Why testing a backup solution is just as important as having one
SpiceWorks by Herr Director
Recently I needed to restore three different folders on three different servers from my backup solution. While attempting to restore the first of the three folders, the files could not be found in the backups. In fact, my backup solution?s most recent information was from nearly two weeks ago! But I had been getting messages every night ? including the night before ? stating my backups had been successful! How can the data not be there? I?ve heard plenty of stories of IT Directors who got canned for losing data. "The sky is falling. THE SKY IS FALLING!" Thank God this was only a test...
The security policy that I?d written and implemented for my company requires a test of the backup software by recovering a random file once a month, a random folder once a quarter and a random (entire) drive once a year. Last month?s file restored perfectly ? nothing to worry about. Now I had to complete a quarterly test and restore three folders. (I like to run the test on at least three different servers.) After I copied the folders to another location and deleted them I attempted to restore them. I?ve done this countless times before. What could go wrong? I was in for a shock.
My backup solution was backing up the data on a nightly basis, as configured. Something happened (a day on the phone with tech support could not pinpoint the error) that caused my solution to not see the backed up data on the media. You know that sinking feeling you get? The one where your stomach turns, you get a little light headed and the room does that Alfred Hitchcock thing? I was feeling that in a big way! read more...
Recently I needed to restore three different folders on three different servers from my backup solution. While attempting to restore the first of the three folders, the files could not be found in the backups. In fact, my backup solution?s most recent information was from nearly two weeks ago! But I had been getting messages every night ? including the night before ? stating my backups had been successful! How can the data not be there? I?ve heard plenty of stories of IT Directors who got canned for losing data. "The sky is falling. THE SKY IS FALLING!" Thank God this was only a test...
The security policy that I?d written and implemented for my company requires a test of the backup software by recovering a random file once a month, a random folder once a quarter and a random (entire) drive once a year. Last month?s file restored perfectly ? nothing to worry about. Now I had to complete a quarterly test and restore three folders. (I like to run the test on at least three different servers.) After I copied the folders to another location and deleted them I attempted to restore them. I?ve done this countless times before. What could go wrong? I was in for a shock.
My backup solution was backing up the data on a nightly basis, as configured. Something happened (a day on the phone with tech support could not pinpoint the error) that caused my solution to not see the backed up data on the media. You know that sinking feeling you get? The one where your stomach turns, you get a little light headed and the room does that Alfred Hitchcock thing? I was feeling that in a big way! read more...
Leave a comment