What You Need to Know about Cloud-to-Cloud Backup

Cloud based backup is another emerging technology that’s becoming increasingly popular. So what do you need to know?

Cloud-to-cloud backup is the practice of copying data that is stored on one cloud backup service to another cloud. Cloud disaster recovery (DR) is a component of a DR plan that involves maintaining copies of data in a cloud storage environment as a security measure. Cloud DR has evolved quite a bit in the last couple years. Users can now run applications from cloud-hosted instances of virtual servers.

But before you get your head stuck in the clouds, make sure to read over these tips:

Be Proactive. Never assume that your storage as a service providers (Saas) are backing up your data. When they create backups, it’s often for their own purposes, not necessarily to the level of restoring your data. The might not be able (or willing) to restore data for individual customers. Look into their policy, as they may charge you a fee for backup and retrieval. Be proactive and back up your data.

Check Your Local Backup. Hourly backups of your critical files won’t do you any good if your local backup is only set to syncronise once every 3 days.

Keep Data Isolated. Backups stored in the cloud should be isolated from your data center, which means backup data will not be lost in the event of a data center-level failure.

You May Need Multiple Products. For backup software on your premises, there are often products available that provide you with everything you need to back up your organization’s data. But keep in mind that you made need specific add-ons or applications so you might need multiple products for your various programs in order to ensure your cloud data is adequately protected.

Know Your Target Capacity. Your capacity can be considered unlimited. You have to pay for the data storage resources you consume, but, depending on your provider, you may not have to worry about exhausting the available storage space.