO?)7. Believing a “copy” or “replication” is the

same as a backup.8. Changed admin password (or Backup User)9. Backing up only Servers, not

workstations. Gartner says 28% ofcorporate data lives on local devices. SMB is much higher.

10.Insufficient number of versions or retention of files.


20 Common Backup Mistakes11.No agent for “always on” applications (AD,

Exchange, SQL, Sharepoint), meaning skipped open files.

No granular restore ability for these apps.

12.Failure to archive, keep data size small as possible.13.Failure to have a Secondary or extra automated

file copy.14.No Battery Backup on server(s) or backup

appliance/ failure to test power outage scenario.15.Installing conflicting software (Anti-Virus or

Other Backup/ sync programs)


20 Common Backup Mistakes16.Relying on one continuous incremental forever.17.Security: Failure of backup system to retain user

permissions and file ACLs (Access Control Lists).18.Security: Failure to encrypt or protect backup files

in a HIPAA or other industry requiring compliance. 19.Understand how long a restore will take (RTO/RPO)

particularly with the cloud.RTO- Max tolerable downtime (i.e 2 day server repair)RPO- Max tolerable data loss (i.e. backup was last

night)


Cost of downtime

Length of disruption Time

Last Backuporreplication

Failure Event

RTO Recovery Time Objective

RPO Recovery Point Objective

24 hours

48 hours

Time decision is made to Recover

Recovery Time and Recovery Point Objective Graph

$

RPO- Max tolerable data lossRTO- Max tolerable downtime

Cost of unrecoverable data

Cost to Recover (i.e. mirrored servers)

Cost to Recover (i.e. tape)

Cost Balance point

Organization with High cost of any downtime


20 Common Backup Mistakes20.Failure to test a restore.

Virtualization makes table top test a reality


Backup Locally, Removable, or to the Cloud?90/10 rule applies but you need a

combination.Local is first priority as it will account for

90% or more of your restores.Smaller businesses can do “Cloud Only” and

“File Only” backups…but only if they can tolerate long (multi-day) recovery times.

Image based backup with reverse incremental and synthetic roll up is preferable for most businesses.


Managed Backup

Internet

Customer Site

Sierra Computer Group

Having “the cloud” live in Reno data center provides substantial benefits including the ability to re-seed quickly and the ability to restore more quickly (Better RTO)

Multiple replication jobs are stored at SCG Network

Operations Center

Managed Backup (BaaS) includes hardware appliance, Image based backup software, monitoring, remote correction of problems, storage in our cloud (3Ps-Pipe,Power,POP), Data Insurance.


In the 3rd party backup assessment we’re looking for 20 common backup mistakes and more.

The Need to Assess Backup

• Takes 2-7 hours depending on level of report detail desired.

• Does not do a test restore or guarantee restorability, but does give peace of mind.


A Few Final Tips & ThoughtsHuman Errors

“Save” can be just like delete. Users accidentally overwrite files.

They accidentally drag and drop or rename.

Problems are not always discovered immediately.

Let’s look at one way to reduce the impact………..


Tip 1: Reducing Impact of Human Error

Do you have Microsoft “Previous Versions” turned on? Only works if

you have a “real” server – running Windows Server operating System.Or… certain new versions of Windows workstationAnd…..

An IT guy who turned it on


Do you Supplement your backup with a copy of server to a workstation?

Tip 2: Do you have a Backup Backup?


Tip 3: Challenge your staffSimple Challenge: Pick a file created

yesterday & ask your IT person to restore it.

Spin up a virtual machine and login to it. If backup is in the cloud calculate how

long it will take to restore it. http://www.high-rely.com/blog/cloud-backup-calculator-and-data-upload-time-calculator/

http://www.high-rely.com/blog/cloud-backup-calculator-and-data-upload-time-calculator/





Tip 4: Let us do It!Offer:

We’ll Give Attendees of this Seminar a Backup Assessment & written report for $250. Normally $560

Managed Backup (Image or File) – If you’d like us to do either file based or Imaged based Backup as a Service (BaaS) contact us for a quote.


Discussion. And QuestionsDarren@SierraComputerGroup.

comSCGSales@SierraComputerGro

up.com

Phone us at 775-322-6455

mailto:[email protected]




Education

NCET Tech Bite - Cloud Storage and Data Backup - June 2015