【 Weak current College 】 server for backup best practices

Data center operations with large amounts of data, when the data is destroyed, this is a disaster. This is the importance of regular backups. Even if you have a large number of backup data are not used, a backup is certainly not a waste of time. You may be lucky to have never experienced a loss of data. However, because this kind of thing very rarely occurred, and to maintain the integrity of data is very important, skip to the "save backup" of time and resources seems to be no problem.
Some industry insiders that data center backup is very important, the reason is very obvious, although I have heard a small company's system administrator said some agencies do not have the "waste" of time and resources for backup and success. In my opinion, he did not understand why I feel this way and do not believe that shock looked at him. I want only one of millions of people believe that a backup is not available. I hope that the majority of IT professionals believe that the value of the backup and only the best to make the appropriate backup.
If you have never used because of a disaster, you are lucky you are. However, because of the disaster is no timetable for attacks, when disaster strikes, the most recent backup is successful for disaster recovery of life-belt. Many backup best practices of points actually everyone know and use some common sense. Anyway, here are some of the backup best practices:
1. establish rules and procedures. Many technicians are annoying file or something, however, sufficient provisions is the key to success in any action. Backup rules and procedures do not have to be a thick book, you make a backup of only the content can contain them: what time is what needs to be backed up, backup, who is responsible for the backup, who can access the backup content, etc.
2. test backups. This rule is a common sense. However, the question is worth mentioning. There is a corrupted backup must be useless. Worse yet you still think it is good, can beused for disaster recovery, results cannot be used. Therefore, in order to avoid this, be sure to always test the backup, especially in the back up important data.
3. tag and sort backups. When you have 2 to 3 backup CD, to speculate on each CD content is relatively easy. When you are in a variety of backup media in a number of PT's data, the mere speculation. Therefore, you must mark your every backup and put these backup is arranged in a library. Tags backup include using a meaningful name, backup data, date and time, data, content, who created the data, as well as some notes, and more.
4. store backups in a safe place. Your security requirements are likely to contain the contents of the backup storage. However, if you do not contain these elements, you have to develop at the right time to correct these provisions. Location is a broad vocabulary, usually means that you store the backup location is protected to prevent unauthorized access and protect against fire, flood and earthquake hazards in the physical destruction of the place. It is better not to backup data stored in the data center itself. However, if you do have a safe place to store the backup, you can store there. Some data center as fortresses, than other places were safe.
5. real time for backup. The most recent backup is always useful. For example, in banking, online trading, etc., only real-time backup is useful. Real-time backup does not require additional resources. However, if your data is time-sensitive, real-time backup is only a selection. Even if your data is not time sensitive, it is not for real-time backup.
6. backup has a backup of the data. In order to increase the additional protection, you can back up the data has been backed up. It looks like you are back up again and again, however, important data, to have a backup of the data backup is not a waste of time.
7. the use of automation. Manual backup is a very heavy work, despite the current data center using artificial for backup is not never heard of. However, manual backups is a rare, because now there are many automated tools. If you do not have these tools, you have to get a such tools, because that will make your life easier. However, you do not forget to check the results of the backup, because the automation while good (to save time and effort), but if you cannot use the backup is not good. Backup tool error conditions rarely, however, you do not think that this kind of thing never let you encounter.
8. consider encryption. Backup contains sensitive data. Even if you're not worried about security issues, you have to think if an intruder to access backup data may occur. Even if you take a strict access control and others illegal access to your backup data of risk is very small, you still want to use encryption. Many automated backup tools provides reliable encryption features, why not?
9. know what you want to backup. If you can absolutely backup everything is the best, however, absolute method is not realistic. The second way is whether you can omit the data can be ignored. In any case, you should be based on the importance of your data classification, at least to regularly back up important data and very important data. Indeed, backup data, the more the better. However, if you run a serious limitations, you must ensure that the important data.
10. destroy you no longer use any backup media. You are thrown into the garbage room used backup media have a huge security risk, because unless you ensure these storage media data above have been completely eliminated and use any of the methods are unable to reply to you as someone else provides illegal access to these data. Old backup media may be old, but it still is not falling into the hands of illegal access.
11. the use of reliable media. This is a common-sense rules. If you use an unreliable medium for backups, which means that you indeed have a reliable backup。 If you use reusable media, you should periodically check this media is still time to complete the backup task. If not, you want to replace.
12. regular backups. Backup requires time and depend on you in the use of specific backup program. Backup may affect your data center's work. You will not be able to backup to stop work in progress. Indeed, the backup tool in general there are no such requirements. However, some data in the running time cannot be backed up, you need to first stop the machine, and then back it up. If possible, plan the data backup time, the workload of the machine is not great (night and morning) for backup.
13. back up the virtual machine. Finally, when a backup, you should not forget one thing is the virtual machine. Back up the virtual machine is not a separate science, however, it does require some skills. Therefore, unless you do not need to back up the virtual machine, or you're going to use some time to learn the correct backup virtual machines of some methods. In some cases, virtualization solutions to the manufacturer's instructions file will provide some guidance, however, not every vendor. Introduction to virtual machine backup techniques nor are so detailed. Therefore, in your backup virtualization solution when you need some more seriously.
Data backup best practices list is not exhaustive. Some of the best practices in some cases it is easy to use, but some rules are always reasonable. In any case, backups are extremely important and should not be overlooked. Therefore, you want to test a variety of ways and see which method is best for you. Repeated tests are not the best strategy. Therefore, to learn in advance as possible in order to avoid some pitfalls.