The Top Four Tips for Backup Testing

Backing up your data is a measure you should take to protect yourself against data loss. However, to be sure that you’re getting the best performance out of your backups, you need to test them. If your backups can’t be relied on, your data is in danger. To fully ensure that they’re performing optimally, consider these tips for backup testing.

Make Sure Your Backup Plan is Recorded

To be certain that the backup process goes smoothly, document your test plan. With the proper procedures written down, each employee will know his or her role in the process. A recorded plan will also assist the employees in gaining the skills to successfully recover data, thereby providing credibility to the organization, itself.

Test Backups Routinely

By regularly testing your backup process, you reassure yourself of the backup’s validity. Not only that but having an awareness of a typical backup process makes any abnormalities easier to find. This way, if an anomaly is found, employees can immediately take action to correct it.

Create a schedule for backup testing, as it will help to make the process more routine. Tests ideally should be performed after every backup, though this is time-consuming and there aren’t always enough resources available to accomplish it. However, in doing this, you’ll know that your data is secured and you will be able to recover it.

Automate

Human error is a threat that looms throughout the backup process. Humans can make mistakes or be inconsistent, among other things. For this reason, take advantage of what automation offers. Human error is avoided and employees are able to focus on other responsibilities. In addition to this, through automation, organizations can be more consistent in their testing.

Redundancy

Backing up to a single location causes a lot of risk for an organization’s data. If a flood were to happen, destroying the backup location, the data would be lost and unrecoverable. By having multiple backups in different locations, you significantly reduce the risk you face in terms of data loss.

An unreliable backup is useless in a disaster. Without being sure of your backup plan, you open yourself up to serious data loss. Consider implementing the above practices for a dependable backup plan you can trust.