Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:17:50 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup editor@techtarget.com <p>Data is the lifeblood of the modern enterprise. As data proliferation continues, however, risks <br>also increase. Data governance is no longer optional, it's essential.</p> <p>When developing a data governance plan, organizations often overlook the importance of data backup reporting. By providing visibility into backup operations, organizations can manage risks while also improving both compliance and data resilience.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is backup reporting, and why does it matter?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is backup reporting, and why does it matter?</h2> <p>Backup reporting is more than just confirming that backup jobs ran as scheduled. It's a tool for monitoring backup health. Backup reporting tools display health metrics such as backup failure rates, backup duration, and adherence to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/What-is-the-difference-between-RPO-and-RTO-from-a-backup-perspective">recovery objectives.</a></p> <p>For organizations in regulated industries, backup reporting tools can clearly <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Tips-for-backup-compliance-reporting-and-why-it-matters">demonstrate compliance</a> with various regulatory requirements. Even in the absence of regulatory requirements, backup reporting still brings value to organizations. Backup monitoring tools, though not a substitute for comprehensive testing, can help to prove that backups are viable before a disaster strikes. Similarly, such tools can help detect issues before they become problems, enabling admins to proactively address them.</p> <p>Many backup reporting tools can also help organizations <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-craft-a-strong-and-cost-effective-data-backup-budget">optimize backup costs</a> by identifying inefficient use of backup resources. An organization might, for example, be able to move some backups to less expensive storage.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How backup reporting works and who is responsible for it"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How backup reporting works and who is responsible for it</h2> <p>Most modern backup reporting tools use various APIs to pull information directly from backup applications. These tools might also use similar APIs to retrieve data from related components such as storage targets and hypervisors. The data ingested might include logs, raw metrics or a combination of the two.</p> <p>Once the data is ingested, the tool normalizes and aggregates it to use the information to spot trends and anomalies. These trends and anomalies are usually displayed on a dashboard, but most tools can also send alerts by email or even communicate with broader monitoring tools that the organization is using for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/The-definitive-guide-to-enterprise-IT-monitoring">general IT infrastructure monitoring</a>.</p> <p>Generally, it is the backup admins who interact with backup reporting tools on a day-to-day basis, but these tools might also be used by others within the organization. IT managers, for example, are usually the ones who make decisions based on the data. Likewise, compliance teams use the reports to make sure that backups are performed in accordance with the organization's regulatory obligations.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Tips for better backup reporting"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Tips for better backup reporting</h2> <p>The most important backup reporting best practice is to make sure that the organization is taking the time to review logs and reports. This information does nothing to help the organization unless someone is actually looking at it.</p> <p>Another best practice is to not stop at reporting the data. It's just as important to interpret the data and use it to determine what actions need to be taken. For example, the data might reveal that the organization needs to begin budgeting for additional backup storage.</p> <p>Finally, automate the collection and reporting of data. Manual processes are <a target="_blank" href="https://thehackernews.com/2026/02/manual-processes-are-putting-national.html" rel="noopener">prone to errors and omissions</a>, whereas automated processes are better for meeting both compliance and operational requirements.</p> <p><i>Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.</i></p> </section> Data visibility and governance are more important than ever in 2026. Reporting can help ensure that your organization understands what it has in its data backups. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files13.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Why-you-need-a-data-backup-reporting-tool Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT <p>In today's data-driven world, an organization's data has become one of its most valuable assets. Data backups are no longer just an IT issue; they are a tool for protecting a critical asset.</p> <p>Backups are not as simple and straightforward as they once were. Modern backup systems must protect data in a variety of environments, including on-premises, in the cloud and within <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/What-are-nine-SaaS-backup-best-practices">various SaaS applications</a>. Organizations must adopt a backup strategy that can protect data wherever it lives and does so in a way that adheres to both operational and regulatory requirements.</p> <p>Given the complexity of modern backup, organizations are increasingly relying on backup monitoring software as a proactive risk management tool. This software enables organizations to spot issues and take corrective action before they affect backups.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why backup monitoring matters"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why backup monitoring matters</h2> <p>There are several reasons why backup monitoring is important for modern enterprises. For starters, monitoring ensures backups are available and reliable. Data backups are an organization's safety net when things go wrong. Backup monitoring software helps to make sure that this safety net is in place when needed.</p> <p>Another reason why backup monitoring software is so useful is that it can reduce downtime. There are typically <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-loss-examples-keeping-backup-admins-up-at-night">tremendous costs associated with IT outages</a>, and so it is in an organization's best interest to prevent them whenever possible.</p> <p>Many modern backup systems are designed so that if a mission-critical system fails, the workload can be temporarily hosted on the backup system while IT works to repair the issue that caused the failure. Backup monitoring helps make sure that these types of failover capabilities will work when needed.</p> <p>Backup monitoring can also help an organization meet compliance requirements. Regulations such as HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS not only <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/standards/" rel="noopener">require organizations</a> to protect their data but also to demonstrate compliance with the data protection requirements. Backup monitoring software can simplify the process of demonstrating compliance to auditors.</p> <p>Backup monitoring can help organizations meet service-level agreements (SLAs). Larger organizations are almost always subject to SLAs governing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/What-is-the-difference-between-RPO-and-RTO-from-a-backup-perspective">recovery objectives</a>, including the recovery point objective (RPO) and recovery time objective (RTO). These metrics indicate the frequency with which backups must be created and the time required to recover from a disaster, respectively. Backup monitoring software can help make sure that these requirements are being met.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lc-hY-uHgUU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup monitoring best practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup monitoring best practices</h2> <p>One of the most important steps an organization can take after adopting backup monitoring software is to define key metrics. These metrics should reflect conditions that directly affect business outcomes. For example, you might track backup success rate, RPO and RTO compliance, or system recovery time. By defining KPIs, you can objectively assess how well your backup infrastructure meets business objectives.</p> <p>Another best practice is to regularly review and refine your monitoring configuration. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/9-data-backup-trends-to-watch">Backup infrastructure evolves over time</a>, and backup environments change as new workloads are introduced. Your organization's backup monitoring configuration must adapt to meet these changes.</p> <p>Perhaps the most critical best practice is to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/What-is-a-good-backup-test-frequency">frequently test backups</a>. Although backup monitoring software can help to detect and correct issues and confirm that backups are running as intended, monitoring was never intended to act as a replacement for backup testing.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to choose backup monitoring software"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to choose backup monitoring software</h2> <p>Backup monitoring software features tend to vary from one vendor's product to the next. At a bare minimum, backup monitoring software must be able to monitor all of your backup jobs, regardless of the software used and where the data lives. Additionally, look for centralized monitoring and reporting capabilities, automated alerts and API access, which can enable the software to integrate with custom workflows.</p> <p><i>Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America. </i></p> </section> To protect data, creating backups is not enough anymore. Backup monitoring software can help make sure those backups are ready to use, compliant with regulations and meeting SLAs. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files13.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/Why-backup-monitoring-software-is-growing-in-popularity Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT <p>A backup storage device is a hardware component that stores duplicate copies of data. This type of auxiliary storage hardware is typically used to back up data that resides in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/primary-storage">primary storage</a>. If information in primary storage becomes unavailable because of a drive failure, accidental deletion or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/malware">malware</a> attack, it can usually be recovered quite quickly from the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Why-data-backup-is-important">backup</a> copy.</p> <p>In the enterprise, backup data devices are often used to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/What-is-an-air-gap-backup-Strategy-benefits-and-use-cases">air gap</a> duplicate data that needs to meet strict compliance requirements for security and availability. Popular data backup device options include high-capacity network-attached storage (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/network-attached-storage">NAS</a>) systems, storage area networks (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-area-network-SAN">SANs</a>), magnetic tape libraries and dedicated <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/purpose-built-backup-appliance-PBBA">backup appliances</a>.</p> <p>In small and midsize businesses, external secondary storage devices are often used to back up entire desktops and help ensure <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/business-continuity">business continuity</a> by preventing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Data-loss">data loss</a> after a system failure. Popular types of backup storage devices for SMBs include small NAS systems and midrange appliances that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Automated-backup-How-it-works-and-why-you-should-use-it">automate backups</a>.</p> <p>In the home, backup storage devices are often small enough to be portable. External hard drives and removable storage media like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/USB-30-SuperSpeed-USB">USB drives</a> are popular choices for backing up personal data because they are affordable, easy to use and can be purchased with different storage capacities.</p> <p>Today, businesses typically use a hybrid approach that can take advantage of both physical storage devices and cloud computing delivery models. For example, a midsize organization might use external secondary storage for data that requires fast recovery and cloud backups for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cold-storage">cold storage</a>.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup storage devices and the cloud"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup storage devices and the cloud</h2> <p>Years ago, if a business or individual <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-capacity-planning">needed more storage capacity</a> to back up data, they had to purchase additional hard disk drives, magnetic tape cartridges or optical discs. The introduction of cloud storage's subscription model changed this by letting users scale their storage capacity on demand without needing to buy additional hardware.</p> <p>Today, cloud-only backup strategies can often meet the needs of small businesses and individuals, but midsize and large organizations still rely on backup storage devices to support faster local restores, maintain regulatory compliance, control long-term storage costs and provide an extra layer of resilience against data loss.</p> <p>A hybrid approach that uses both cloud storage and physical storage can not only make backups more secure, it can also give users more direct control over where and how their backups are stored and secured.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why are backup storage devices important?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why are backup storage devices important?</h2> <p>Backup storage devices will always be important because they solve problems that cloud storage services cannot address alone. For large volumes of data, especially for data stored long-term in cold storage, physical storage devices can be a cost-effective solution compared to long-term storage in the cloud.</p> <p>It can also be much faster to restore large amounts of data directly from a physical storage device than from the cloud. This can be important, especially in situations where internet connections are metered, slow, unreliable or nonexistent. When a business is executing a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-plan">disaster recovery plan</a>, for example, having the ability to restore some types of data directly from physical storage media can mean the difference between just a few hours of downtime and days (or weeks) of costly disruptions.</p> <p>Another reason the backup storage device market is expected to remain strong has to do with control. When data is backed up on a physical device, the data manager has complete authority over where the data is stored and how it is secured.</p> <p>Finally, backup storage devices can be used to provide redundancy for primary data stored in the cloud. Even <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/definition/cloud-service-provider-cloud-provider">cloud service providers</a> themselves use backup storage devices behind the scenes to ensure the resilience, reliability and security of their services.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What types of storage devices and technology are used for backing up data?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What types of storage devices and technology are used for backing up data?</h2> <p>Several types of storage devices and technology are used for backing up data, and the choice often depends on whether the user is an individual, a small-to-midsize business or a large enterprise.</p> <p>Here are some examples of different types of backup storage devices and their uses:</p> <h3>Hard disk drive (HDD) and solid-state drive (SDD)</h3> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/Western_Digital_dual-actuator-drive.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/Western_Digital_dual-actuator-drive_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/Western_Digital_dual-actuator-drive_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/Western_Digital_dual-actuator-drive.jpg 1280w" alt="HDD sample image" height="352" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Hard disk drive. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>External solid-state and hard disk drives are two types of backup storage devices. Solid-state drives (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/SSD-solid-state-drive">SSDs</a>), like flash drives, do not have moving parts. Instead, they use integrated circuit assemblies to store data persistently. In contrast, hard disk drives (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/hard-disk-drive">HDDs</a>) have at least one rotating magnetic disk and a movable arm that scans the disk to read and write data.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/samsung_v6ssd.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/samsung_v6ssd_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/samsung_v6ssd_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/samsung_v6ssd.jpg 1280w" alt="solid-state drive" height="184" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Solid-state drive. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Hard disk drives are widely used by individuals, SMBs and enterprises that need to back up large amounts of data at the lowest possible cost per gigabyte (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/gigabyte">GB</a>). Solid-state drives are more expensive, but they are good choices for users who need to prioritize speed and durability.</p> <h3>Optical disc drive</h3> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/disc_hand_2_h.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/disc_hand_2_h_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/disc_hand_2_h_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/disc_hand_2_h.jpg 1280w" alt="Image that shows a gloved hand holding an optical storage disc." height="560" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>This Folio Photonics Immutable Active Archive System disc has 16 layers for denser storage. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/optical-disc">Optical disc drive technology</a> uses lasers to read and write data on a spinning circular disk. When writing, a laser makes tiny marks on the disk's surface that represent digital ones and zeros. To read data, the laser lights up the disk and a sensor detects how the light bounces back. The differences in the reflections tell the drive whether it's reading a one or a zero.</p> <p>Optical discs are used less commonly today as backup devices, but they are still used in certain situations. For example, individual and small business users in some parts of the world still back up permanent, write-once data on compact discs (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/compact-disc">CDs</a>), digital versatile discs (DVDs) or Blu-ray discs because optical disk drives are relatively inexpensive and potentially have a lifespan of up to 100 years.</p> <h3>Magnetic tape</h3> <p>Magnetic tape is one of the oldest backup storage device technologies. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-backup">Magnetic tape backups</a> work by storing data as patterns of magnetized particles on a long strip of plastic film coated with magnetic material. When data is written, the tape drive's recording head changes the magnetic orientation of the particles to represent digital ones and zeros. When data is read back, the drive converts the stored magnetic patterns back into usable information.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg 1280w" alt="Image that shows a Spectra Logic's LTO-8 tape cartridge and tape drive."> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Magnetic tape cartridges can be stored off-site in 3-2-1 backups. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Magnetic tape is still widely used for backups in enterprise and midsize business environments that need to store large amounts of primary data at low cost and for long periods of time. Individuals and small businesses rarely use magnetic tape for backups today because the initial hardware costs can be high, the technology often requires manual management and tape's sequential approach to storage can make it tedious to restore <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Image-based-vs-file-based-backup-Key-comparisons">individual files</a>.</p> <h3>Network-attached storage</h3> <p>Some organizations use NAS technology for backups. NAS can be purchased as a dedicated file storage device that connects to a network and allows multiple users and devices to back up data.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/netgear-NAS-devices_half_column_desktop.jpg"> <img data-src="ttps://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/netgear-NAS-devices_half_column_desktop_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="ttps://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/netgear-NAS-devices_half_column_desktop_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/netgear-NAS-devices_half_column_desktop.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo that shows three different-sized NAS black boxes."> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Netgear is one of several popular vendors whose desktop NAS offerings have anti-virus and native encryption features. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Unlike direct-attached storage (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/direct-attached-storage">DAS</a>) that connects to a single computer, NAS connects to a local area network (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/local-area-network-LAN">LAN</a>) and often has built-in management, redundancy and data protection features.</p> <h3>Storage area network</h3> <p>SAN is a dedicated high-speed network that stores backup data at the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/block-storage">block</a> level. Large organizations that implement storage area networks often incorporate backup storage devices, such as backup appliances, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/array">disk arrays</a> or tape libraries into their SAN environments to provide additional scalability, better performance and cost-effective data protection.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zEXSvhl5Zjc?si=3oEdCLqNGmVw5H0p?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <h3>Removable storage</h3> <p>Removable storage devices can be easily disconnected from the primary storage location and stored in a different place. Examples of different types of removable storage used for backups include external hard drives, USB flash drives, optical discs, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/memory-card">SD cards</a> and magnetic tape cartridges.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage_removeablemedia.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage_removeablemedia_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage_removeablemedia_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage_removeablemedia.jpg 1280w" alt="This photo collage shows what different types of removable backup storage devices look like."> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Removable backup storage devices include hard drives, USB flash drives, optical discs, SD cards and external hard drives. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Removable storage devices are useful for individuals and businesses that need their backup storage device to be portable. It's important to note, however, that their portability also increases the risk of data theft, data loss and unauthorized data access.</p> <h3>Backup appliance</h3> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/backupdr_bronze_unitrends.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/backupdr_bronze_unitrends_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/backupdr_bronze_unitrends_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/backupdr_bronze_unitrends.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of a storage appliance that Unitrends offers."> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Unitrends' line of storage appliances has varying amounts of storage capacity and automated backup features. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Many organizations deploy hardware appliances to support their backup strategies. A backup appliance contains its own storage media and is typically bundled with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-protection-management-DPM">data protection management</a> software. When a turnkey backup appliance is connected to the internet, and it enhances storage hardware with backup software and management tools that are configured as a single system, it might also be referred to as an <i>integrated backup storage appliance </i>or an <i>integrated cloud storage appliance.</i></p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Use cases for backup storage devices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Use cases for backup storage devices</h2> <p>Backup storage devices have a wide range of use cases that vary depending on whether they are being used by enterprises, SMBs or individuals. At the core, the purpose is always the same -- to ensure important data can be recovered if something goes wrong.</p> <table class="main-article-table"> <thead> <tr> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Backup storage device</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Description</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Storage capacity</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Users</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Use cases</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Advantages</b></span></p> </td> <td> <p><span style="color: #ecf0f1;"><b>Disadvantages</b></span></p> </td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td> <p><b>NAS</b></p> </td> <td> <p>Dedicated hardware device that connects to a LAN and provides centralized, file-level storage.</p> </td> <td> <p>Typically, terabytes (TB) to petabytes, depending on configuration.</p> </td> <td> <p>Small and midsize businesses; advanced home users; enterprises (departmental use).</p> </td> <td> <p>Centralized backups; hybrid cloud backups; file sharing; media streaming.</p> </td> <td> <p>Centralized management, multiuser access, scalable with additional drives, often includes built-in backup and snapshot features.</p> </td> <td> <p>Higher upfront cost than consumer devices; requires some IT expertise to manage; slower than SAN for high-performance workloads.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><b>SAN</b></p> </td> <td> <p>High-performance network of storage devices that provide block-level storage.</p> </td> <td> <p>Petabyte-scale and beyond.</p> </td> <td> <p>Enterprises and large organization.</p> </td> <td> <p>Centralized backups; high-speed recovery; database and virtualization workloads.</p> </td> <td> <p>Very high performance and scalability; supports mission-critical applications; integrates with enterprise IT infrastructure.</p> </td> <td> <p>Complex to set up and manage; high cost; requires specialized IT staff.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><b>Tape drive</b></p> </td> <td> <p>Hardware system that stores data on magnetic tape cartridges.</p> </td> <td> <p>Hundreds of gigabytes to multiple TB per cartridge; scalable via libraries.</p> </td> <td> <p>Enterprises; government agencies; SMBs; research institutions.</p> </td> <td> <p>Nightly SMB backups; archiving data for compliance; long-term cold storage.</p> </td> <td> <p>Very cost-effective for long-term storage; portable; long shelf life (10-30 years).</p> </td> <td> <p>Slow data retrieval; sequential access makes restores less convenient; can take up significant physical space.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><b>Backup appliance</b></p> </td> <td> <p>Integrated hardware and software solution that includes a backup management app.</p> </td> <td> <p>TB to petabytes depending on model.</p> </td> <td> <p>SMBs; enterprises.</p> </td> <td> <p>Automating local backups; backing up primary data in the cloud; hybrid cloud integration.</p> </td> <td> <p>Simplified deployment; built-in features like deduplication and encryption; reduces backup management complexity.</p> </td> <td> <p>Higher upfront cost than simple NAS or drives; vendor lock-in possible; might require ongoing subscription for cloud integration features.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><b>External hard drive</b></p> </td> <td> <p>Portable solid-state or mechanical disk drive with relatively high storage capacity and low cost per gigabyte.</p> </td> <td> <p>500 GB to 20+ TB.</p> </td> <td> <p>Individual users; small businesses.</p> </td> <td> <p>Backing up personal files and office documents.</p> </td> <td> <p>Affordable; easy to use; portable; fast local restores.</p> </td> <td> <p>Vulnerable to physical damage or theft; limited lifespan (especially HDDs); manual backups often required.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> <p><b>USB flash drive</b></p> </td> <td> <p>Small, portable solid-state storage device.</p> </td> <td> <p>Typically, 8 GB to 2 TB.</p> </td> <td> <p>Individual users; students; professionals who need portable storage.</p> </td> <td> <p>Storing or transferring small files temporarily; carrying work between locations; quick ad hoc backups for digital content.</p> </td> <td> <p>Highly portable; inexpensive; easy to use; plug-and-play interface.</p> </td> <td> <p>Limited storage capacity compared to other backup devices; less reliable for long-term backups; easy to steal, compromise or lose.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Purchasing considerations for backup storage devices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Purchasing considerations for backup storage devices</h2> <p>With so many options, it can be difficult for individuals, SMBs and enterprises to know which data backup solutions they should purchase and use to back up primary data.</p> <p>When evaluating backup storage devices, users should consider several key factors. Capacity is essential, since the device should be able to store the latest backup and still have room for growth. Performance matters as well, because the speed of backup and restore operations directly affects <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-cost-of-downtime-and-how-businesses-can-avoid-it">downtime</a> in the event of a failure.</p> <p>Ultimately, the best backup storage device depends on the type of user and the data that needs to be protected.</p> <p>An individual user typically has a small budget and only needs enough storage capacity to protect personal files. Affordability and ease of use are often considered first in purchasing decisions.</p> <p>Small and/or midsize businesses typically need to balance cost with scalability. Purchasing decisions often focus on storage devices that are easy to manage and have enough capacity to protect multiple users.</p> <p>Enterprise users typically require significantly more storage capacity for backups. Automation, performance, reliability, security, compliance and cloud integration concerns should be considered in purchasing decisions.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup storage devices in the enterprise"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup storage devices in the enterprise</h2> <p>Enterprises often use backup storage devices at branch offices, remote sites or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/edge-computing">edge computing</a> environments to back up local data before sending it to the cloud.</p> <p>The local backup layer ensures fast recovery in case of device failure, while also reducing the risk of data loss when information is transmitted to the cloud. This approach also helps optimize bandwidth by allowing data backups to be sent to the cloud during off-peak hours or after <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-ultimate-guide-to-backup-deduplication">deduplication</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How backup storage devices support the 3-2-1 rule"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How backup storage devices support the 3-2-1 rule</h2> <p>The 3-2-1 rule is a well-known best practice for backups. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/3-2-1-Backup-Strategy">3-2-1 backups</a> require primary data to be saved three times. Two copies should be stored on different types of storage media and one copy should be stored off-site.</p> <p>Backup storage devices directly support the 3-2-1 rule by providing redundancy, enabling the use of multiple media types and facilitating both local and off-site data protection.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup storage devices for individuals and SMBs"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup storage devices for individuals and SMBs</h2> <p>External hard drives and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/USB-drive">USB flash drives</a> remain popular backup DAS options for individuals because they are inexpensive, portable and can provide enough capacity to safeguard personal files, photos and media collections. Tech-savvy home users and SMBs might also invest in NAS appliances that bundle storage capacity with backup management tools that have features such as automation, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">encryption</a> and hybrid cloud integration.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The future of backup storage technology"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The future of backup storage technology</h2> <p>While <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/What-is-cloud-native-backup-and-recovery">cloud-native backup and recovery</a> can be convenient and cost-effective for specific use cases, there will always be a need for different types of storage form factors. Notwithstanding the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Backup-and-AI-work-together-to-enhance-protection">impact of artificial intelligence on backup storage</a>, the best is yet to come for backup storage devices.</p> <p>The future of this tech market is expected to be shaped by the public's increasing confidence in cloud computing and advances in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/external-storage">external storage</a> devices. A report from Mordor Intelligence titled "Data Storage Market Size and Share Analysis -- Growth Trends and Forecasts (2025-2030)" projects the current market for storage technology at USD 251 billion, and forecasts growth to USD 484 billion by 2030.</p> <p><i>Learn more about <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup">backup storage devices and technology</a> in this comprehensive learning guide for enterprise users. </i></p> </section> A backup storage device is a hardware component that stores duplicate copies of data. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup-storage-device Fri, 17 Oct 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>In some ways, the more copies of data, the better off a data protection strategy will be. Not every type of copy is necessary, however, and that's where deduplication comes in.</p> <p>Deduplication is an effective way of conserving storage space by eliminating redundant copies of data. There are two primary forms of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/data-deduplication">deduplication</a>: Inline and post-processing.</p> <p>There is no universal right or wrong when it comes to inline deduplication vs. post processing. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so the right option for your organization might depend on several factors.</p> <p>This article will compare inline vs. post-processing deduplication. It will cover how they work, pros and cons of each method, and products on the market today. The article will also explain how both <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-ultimate-guide-to-backup-deduplication">methods of deduplication</a> work with different technologies to protect data and optimize storage space.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is inline deduplication?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is inline deduplication?</h2> <p>Inline deduplication reduces redundant data in real time, before or while it is sent to the backup device.</p> <h3>Benefits and drawbacks</h3> <p>Inline deduplication is a popular option for primary storage on flash arrays. It reduces the amount of data written to drives, reducing wear on the drives, bandwidth requirements and transfer time. Temporary storage space is not needed for inline deduplication, since copies are reduced before being stored.</p> <p>However, since the dedupe takes place between servers and backup systems, inline deduplication can <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-top-10-causes-of-slow-data-backups">cause performance issues</a> during the data backup process.</p> <h3>Products on the market</h3> <p>Several data storage and backup tools use inline deduplication, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Veeam Data Platform.</li> <li>Dell Avamar and Data Domain.</li> <li>IBM Spectrum Protect.</li> <li>NEC Hydrastor.</li> <li>Quantum DXi.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is post-processing deduplication?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is post-processing deduplication?</h2> <p>With post-processing deduplication, the data is backed up to the disk, then reduced. Post-process dedupe is typically scheduled by administrators ahead of time.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage-deduplication.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage-deduplication_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage-deduplication_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/storage-deduplication.png 1280w" alt="Graphic of inline vs. post-processing deduplication"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>The two deduplication methods differ based on when in the process the data is reduced. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Benefits and drawbacks</h3> <p>Post-processing backs up data faster and reduces the backup window. However, this speed requires more disk space to temporarily store backup data, making this method less <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/Seven-tips-to-improve-data-storage-efficiency">storage-efficient</a> vs. inline deduplication.</p> <h3>Products on the market</h3> <p>Products that use post-processing deduplication include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Windows Server.</li> <li>HPE ProLiant.</li> </ul> <p>FalconStor, DataCore and Hitachi Vantara offer customers the choice of post-process or inline deduplication.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Deduplication used with other technologies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Deduplication used with other technologies</h2> <p>Both inline deduplication and post-process methods have their advocates, but experts say neither is universally better for data protection -- it all depends on what type of backup environment you have. Many IT teams employ other supplementary techniques and technologies to increase data protection.</p> <p>Deduplication is often combined with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/opinion/A-data-replication-strategy-for-all-your-disaster-recovery-needs">replication for disaster recovery</a>. While deduplication reduces the amount of duplicate data and lowers the bandwidth requirement to copy data off-site, replication copies data from one location to another, providing up-to-date information <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ready.gov/business/emergency-plans/recovery-plan" rel="noopener">in the event of</a> a disaster.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/erasure-coding">Erasure coding</a>, compression and deduplication can work together to protect data and conserve storage capacity, but they have stark differences. Erasure coding enables corrupted data to be reconstructed using information about that data stored elsewhere. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/compression">Compression</a> reduces the number of bits needed to represent data.</p> <p><i>Erin Sullivan is the senior site editor for Informa TechTarget's Data Backup and Disaster Recovery sites.</i></p> <p><i>Dave Raffo is an independent IT analyst and journalist. He previously worked as a senior analyst at The Futurum Group and Evaluator Group, covering integrated systems, software-defined storage, container storage, public cloud storage and as-a-service offerings. He previously worked at TechTarget from 2007 to 2021 as executive news director and editorial director for its storage coverage, and he was a technology journalist for 30 years. </i></p> </section> Will inline or post-processing deduplication work better for your data protection strategy? Learn more about each method with this tip. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchMobileComputing/wireless_networking/mobilecomputing_article_022.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tutorial/Inline-deduplication-vs-post-processing-Data-dedupe-best-practices Wed, 03 Sep 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>Data backup is the process of copying data in an IT system to another location so it can be recovered if the original data is lost. A backup process aims to preserve data in case of equipment failure, cyberattack, human error, natural disaster or other data loss event. As such, data backup is an important part of an enterprise's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-protection">data protection</a> strategy, which also typically includes a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/Business-Continuity-and-Disaster-Recovery-BCDR">business continuity and disaster recovery</a> plan.</p> <p>The scope of data backup has broadened over the years and now encompasses data maintained in the cloud as well as in on-premises systems. Backup also covers a wider range of use cases. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, led to a massive increase in employees working from home, elevating remote data protection as a backup task. In some cases, it also created new backup responsibilities for general IT administrators.</p> <p>Backup technologies are also evolving, with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/Ultimate-guide-to-artificial-intelligence-in-the-enterprise">AI as a key influence</a>. Enterprise Strategy Group, now part of Omdia, has cited the transition of traditional backup offerings into what it calls the "data intelligence market," in which products incorporate automation, AI and machine learning.</p> <p>This comprehensive guide examines all aspects of data backup, including the importance of backup, the benefits and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Enterprise-data-backup-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them">challenges of providing this layer of data protection</a>, plus an overview of different backup approaches, technologies and vendors. It also describes how to create and implement a data backup plan and includes a planning template. Hyperlinks throughout this page connect to related articles that provide additional insights, new developments and advice from industry experts on what data backup teams must do to implement a successful enterprise data backup strategy.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why are data backups important?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why are data backups important?</h2> <p>Data is a critical corporate asset: It's analyzed to understand customers, maintained for regulatory compliance purposes and monetized to create new revenue streams, to name a few uses. The increasingly high-stakes nature of data makes backups an important IT infrastructure component. Backups provide a way to restore data, whether the issue is inadvertent deletion, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/ransomware">ransomware</a> outbreak or a data center outage. The ability to recover rapidly from such setbacks is the essence of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/What-is-digital-resilience">digital resilience</a>.</p> <p>The objective is to provide a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/What-is-endpoint-data-loss-prevention-A-best-practices-guide">safeguard against data loss</a> and help organizations recover data in its original form. As businesses become <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/tip/Tips-for-creating-a-data-driven-culture">data-centric organizations</a>, they must keep their data consistently available to maintain credibility with employees and external customers who rely on it to do their jobs. Failure to do so results in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-cost-of-downtime-and-how-businesses-can-avoid-it">billions of dollars in annual downtime costs</a>.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup_testing_frequency_model.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup_testing_frequency_model_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup_testing_frequency_model_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup_testing_frequency_model.png 1280w" alt="Chart showing a draft backup test schedule" height="261" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>A draft backup test schedule for several different types of assets. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What to back up and how often to do it"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What to back up and how often to do it</h2> <p>A backup process can be applied to data stored in various settings, including physical servers, databases, NAS, VMs, public cloud storage, containerized applications, SaaS applications and endpoints such as laptops and mobile devices. Backups can also be <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Image-based-vs-file-based-backup-Key-comparisons">file-based or image-based</a>. The file-level method is useful for recovering users' critical documents, while the image backup approach protects data, applications and OSes.</p> <p>The frequency of full data backup, which covers all the data a business wishes to protect, depends on variables such as the criticality of the data and how frequently it changes. So, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Full-Backup">full backup</a> might be scheduled daily, weekly or at some other interval. Such backups typically take place during weekends or off-hours to reduce the performance impact on systems. Data managers can also schedule differential or incremental backups that take place in between the full ones and only back up data that is new or has changed.</p> <p>Backup policies or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/definition/service-level-agreement">service-level agreements</a> govern the frequency of backups and how quickly data must be restored. Here, the main criteria include the recovery time objective (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/recovery-time-objective-RTO">RTO</a>), which determines how quickly after an event an organization must recover data, and the recovery point objective (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/recovery-point-objective-RPO">RPO</a>), which determines the age of data that must be recovered to resume operations.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/benefits_and_challenges_of_effective_data_backup-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/benefits_and_challenges_of_effective_data_backup-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/benefits_and_challenges_of_effective_data_backup-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/benefits_and_challenges_of_effective_data_backup-f.png 1280w" alt="Table showing benefits and challenges of effective data backup" height="453" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Data backup can help reduce downtime and defend against cyberattacks, but there are technical and administrative challenges. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="FAQs on different types of data backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>FAQs on different types of data backup</h2> <p>Businesses have several backup methods to consider, with storage capacity and the length of available backup windows among the factors influencing decisions on which to use.</p> <h3>What are the main types of backup methods available for businesses?</h3> <p>There are three primary backup types:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Full backup.</li> <li>Differential backup.</li> <li>Incremental backup.</li> </ol> <p>There are several variations that a business might also use, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Synthetic full backup.</li> <li>Incremental-forever backups.</li> <li>Reverse-incremental backups.</li> </ul> <h3>What is a full backup?</h3> <p>Just as it sounds, this method captures a copy of an entire data set. Most organizations run full backups only periodically because the process is time-consuming. Full backups, however, offer rapid data recovery when required.</p> <h3>What is a differential backup?</h3> <p>This backup type copies data that has been changed or added since the last full backup. If an organization creates a full backup on a Monday, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/differential-backup">differential backups</a> on each of the following days would include all the changes since then on a cumulative basis. Backup time is therefore faster than for a full backup. Data recovery requires the original full backup and the latest differential backup.</p> <h3>What is an incremental backup?</h3> <p>Backups of this kind copy only the data that has changed since the previous backup. After a full backup, the first <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/incremental-backup">incremental backup</a> captures the data that has changed since then. The second incremental backup copies the data that has changed since the first one, and so on. Incremental backups take up less storage space than differential backups and complete more quickly than other backup types, but data recovery takes longer because it requires the original full backup plus each incremental backup.</p> <h3>What is a synthetic full backup?</h3> <p>This method combines the original full backup with data gleaned from incremental copies. The synthetic full backup requires a shorter backup window than a conventional full backup because only the changed data is copied.</p> <h3>What is an incremental-forever backup?</h3> <p>A variation on incremental backups, this approach aims to minimize the backup window while providing faster data recovery. An incremental-forever backup captures the full data set and supplements it with incremental backups from that point forward.</p> <h3>What is a reverse-incremental backup?</h3> <p>This method begins with a conventional full backup and creates a series of synthetic full backups, each of which incorporates an incremental backup. When the next full backup is created, the reverse-incremental backups provide multiple <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore">data restore</a> points that an organization can roll back to if necessary.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png 1280w" alt="Graphic explaining the difference between full, incremental and differential backups" height="621" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Backup administrators typically use a mix of full and partial backups. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Techniques and technologies to complement data backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Techniques and technologies to complement data backup</h2> <p>In addition, various data protection and storage techniques can be incorporated into the backup process, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/continuous-data-protection">Continuous data protection</a> (CDP) technology backs up data every time it changes, providing a series of point-in-time restore points after an initial full backup. This approach provides rapid recovery and eliminates backup windows, but the storage demands might prove expensive for smaller businesses. In addition, CDP requires redundancy to eliminate single-point-of-failure scenarios. Near-CDP is another option that performs backups at set intervals, typically in the range of 30 seconds to 15 minutes.</li> <li>Storage snapshots periodically capture and record data changes over time. CDP and near-CDP, for example, create high-frequency snapshots, while other methods might produce a daily snapshot.</li> <li>Mirroring replicates data across two or more disks. The goal is to protect the data against disk drive failure.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/data-replication">Data replication</a> copies data from one location to another, using a SAN, LAN, WAN or the cloud. An organization could use it for disaster recovery <u>(</u><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery">DR</a><u>)</u>, replicating data between a primary storage location and an off-site facility. Both hardware and software replication technologies are available.</li> <li>Data reduction shrinks an organization's storage footprint. There are two primary methods: <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/compression">data compression</a> and data deduplication. Reducing the size of data has implications for backup windows and restoration times. Minimization also supports sustainable data management because smaller volumes use less energy.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is a 3-2-1 backup strategy?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is a 3-2-1 backup strategy?</h2> <p>Under the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/3-2-1-Backup-Strategy">3-2-1 backup strategy</a>, an organization makes three copies of the data it wants to protect. Two copies are stored on two different types of storage media, and at least one copy resides in a remote facility. The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/off-site-backup">off-site backup</a> copy provides a safeguard against on-site system outages and data loss.</p> <p>The 3-2-1 method, considered one of several key <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-7-critical-backup-strategy-best-practices-to-keep-data-safe">data backup best practices</a>, aims to ensure organizations have no single point of failure for data backups. While the strategy has become a de facto industry standard, IT managers might need to refine it for current circumstances. The capacity required to store multiple copies can prove expensive -- particularly amid tightening IT budgets -- so data reduction methods might become necessary to complement 3-2-1 backup.</p> <p>Another tweak on the strategy is the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-the-3-2-1-1-0-backup-rule-reflects-modern-needs">3-2-1-1-0 rule</a>. In this variation, the second "1" calls for one copy to be maintained offline, providing an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/What-is-an-air-gap-backup-Strategy-benefits-and-use-cases">air-gapped backup</a> as a defense against ransomware attacks and other incidents. The "0" refers to verifying that a backup contains zero errors to ensure proper restoration.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_321_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_321_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_321_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_321_backup.png 1280w" alt="Graphic explaining the 3-2-1 backup strategy" height="348" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>A 3-2-1 backup plan aims to eliminate a single point of failure. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Data backup storage options"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Data backup storage options</h2> <p>Different storage media options for backups include tape, disk and removable storage. In addition, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-backup">cloud backup</a> can serve as both a storage media alternative and an off-site storage resource. Each option has its advantages and disadvantages.</p> <h3>Tape</h3> <p>A computer storage medium since the 1950s, tape endures as a backup technology. Its advantages include security: Tape is inherently offline, so it provides air-gapped data protection. In addition, the latest tapes store a high volume of data. The LTO-10 generation of tape products can store up to 30 TB native and 75 TB compressed.</p> <p>On the other hand, tapes require maintenance and management to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-keep-physical-backup-media-storage-safe">ensure they are safe and secure</a>. Businesses must make sure the hardware used to read tapes still works, and tape backup media should ideally be shipped to an off-site storage center. As a result, tape is more often used for archival purposes now.</p> <h3>Disk</h3> <p>Disk has become a common backup technology, offering more attractive pricing than in the past and generally providing faster performance compared with tape. Hard disk drives trail solid-state drives in performance but maintain a cost advantage, which makes them more widely used for backups.</p> <p>Disk storage, however, often physically resides in an organization's office and is, thus, more susceptible to damage in the event of a natural disaster. That scenario highlights the importance of adopting the 3-2-1 backup approach to help avoid permanent data loss.</p> <h3>Cloud</h3> <p>As part of a 3-2-1 strategy, off-site data backup often equates to subscription-based cloud storage as a service. This option provides low-cost, scalable capacity and eliminates a customer's need to purchase and maintain backup hardware. Using the cloud can also ease remote backup processes, but that cost edge is subject to change when large amounts of data are backed up in the cloud.</p> <p>As an off-site storage tier, cloud shields businesses from disasters affecting in-house data centers. But cloud's online nature makes it vulnerable to cyberattacks, and cloud service outages can temporarily leave businesses without access to backup data.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FIL6L7f32Bs?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p>Cloud backup is divided into the following categories:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Public cloud storage.</b> Users ship data to a cloud service provider (CSP) that charges them a monthly subscription fee based on the storage they consume. Additional fees are commonly charged for data ingress and egress.</li> <li><b>Private cloud storage.</b> Data is backed up to different servers inside a company's firewall, typically between an on-premises data center and a secondary disaster recovery site.</li> <li><b>Hybrid cloud storage.</b> A company uses both local on-premises and off-site cloud storage. Businesses customarily use public cloud storage selectively for data archiving and long-term retention. Private storage is used for faster access to backups of their most critical data.</li> </ul> <p>In addition, the following backup-related services have emerged from the evolution of cloud storage:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Disaster recovery as a service. </b><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-as-a-service-DRaaS">DRaaS</a> also backs up data via a third-party CSP, enabling failover in the event of a business disruption. DRaaS lets customers avoid the cost of maintaining secondary data centers.</li> <li><b>Cloud-to-cloud (C2C) backup.</b> This practice copies data located on one cloud service to a second cloud service, which functions as an off-site backup. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-to-cloud-backup">C2C backup</a> can protect a range of cloud workloads. It has become increasingly important for businesses that depend on SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365 and Salesforce.</li> <li><b>Backup as a service.</b> <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup-as-a-service-BaaS">BaaS</a> involves purchasing backup and recovery services from an online data backup provider, typically through a subscription. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/9-backup-as-a-service-BaaS-providers-in-2025">BaaS providers</a>, representing one example of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/What-is-cloud-native-backup-and-recovery">cloud-native backup</a>, manage the backup infrastructure, which resides in a private, public or hybrid cloud.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg 1280w" alt="A chart comparing tape and disk storage" height="392" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Tape and disk, while both backup storage options, have different use cases. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Backup options for PCs and mobile devices</h3> <p>The rise in remote work has further expanded the scope of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/How-to-back-up-your-data-and-keep-your-files-safe">backup tasks for individual users</a>. PC users can consider local backup from a computer's internal hard disk to an attached external hard drive or removable media, such as a thumb drive. Another alternative for users is to back up data from smartphones and tablets to cloud storage.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Selecting the right backup offering"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Selecting the right backup offering</h2> <p>The scope of enterprise backup often encompasses a combination of on-premises environments, cloud-based infrastructure and SaaS applications. Use cases are wide-ranging as well: Requirements might include data protection, disaster recovery, cyberthreat defense, remote work, regulatory compliance and long-term archival storage.</p> <p>Backup technology options in this varied market include software applications, hardware offerings such as backup appliances and other <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup-storage-device">backup storage devices</a>, and cloud services such as BaaS and DRaaS. Enterprises might need to use a mix of backup software, hardware and cloud technologies to address complex, hybrid IT environments.</p> <p>In this context, backup vendors are evolving to provide offerings that span a range of technologies and use cases. Market research companies group such vendors under different headings. Forrester Research, for example, defines them as "data resilience solution providers," while Gartner uses the "backup and data protection platform" label, and IDC covers the "data protection software" market.</p> <p>A recent report from Forrester Research on data resilience vendors, published in November 2024, identified Cohesity, Commvault, Dell Technologies, Druva, IBM, OpenText, Rubrik, Veeam Software and Veritas as the vendors "that matter most" in the market. Forrester's evaluation considered a vendor's current offering, strategy and customer feedback.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/automated_backup_in_action-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/automated_backup_in_action-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/automated_backup_in_action-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/automated_backup_in_action-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic showing the inner workings of automated backup" height="274" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Automated backup minimizes human errors, improves regulatory compliance and ensures business continuity. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Gartner's report on backup and data protection platforms, published June 2025, listed Arcserve, Cohesity, Commvault, Dell Technologies, Druva, Huawei, HYCU, IBM, Kaseya's Unitrends business, OpenText, Rubrik and Veeam as top vendors. Evaluation criteria for this report included product/service capabilities, customer experience and the vendor's overall viability.</p> <p>IDC's top 10 data protection software vendors, based on 2024 vendor revenue, include Acronis, Cohesity, Commvault, Dell Technologies, IBM, Kaseya, Microsoft, Rubrik, Veeam and Veritas.</p> <p>Leading vendors have begun integrating AI into their products, which will <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Automated-backup-How-it-works-and-why-you-should-use-it">influence backup automation</a> and potentially transform data recovery. Gartner predicts that 90% of backup and data protection platforms will incorporate generative AI by 2029.</p> <p>Some specialized products, however, fall outside these broad backup system vendor categories. In the long-term data retention market, for instance, options include tape and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cloud-archive">cloud archive</a> technologies. Based on 2023 data, Straits Research identified the following companies as "key players" in the North American tape storage <a href="https://straitsresearch.com/report/tape-storage-market/north-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">market</a>: Dell Technologies, HPE, IBM, Lenovo, Oracle, Overland Tandberg, Qstar Technologies, Qualstar, Quantum and Spectra Logic. Overland Tandberg, however, ceased operations in 2025.</p> <p>In addition, cloud market share leaders AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google offer cloud archive products: Amazon S3 Glacier, Azure Blob Storage and Google Cloud Storage's archive storage service, respectively.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sampling_of_data_backup_and_recovery_vendors-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sampling_of_data_backup_and_recovery_vendors-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sampling_of_data_backup_and_recovery_vendors-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/sampling_of_data_backup_and_recovery_vendors-f.png 1280w" alt="Table comparing backup vendors' use cases and customer bases" height="735" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Vendors share broad backup and restore capabilities but emphasize somewhat different use cases and customer bases. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup planning, testing and training"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup planning, testing and training</h2> <p>Backup methods, types, and technologies are only effective when businesses support them with comprehensive backup policies and plans. The following sections provide details on how to create an overarching structure for managing backup and recovery.</p> <h3>Develop a data backup policy and plan</h3> <p>Businesses should <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-importance-of-backup-policies">create a backup policy</a> to detail the methods and types of data protection they deploy and to ensure critical business data is backed up consistently and regularly. That policy must be coordinated with any overarching <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Enterprise-data-governance-Frameworks-and-best-practices">data governance framework</a> an enterprise might have. The backup policy also creates a checklist that the IT department can monitor and follow.</p> <p>The steps for building such a document include the following:</p> <ol type="1" start="1" class="default-list"> <li>Conduct a risk assessment and business impact analysis (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/business-impact-analysis">BIA</a>). The risk assessment identifies issues that could negatively affect an organization's ability to conduct business, while the BIA determines the potential effects of a disruption.</li> <li>Define the scope of the backup plan. IT managers incorporate the risk assessment and BIA findings to determine what data the organization must back up and how often.</li> <li>Document the process of performing data backups: who is involved, what tools they should use and the planned storage location of backups. This part of the plan should also include the cost of the data backup strategy.</li> <li>Identify the types of backups to be used. Typically, this step will include an initial full data backup, with a series of differential or incremental backups between additional full ones.</li> <li>Document the process of moving data to and from disk, cloud and tape, since it differs for each backup target.</li> <li>Set data retention rules to automate the deletion of data -- or migration to different media -- after it has been kept for a specific period. Consider setting rules for individual users, departments and file types.</li> </ol> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/thrills_chills_and_romance-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/thrills_chills_and_romance-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/thrills_chills_and_romance-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/thrills_chills_and_romance-f.png 1280w" alt="Graphic showing how quantum computing's capabilities can influence data centers and the way they operate" height="299" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Quantum computing adds another wrinkle to securing data backups, while promising to take on problems beyond the reach of conventional IT. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Implement a data backup plan</h3> <p>With a backup plan in place, the next phase is implementation. The data backup policy offers guidance, detailing the process for executing and authenticating backups. It should also specify measures to ensure that data is backed up <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/10-Tips-to-Keep-Personal-Data-Safe-and-Secure">safely and securely</a>. The steady rise of quantum computing adds another wrinkle to securing backups: <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-future-of-quantum-data-centers-Resilience-and-risk">Quantum machines could crack classical encryption</a> algorithms within a few years, which puts stored data at risk of harvest-now-decrypt-later attacks.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Backup-scheduling-best-practices-to-ensure-availability">Effective backup scheduling</a> is also key to backing up the right data -- and the right amount of it -- in an organization. In many cases, it's likely unnecessary -- as well as impractical -- to schedule a full backup every day or more often than weekly. Not all data is mission-critical, and the required storage space and cost would get very hefty.</p> <h3>Data backup plan template</h3> <p>This <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-backup-plan-template-A-free-download-and-guide">free template</a> provides a documented outline for building a data backup plan.</p> <p>Creating the plan should be a team effort: One person might document it, but the plan should be shared with other key stakeholders, such as IT and business executives, for their review and input.</p> <p>Data backup planning is an essential business activity -- and one that's expanding in scale. Data sets are growing exponentially, and increasingly large backup data sets naturally follow that trend. With so many threats and risks, an organization must have a ready copy of its critical data in the event of an unplanned incident, so it can continue business operations as expeditiously as possible.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup-schedule.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup-schedule_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup-schedule_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-backup-schedule.png 1280w" alt="Chart showing a possible backup schedule" height="387" width="559"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>A backup schedule can include a few full backups and many incremental backups over the course of a month. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Build a restore and disaster recovery plan</h3> <p>A backup strategy is only as good as its ability to restore critical data. As a result, an organization also needs a restore and DR plan that includes the following steps:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Outline how the organization plans to restore its backed-up data. Data restoration techniques include restoring from traditional backups, as well as using CDP, data replication and instant recovery.</li> <li>Document how much data the organization must recover to function and how quickly that needs to happen, using the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/What-is-the-difference-between-RPO-and-RTO-from-a-backup-perspective">RTO and RPO metrics</a>. It's important to be honest about these parameters: Organizations must take a close look at what data they need in a recovery situation and how fast they can get it.</li> <li>Align backup and recovery planning with the broader DR plan, which is designed to restore business operations after an emergency. Data recovery is key to that effort.</li> </ul> <h3>Train employees on backup protocols</h3> <p>Training is essential to educating staff on the data backup strategy, scheduling and what to expect in a data recovery situation. A training program, including commercially <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Leading-courses-in-data-backup-training-for-IT-teams">available backup courses</a>, should extend beyond backup administrators to include IT generalists and remote employees. A backup administrator might be unavailable in the event of a business disruption. If that's the case, other IT employees will be assigned to backup work they won't be familiar with -- unless they have been cross-trained on the company's backup processes and technologies.</p> <p>A well-documented backup process provides a starting point for employee training. In addition, a business's backup vendors might be able to provide training on its products. Third-party training providers with backup and recovery courses are another option.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/databackup-10_steps_to_secure_your_data_backups-h.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/databackup-10_steps_to_secure_your_data_backups-h_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/databackup-10_steps_to_secure_your_data_backups-h_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/databackup-10_steps_to_secure_your_data_backups-h.png 1280w" alt="Graphic listing data backup steps" height="342" width="279"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Enterprises should ensure their data protection strategies reflect core backup principles. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Remote workers, meanwhile, should receive training on secure storage and backup. A suggested&nbsp;<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/A-network-compliance-checklist-for-remote-work">network compliance checklist for remote work</a>&nbsp;includes documenting procedures for data backup and recovery. A company's remote site backup vendor can also provide documentation and guidance on its offerings.</p> <h3>Test and review backup systems regularly</h3> <p>Organizations must regularly test their backup process and technologies to confirm they're working properly. Testing doesn't need to be overwhelming, but it must be consistent. The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Ten-important-steps-for-testing-backups">core elements of backup testing</a> include documenting a test plan, using automation and ensuring accuracy. Backups can fail, but it's better to have them fail in a test than in a live recovery situation.</p> <p>The frequency of backup testing should track with the frequency of data backups. Mission-critical data, for example, will get backed up most often; thus, those backups should receive the most frequent testing. Assigning a criticality value to each backup data set will help determine testing frequency.</p> <p>Testing results must be analyzed to determine whether any changes are needed. As an additional step, an organization can hire an outside agency for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Best-practices-for-backup-audit-preparation">backup auditing</a> to further detail backup effectiveness. This review can help administrators update backup plans and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Ten-ways-you-can-make-your-data-backups-more-secure">ensure backups are secure</a>.</p> <p><b>Editor's note:</b><i> This article was updated in August 2025 to reflect the latest developments in data backup and recovery.</i></p> <p><i>John Moore is a writer for Informa TechTarget covering the CIO role, economic trends and the IT services industry.</i></p> <p><i>Informa TechTarget executive editor Paul Crocetti and freelance technology writer Brien Posey contributed to this article.</i></p> </section> Data backup is the process of copying data in an IT system to another location so it can be recovered if the original data is lost. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup Mon, 25 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMT <p>These days, it would be difficult to find medium or large organizations that do not have some sort of cloud service arrangement. But is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Enterprise-data-backup-challenges-and-how-to-overcome-them">cloud backup and recovery</a> the right choice for your data?</p> <p>Major public cloud service providers, such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google and IBM, offer many services to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/What-are-some-public-cloud-backup-options-for-better-data-protection">address data backup</a>, application backup, disaster recovery (DR) and other useful protective services. Other, smaller cloud providers <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Top-20-cloud-backup-services-for-2019">offer similar services</a> and a variety of pricing options.</p> <p>With choices like these and many more, the cloud is a compelling option for data backup and recovery. However, it might not be right for every situation. Before moving to the cloud for backup and DR, IT managers have several fundamental questions they need to answer.</p> <p>This article will address six common questions IT managers might have about cloud backup and recovery, from financial concerns to policies and procedures. Consider each question and contemplate your answers carefully to determine if the cloud is the right option for your organization's data backup and disaster recovery needs.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="1. Does a cloud-based service arrangement make sense operationally and financially?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>1. Does a cloud-based service arrangement make sense operationally and financially?</h2> <p>Experience has shown that -- when properly configured and with strong security in place -- cloud-based products for data storage, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Cloud-backup-vs-local-traditional-backup-advantages-disadvantages">backup and recovery</a>, emergency system failover, and other requirements make good sense. Many organizations incorporate the cloud into operations relatively seamlessly, avoiding potential disruptions that can come with changing technologies.</p> <p>When it comes to finances, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/How-to-calculate-your-cloud-TCO">analyze the TCO</a> and ROI of different cloud backup and recovery platforms available to make sure that they fit into your organization's budget. The scalable nature of cloud and the variety of options on the market should enable organizations of all sizes to find a suitable cloud service.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lc-hY-uHgUU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="2. What resources would we move to a cloud environment?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>2. What resources would we move to a cloud environment?</h2> <p>Deciding which data, systems, databases and other assets to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Cloud-backup-vs-NAS-A-comparison-on-critical-factors">relocate to a cloud offering</a> should start with medium- to low-risk infrastructure and data elements. This approach gives you time to evaluate a provider's capabilities, technical support, security provisions, and emergency response and DR capabilities. Over time, consider moving other, more critical assets to the cloud platform, but not all at once.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="3. What happens to our legacy data storage and management arrangements?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>3. What happens to our legacy data storage and management arrangements?</h2> <p>Existing legacy storage assets, such as on-premises storage, SANs, NAS, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/RAID-vs-backup-Learn-the-differences-and-benefits-of-both">RAID</a> and other technologies, might still be financially and operationally viable. The organization might have already paid them off, for example. If those resources are still performing well, ask yourself what risks and exposures might occur if your on-premises storage technology is discontinued.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="4. Will this affect existing DR activities?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>4. Will this affect existing DR activities?</h2> <p>You might be able to offload most or all <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/Disaster-recovery-plan-best-practices-for-any-business">DR activities</a> to your cloud vendor, especially if you have moved mission-critical systems and data to one or more cloud platforms. This could save you money by reducing the staff needed to maintain your DR plan on-site and avoiding the need for technology on-site to facilitate recovery activities. Any changes to a disaster recovery strategy might cause some disruption, so make sure to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/risk-assessment">assess the associated risks</a> of such a move.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="5. What do we do with our policies and procedures for data storage and DR?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>5. What do we do with our policies and procedures for data storage and DR?</h2> <p>Administrative activities, such as policies and procedures associated with backup and DR, should still be in place, especially for auditors. However, you can likely adjust them to accommodate cloud-based arrangements. Review your organization's data backup strategy and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-plan">disaster recovery plan</a> to determine which policies and procedures will need updates.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="6. Could we move our entire infrastructure onto one or more cloud platforms?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>6. Could we move our entire infrastructure onto one or more cloud platforms?</h2> <p>For some organizations, shifting specific processes or data might be the extent of the move to the cloud. If your organization wants to move all IT assets to the cloud, there are several factors to consider:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Upcoming company activities, <a target="_blank" href="https://gpmip.com/the-challenges-of-technology-transformation-in-mergers-acquisitions/" rel="noopener">such as</a> a merger or acquisition.</li> <li>Client requirements specifying that a minimum amount of technology must be on-premises.</li> <li>Regulatory mandates.</li> <li>Competitive and reputational issues associated with such a drastic change.</li> <li>Performance issues, such as whether restoration of technology is faster with a cloud backup and recovery product.</li> </ul> <p>Your business requirements will most likely dictate a total -- or partial -- move of your IT assets to a cloud platform. Also, you might want to use at least <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Multi-cloud-data-backup-Choices-and-challenges">two cloud vendors</a> so that you won't have to depend exclusively on a single service provider.</p> <p><i>Paul Kirvan, FBCI, CISA, is an independent consultant and technical writer with more than 35 years of experience in business continuity, disaster recovery, resilience, cybersecurity, GRC, telecom and technical writing.</i></p> </section> Still not sure if cloud data backup and recovery is the best choice for your organization? Here are six questions for IT managers to consider when making the move to cloud. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-do-I-know-if-cloud-backup-and-recovery-is-right-for-my-data Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:00:00 GMT <p>Protecting data against loss, corruption and disaster is one of the top priorities for IT organizations. Luckily, several types of data backup make that job easier.</p> <p>Backup applications have long offered several types of backup operations. The most common backup types are a full backup, an incremental backup and a differential backup. A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Full-Backup">full backup</a> takes a complete copy of the source data. Incremental and differential backups start with a full backup and only back up changes to the data, but they differ in what they back up. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/incremental-backup">Incremental backups</a> only back up changes since the last backup, while <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/differential-backup">differential backups</a> back up changes since the last full backup. The options don't end there: Newer varieties include mirror, incremental-forever and synthetic full backups. So, how do you choose which one is right for you?</p> <p>The best backup type for your organization will depend on several factors. Storage capacity, performance requirements, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Long-term-data-backup-options">data retention</a> and environment should all play a part in the decision-making process. Organizations backing up massive amounts of data on-site will require different methods than small organizations that lean on the cloud, for example.</p> <p>This article will take a deep dive into the major types of backup today. Once you know all the types by heart, find out which are suited to the cloud as well as how to find the best backup type(s) for your organization.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Full backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Full backups</h2> <p>The most basic and complete type of backup operation is a full backup. Full backups arguably provide the best protection but are not without disadvantages.</p> <h3>How do full backups work?</h3> <p>As the name implies, a full backup makes a copy of all data to another set of media, such as a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Storage-media-showdown-The-benefits-of-tape-vs-disk-backup">disk or tape</a>. Typically, backup operations employ a full backup in combination with either incremental or differential backups.</p> <h3>Use cases for full backups</h3> <p>Most organizations don't use full backups daily because they are time-consuming and often require a lot of storage capacity. Full backups are typically run only periodically. Organizations that have a small amount of data -- or critical applications -- might choose to run a full backup daily, or even more often in some cases.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>The primary advantage of performing a full backup during every operation is that a complete copy of all data is available with a single set of media. This results in a minimal time to restore data, a metric known as <i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/recovery-time-objective-RTO">recovery time objective</a></i>.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>Because not every organization has the time or storage space for frequent full backups, other types are often necessary. Full backups take longer to perform than other types, and they require more storage space.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VmgE3vQG3lc?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental backups</h2> <p>Incremental backups were introduced to increase backup speed and decrease the storage space needed for a full backup.</p> <h3>How do incremental backups work?</h3> <p>Incremental backups only back up the data that has changed since the previous backup. For example, suppose that you created a full backup on Monday and used incremental backups for the rest of the week. Tuesday's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Backup-scheduling-best-practices-to-ensure-availability">scheduled backup</a> would only contain the data that has changed since Monday. Wednesday's backup files would only contain the data that has changed since Tuesday, and so on.</p> <h3>Use cases for incremental backups</h3> <p>Full backups are the most thorough, complete copies of data, but they are too time-consuming and use too much storage to be performed frequently. Organizations use incremental backups to consistently save up-to-date data without making full copies daily.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>Because an incremental backup only copies data since the last backup of any type, an organization can run it as often as desired, with only the most recent changes stored. Another benefit of an incremental backup is that it copies a smaller amount of data than a full. Backup operations will complete faster and require less <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-keep-physical-backup-media-storage-safe">media to store the backup</a>.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>The primary disadvantage of incremental backups is that they can be time-consuming to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore">restore</a>. Going back to the previous example, suppose that you wanted to restore the backup from Wednesday. To do so, you would have to first restore Monday's full backup. After that, you would have to restore Tuesday's backup, followed by Wednesday's.</p> <p>In addition, if any of the backup media is missing or damaged, you will experience incomplete data recovery.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Differential backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Differential backups</h2> <p>A differential backup is similar to an incremental backup but has some key differences. They are also used in conjunction with full backups.</p> <h3>How do differential backups work?</h3> <p>A differential backup starts with a full backup; subsequent backups only contain data that has changed. The difference between incremental vs. differential backups is that, while an incremental backup only includes the data that has changed since the previous backup, a differential backup contains all the data that has changed since the last full backup.</p> <h3>Use cases for differential backups</h3> <p>Because they only back up changed data, differential backups are performed between full backups. For example, suppose that you wanted to create a full backup on Monday and differential backups for the rest of the week. Tuesday's backup would contain all the data that has changed since Monday. It would, therefore, be identical to an incremental backup at that point. On Wednesday, however, the differential backup would back up any data that had changed since Monday as well.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>The advantage that differential backups offer over incremental backups is a shorter restore time. When speed is important, such as in a disaster recovery scenario where <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/How-to-calculate-maximum-allowable-downtime">downtime is unacceptable</a>, rapid restores can be crucial. Restoring a differential backup never requires more than two backup sets. Incremental backups, on the other hand, could require a great number of backup sets.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>As time progresses, differential backup media can grow to contain much more data than an incremental backup. Differential backups require more space and time to complete than incremental backups.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png 1280w" alt="Chart illustrating how three common backup types copy source data to the backup repository." height="621" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Full, incremental and differential are the three most common types of backup used. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Mirror backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Mirror backups</h2> <p>A mirror backup is comparable to a full backup in that it creates a replica of the source data.</p> <h3>How do mirror backups work?</h3> <p>Mirror backups create a complete copy of a data set, but they only retain the latest version of the data in the backup repository. This mirror copy does not track different versions of the file; all backed-up files are stored separately.</p> <h3>Use cases for mirror backups</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/disk-mirroring">Disk mirroring</a>, also known as <i>RAID 1</i>, is a specific kind of mirror backup. This process replicates data to two or more disks. Because of its quick recovery time, disk mirroring is a strong option for data that needs <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/High-availability-and-resiliency-A-DR-strategy-needs-both">high availability</a>. It's also helpful for disaster recovery because of its immediate failover capability. Disk mirroring requires at least two physical drives. If one hard drive fails, an organization can use the mirror copy.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>One of the benefits of mirror backup is a fast data recovery time. It's also easy to access individual backed-up files.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>One of the main drawbacks of mirror backups is the amount of storage space required. With that extra storage, organizations should be wary of cost increases and maintenance needs. In addition, if there's a problem in the source data set, such as corruption or deletion, the mirror backup experiences the same.</p> <p>As a result, it's a good idea not to rely on mirror backups for all your data protection needs and to have other types of backup for the data. Follow the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/3-2-1-Backup-Strategy">3-2-1 rule of backup</a>, which calls for three copies of data on two different media, with one copy off-site.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Synthetic full backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Synthetic full backup</h2> <p>A synthetic full backup is a variation of an incremental backup.</p> <h3>How do synthetic full backups work?</h3> <p>Like any other incremental backup, this backup scheme involves taking a full backup, followed by a series of incremental backups. But synthetic backups take things one step further.</p> <p>What makes a synthetic backup different from an incremental backup is that the backup server produces full backups. It does this by combining the existing full backup with the data from the incremental backups. <a target="_blank" href="https://statetechmagazine.com/article/2025/03/synthetic-full-backups-how-enhance-backup-recovery-perfcon" rel="noopener">The result</a> is a synthetic full backup that is indistinguishable from a full backup that has been created the traditional way.</p> <h3>Use cases for mirror backups</h3> <p>A synthetic backup does not copy the source directly, so it uses much less storage space. This makes synthetic backups ideal for organizations that must take frequent full backups but need to save on storage space and restore time.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>The primary advantage of a synthetic full backup is a greatly reduced restore time. Restoring a synthetic full backup doesn't require the backup operator to restore multiple tape or disk sets like an incremental backup does. Synthetic full backups provide all the advantages of a true full backup but offer the decreased backup times and bandwidth usage of an incremental backup.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>The major thing to watch out for with synthetic full backups is that they typically overwrite existing backups in the process. This might leave backup admins unable to access multiple versions of a specific file.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/storage-benefits_and_drawbacks_backup_types.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/storage-benefits_and_drawbacks_backup_types_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/storage-benefits_and_drawbacks_backup_types_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/storage-benefits_and_drawbacks_backup_types.png 1280w" alt="Chart comparing pros and cons of five backup types: full, incremental, differential, synthetic full and incremental-forever." height="314" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Each backup type has its advantages and disadvantages, so review your options carefully. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental-forever backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental-forever backup</h2> <p>If you like incremental backups, you're going to love incremental-forever backups.</p> <h3>How do incremental-forever backups work?</h3> <p>Like an incremental backup, an incremental-forever backup begins by taking a full backup of the data set. After that point, only incremental backups are performed.</p> <h3>Use cases for incremental-forever backups</h3> <p>Incremental-forever backups are often used by disk-to-disk-to-tape backup systems. Organizations <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-improve-backup-performance">prioritizing rapid performance</a> and storage efficiency, or businesses that can't risk downtime, are good candidates for incremental-forever backup.</p> <h3>Pros</h3> <p>What makes an incremental-forever backup different from a normal incremental backup is the availability of data. Restoring an incremental backup requires the media containing the full backup and every subsequent backup of the backup that you want to restore.</p> <p>While this is also true for an incremental-forever backup, the backup server typically stores all the backup sets on either a large disk array or in a tape library. It automates the restoration process so that you don't have to figure out which backup sets need to be restored. In essence, the process of restoring the incremental data becomes completely transparent and mimics the process of restoring a full backup.</p> <h3>Cons</h3> <p>One thing backup admins should watch out for with incremental forever backups is increased complexity during restores, since all incremental backups are dependent on each other and the full backup.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental vs. differential backup in the cloud"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental vs. differential backup in the cloud</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-backup">Cloud backup</a> should be as seamless and simple as possible. As a result, incremental backups are generally better in the cloud because they typically consume fewer resources. Incremental backups are also smaller than differential backups. With storage space being a big element of cost in the cloud, the smaller the backup, the better.</p> <p>Incremental-forever is another good option for cloud backups. Just remember that, for both incremental and incremental-forever, you need all the backups in the backup chain for restoration.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backups-strategy_impact.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backups-strategy_impact_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backups-strategy_impact_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backups-strategy_impact.png 1280w" alt="Table comparing three common backup scenarios, the media space they require and the media required for recovery." height="235" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Be aware of the amount of storage space your backup method is using. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Which type of backup is right for you?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Which type of backup is right for you?</h2> <p>With so many different types of backup available, it is important to choose the one that is best suited to your organization's backup and restore needs. Every organization and industry has a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/20-keys-to-a-successful-enterprise-data-protection-strategy">different ideal data protection plan</a>, so the priorities and requirements for backups will vary.</p> <p>When deciding between data backup strategies, ask the following questions:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>What does your <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/Free-service-level-agreement-template-for-disaster-recovery-programs">service-level agreement</a> dictate in regard to recovery time?</li> <li>What are the policies regarding storing backup tapes off-site? If backups are shipped off-site, incremental backups are a bad idea because you must retrieve all the tapes before you can begin a restoration.</li> <li>What types of backups does your backup application support?</li> </ol> <p>As you can see, synthetic full backups and incremental-forever backups can go a long way toward modernizing the backup process, but it's important not to rule out other potential data backup types when choosing the best one for your organization's data.</p> <p><i>Erin Sullivan is the senior site editor for TechTarget's Data Backup and Disaster Recovery sites.</i></p> <p><i>Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.</i></p> <p><i>Paul Crocetti is editorial director of Informa TechTarget's SearchStorage, SearchWindowsServer, SearchDataCenter, Data Center Knowledge and ITPro Today sites. Since starting at then-TechTarget in 2015, he has also worked on the SearchDataBackup and SearchDisasterRecovery sites.</i></p> </section> There are several different types of backup available today. Choose the best way to safeguard your data and recover appropriately in the event of an incident. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/search400/iseries_app_dev/search400_article_008.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Full-incremental-or-differential-How-to-choose-the-correct-backup-type Mon, 07 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT <p>Backup administrators rely on efficient processes and economical storage space use. Compression and deduplication are two similar -- but different -- techniques that can help.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Why-data-backup-is-important">Backing up files is critical</a>, and creating copies of data is a major part of that. This can lead to backup processes congesting the network or causing slow access to resources. With continued focus on availability metrics like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/feature/Disaster-recovery-glossary-Terms-to-know">recovery time objectives</a>, strong data management capabilities are essential to keep extraneous copies of data from slowing down performance.</p> <p>There are two primary data reduction approaches administrators use: <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/compression">data compression</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/data-deduplication">deduplication</a>. Also used in file server storage and general data management, compression and deduplication can help maintain more efficient backup processes. While compression reduces the size of files by eliminating redundant information, deduplication replaces that information with pointers to a single source.</p> <p>This article will cover more about how compression and deduplication work, their advantages and disadvantages, and use cases for both methods.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is data compression?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is data compression?</h2> <p>Data compression encodes data to reduce its size. The general approach removes redundant or unneeded information to reduce the file size. The result is a more <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/feature/How-SSD-data-reduction-can-help-enterprises">efficient use of storage capacity</a> and network bandwidth.</p> <p>There are two types of compression, lossy and lossless. Lossy compression permanently removes data, resulting in a possible loss of quality but a higher compression rate. Lossless compression does not remove data, enabling complete data restoration, but without as good a compression rate as lossy compression.</p> <p>Data compression offers several advantages to administrators, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Saving storage space, reducing costs.</li> <li>Speeding up network file transfers.</li> <li>Improving the performance of backup jobs and restore operations.</li> <li>Optimizing data management.</li> </ul> <p>While data compression might offer performance improvements and high space savings, it has its downsides. For one, compression is a CPU-intensive activity, which means it can potentially slow systems during the process. Corruption is possible when compressing data, which could damage mission-critical files. It can also be difficult to predict the savings associated with compression.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is data deduplication?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is data deduplication?</h2> <p>Data deduplication also reduces or removes redundant information, but differently from compression. It replaces redundant information with pointers to a single data source rather than using multiple copies. Like compression, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-ultimate-guide-to-backup-deduplication">deduplication offers benefits</a> such as storage savings and increased backup efficiency.</p> <p>Administrators configure deduplication to happen at either the source or the target. With source deduplication, the deduplication process occurs before data is sent to the storage repository. With target deduplication, the process occurs at the storage target.</p> <p>For example, an administrator could configure target deduplication for backup jobs stored in the cloud, offloading the processor performance hit to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/How-does-deduplication-in-cloud-computing-work-and-is-it-beneficial">cloud-based resources</a> rather than local servers, and preventing users from feeling the effects.</p> <p>Depending on the file type, deduplication can dramatically affect the storage infrastructure. When Microsoft first integrated deduplication with Windows Server, it <a target="_blank" href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-r2-and-2012/hh831700(v=ws.11)" rel="noopener">reported</a> space savings ranging from 30%-95% for files such as user documents and virtualization libraries.</p> <p>In addition to storage cost savings, benefits of deduplication include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Reducing the amount of data for backup jobs, causing them to take less time.</li> <li>Reducing storage space required for backup jobs.</li> <li>Reducing network utilization due to smaller backups.</li> </ul> <p>However, like data compression, deduplication has its challenges. It is CPU-intensive, deduplicated data is not immune to corruption, and despite estimates, it can be difficult to predict associated cost savings. Additionally, managing deduplication is a complex task and the method has limited effectiveness on some file formats.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6r7ZwTwGqtc?si=kOrek3WuhTgwhdvr?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Use cases for compression vs. deduplication"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Use cases for compression vs. deduplication</h2> <p>When it comes to compression and deduplication, backup administrators do not have to choose just one. Depending on the types of files being reduced, organizations might use compression for some and deduplication for others. However, administrators must be aware that combining the two techniques can significantly impact CPU performance. It might also negatively affect <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Storage-performance-metrics-Five-key-areas-to-look-at">write throughput on storage devices</a>. However, careful planning and the right hardware can help mitigate both concerns.<br><br>Of the two options, most people are already familiar with data compression in some form, even if it's just emailing or downloading ZIP files. Deduplication is not as well-known, and it often occurs behind the scenes. For example, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tutorial/Inline-deduplication-vs-post-processing-Data-dedupe-best-practices">administrators can configure deduplication</a> to run during off-peak hours, unnoticed by end users.</p> <p>Compression is best used for the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Individual files rather than full partitions or volumes.</li> <li>Files like images, multimedia and databases.</li> <li>Efficient network transmissions, such as large file downloads.</li> </ul> <p>Deduplication is suited to the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Storage containing lots of redundant information, such as backup or virtual machine image repositories.</li> <li>Cloud storage and large file servers.</li> <li>Optimizing backup processes and reducing costs.</li> </ul> <p><br><i>Damon Garn owns Cogspinner Coaction and provides freelance IT writing and editing services. He has written multiple CompTIA study guides, including the Linux+, Cloud Essentials+ and Server+ guides, and contributes extensively to Informa TechTarget, The New Stack and CompTIA Blogs.</i></p> </section> Compression and deduplication both have a role to play when it comes to improving the backup process and cutting storage costs. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/searchConsumerization/device_OS/consumerization_article_006.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Compression-deduplication-and-encryption-Whats-the-difference Thu, 15 May 2025 09:00:00 GMT <p>Data retention policies are a critical aspect of data management. When admins develop a policy for retaining data backups, they must consider not only internal operations, but also external regulations, laws and expectations.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Compare-SaaS-data-retention-policies-from-4-major-providers">Retention policies</a> indicate what data an organization must keep and let admins know what data to delete. In an age when people are generating massive amounts of data, it can be easy for critical data to get lost in a pile of redundant or unnecessary copies. Best practice for data backups is to have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/3-2-1-Backup-Strategy">at least three copies of data</a>, which can take up significant storage space.</p> <p>The answers to the following questions will have a major effect on the way an organization constructs its <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-retention-policy">data retention policy</a>:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Does the IT department need to free up space on some of the servers?</li> <li>Are the server contents becoming so cluttered that it's increasingly difficult to locate data?</li> </ol> <p>Once an organization identifies that it must free up space to better locate critical data, there are several backup retention best practices that will help create an optimal policy.</p> <p>Use this guide to better understand retention policies and learn some best practices. Then, review the included backup retention policy template to create or modify a backup retention policy for your organization.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is a backup retention policy?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is a backup retention policy?</h2> <p>A backup retention policy is an internal organizational rule that determines what data the organization keeps, where it keeps the data and how long it keeps the data.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <a href="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/editorial/backup_retention_policy_template.docx"><img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/backup_retention_policy_template.png" alt="Backup retention policy template cover image."></a>Click here to download <br>our free backup retention <br>policy template. </div> <p>A retention policy might indicate the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Full-incremental-or-differential-How-to-choose-the-correct-backup-type">types of backup</a> that are acceptable. For example, it might stipulate that the data must be on multiple backup media, such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/How-can-you-use-magnetic-tape-storage-in-this-big-data-age">tape or cloud</a>. Different methods, such as full backups, incremental backups and differential backups, might also be part of a retention policy.</p> <p>Retention policies exist for numerous reasons, and they often ensure that customer or client data is secure and accessible. Industries <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Ensure-HIPAA-backup-compliance-with-documentation-testing">such as healthcare</a>, education, IT and retail will all have different requirements in their respective retention policies. Some retention policies might also include rules for data that must be deleted after a certain period.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why do organizations need backup retention policies?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why do organizations need backup retention policies?</h2> <p>Backup retention policies specify how long a backup must be kept after it has been created. These policies are important for several reasons.</p> <p>One reason why backup retention policies are so important is that many businesses are subject to compliance mandates that govern backup retention. Adhering to a backup retention policy is an essential part of maintaining the organization's regulatory compliance.</p> <p>Another reason why backup retention policies are important is that such policies can be driven by business requirements. A business might, for example, determine that in the event of a major <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-loss-examples-keeping-backup-admins-up-at-night">data loss event</a> that also affects recent backups, a six-week-old backup would still be of use, but older backups would not. Such a business would need to create a backup retention policy establishing that all backups must be retained until they are more than six weeks old. This type of policy would prevent older but potentially useful backups from being purged.</p> <p>Backup retention policies also affect <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/How-to-prepare-a-data-storage-budget-with-free-template">storage costs</a>, since there is a direct expense associated with creating and retaining a backup. This is especially true when backups are being written to cloud storage or immutable storage, both of which are usually billed on a per-gigabyte, per-month basis. While a backup retention policy's primary purpose is to specify how long backups must be kept, it also provides guidance regarding which backups can be deleted. Deleting older backups removes the costs associated with storing those backups.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Retention policy considerations"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Retention policy considerations</h2> <p>When creating a retention policy, three major considerations must be made: what data the business must retain, any relevant compliance regulations and future policy updates.</p> <h3>What data to retain</h3> <p>Some data is required by law to be retained for a certain time frame; other data is nice to keep around, but isn't legally required by a retention policy. Organizations can also implement internal rules around what data they retain and for how long, assuming they meet or exceed compliance regulations. Common types of retained data include files, email messages and database records.</p> <p>One of the first backup retention best practices to keep in mind is knowing what data should remain live and what <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/How-to-create-a-successful-data-archiving-strategy">data the organization should archive</a>. Typically, this determination is based on data age, but that is not always the case. In some cases, admins examine criteria such as when the data was last accessed and the data type.</p> <p>For example, an organization might have plenty of free space on the file server, but want to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/Reduce-data-storage-waste-with-planning-retention-policies">cut down on some of the clutter</a>. With this data deletion goal in mind, it decides to create an archive policy that moves anything older than five years to the archives, and then deletes anything more than 10 years old.</p> <p>Although this might sound like a reasonable approach to creating a data retention policy, it could have unwanted consequences. What happens if a spreadsheet was created six years ago, but is regularly updated? If the data retention policy only looks at the creation date, then the spreadsheet would be archived, even though it is regularly used. It tends to be much more effective to base a retention policy on the last access date rather than the creation date.</p> <p>Data retention policies can also backfire in other ways. For example, if an organization signed a 15-year lease for its office building 11 years ago, in all likelihood, nobody has looked at the document in the last 10 years. However, the organization probably wants to keep it. The policy should consider instances of this nature.</p> <h3>Compliance</h3> <p>One major reason that a company retains data is compliance. In addition to its internal compliance rules, a company needs to consider several laws and regulations in forming its data retention policy. Figuring out the applicable laws is important; an outside auditor can help.</p> <p>The European Union's GDPR, for example, which went into effect in May 2018, features mandates that apply to personal data produced by EU residents, no matter where it's stored. A data-collecting organization should have a data retention policy that specifically outlines <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/6-business-benefits-of-data-protection-and-GDPR-compliance">GDPR compliance issues</a>.</p> <p>Other regulations that feature data retention requirements include the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/Sarbanes-Oxley-Act">Sarbanes-Oxley Act</a> in the U.S. and the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/PCI-DSS-compliance-Payment-Card-Industry-Data-Security-Standard-compliance">Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard</a>. Especially as it relates to these regulations, an organization should only keep personal data that's needed.</p> <p>Regulatory compliance is a common business concern. Penalties for violations include fines and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/How-to-manage-and-mitigate-reputational-risk">loss of reputation</a>. A data retention schedule within an internal policy can be a helpful tool for compliance. Organizations must also ensure that policies are updated to reflect changes in data production and compliance or data security laws.</p> <h3>Policy updates</h3> <p>An organization must be able to dynamically alter its retention policies if necessary. For example, an organization subject to litigation might be required to retain all backups from a certain time period, even if the organization's backup retention policy would ordinarily allow the backups to be deleted. Policies must be adaptable and capable of being updated as needed.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i32_j1gZsO0?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Backup retention policy and scheduling checklist"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Backup retention policy and scheduling checklist</h2> <p>Nuances in retention policies will vary by organization, but the checklist below outlines some basic, necessary steps to develop a solid backup retention plan. Admins can use the following schedule when they create a data retention policy:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Define the data.</li> <li>Organize the data by lifecycle.</li> <li>Determine the number of versions to store.</li> <li>Outline backup type and frequency.</li> <li>Create a lifecycle policy for each data set.</li> <li>Delete and purge unnecessary files.</li> <li>Review and run the backup retention policy.</li> </ol> <p>The final step is crucial to a successful policy, so don't skip out on the review process. This step will let admins know if there is anything that they must update, ideally before it affects client data.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Best practices for backup retention policies"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Best practices for backup retention policies</h2> <p>Below are some backup retention best practices that admins can reference when they create a new policy for their organization. Some regulations and security concerns might not affect certain organizations, but general best practices for backup admins include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Consider how industry regulations will affect the retention strategy.</li> <li>Always consider backup data sets, type and frequency.</li> <li>Identify and address restoration scenarios.</li> <li>Keep incremental backups within a reasonable size.</li> <li>Keep the last backup in an easily accessible location.</li> <li>Evaluate cycle-based vs. time-based backup retention.</li> <li>Ensure that there is enough storage for data backups.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Backup-scheduling-best-practices-to-ensure-availability">Schedule backups</a> for when the organization has the most available bandwidth.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where to store backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where to store backups</h2> <p>Rules and regulations often determine a retention period. Since retention periods range from minutes to years, an organization might need different types of media for storing data.</p> <p>Some types of storage media, for example, have a 15-year data integrity guarantee. After that time, the data might begin to degrade. So, if an organization plans on keeping certain data for 50 years, does it make sense to store that data on a device that is only rated for 15 years? Depending on the data's longevity, a backup retention policy might need to address the required media types or even set up a plan for rotating aging media.</p> <p>The public cloud is a popular storage location for long-term retention. Amazon S3 Glacier, Microsoft Azure Blob Storage and Google Nearline are among the options for low-cost <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Archive-as-a-service-What-you-need-to-know">archival storage in the cloud</a>. The storage is off-site, which is good for data protection. Restore times and costs can run high, though, depending on how much an organization needs to bring out of the cloud.</p> <p>Tape is another <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Long-term-data-backup-options">media type for long-term storage</a> that is cheaper than other options, such as disk. Durability is typically stated at up to 30 years for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.lto.org/lto-9/" rel="noopener">latest</a> LTO tape cartridges. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/news/252489554/In-new-LTO-roadmap-LTO-9-to-feature-45-TB-capacity">LTO-9</a> provides 45 TB of compressed storage capacity. Restore speed is slow, however, so an organization shouldn't solely use tape to retain data that needs quick recovery.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Storage-media-showdown-The-benefits-of-tape-vs-disk-backup">Disk is more expensive, but faster than tape</a>. It's not cost-effective for storing large amounts of data that need long-term retention and that the organization probably won't access frequently.</p> <p>A solid backup retention policy might use the 3-2-1 backup method. This method might be a bit simple given today's variety of backup options, but it is a good place to start for admins outlining a policy.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How to implement a backup retention policy"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How to implement a backup retention policy</h2> <p>There are several steps involved in implementing a backup retention policy:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Identify the business and compliance requirements for your data. Remember, different data sets might have varying retention requirements.</li> <li>Establish various retention tiers -- such as short, medium and long -- and define a period of time for each tier. You can then begin mapping your various data sets to the appropriate retention tiers.</li> <li>Determine your backup frequency. The frequency with which you back up your data will determine the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/recovery-point-objective-RPO">recovery point objective</a> for that data. In other words, the more frequently you back up your data, the less data could potentially be lost because of an adverse event. Some organizations tie the backup frequency to the data's change rate -- for example, some data is backed up every few seconds, while other data might only be backed up once per day.</li> <li>Choose your preferred storage media and location. As a best practice, create <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/The-tiers-of-disaster-recovery-explained">multi-tier</a> backups in which data is stored in multiple locations and on at least two different types of media. When choosing your backup media types, consider the media's estimated lifespan, since the media needs to remain viable for long enough to satisfy your data retention requirements.</li> <li>Define your backup security and access controls. Part of the data retention policy creation process is determining how you will secure your backups and how you will control access to these backups. In some cases, the security and access controls will be governed by regulatory requirements. In other cases, it will be up to the organization's own discretion. As you evaluate your security and access control options, it's important to balance security with accessibility. You never want to apply so much security to a backup that you are unable to access the backup in a time of crisis because dependency systems are offline.</li> <li>Automate policy enforcement. Backup retention policies need to be automated to be effective. As such, you will need to determine what controls you will put in place to ensure that backups are kept for the required amount of time and automatically purged when the retention period expires.</li> <li>Test and validate your backup retention policy. You can't assume that your backup retention policy is going to work as intended. You need to establish some procedures for testing your automated policy enforcement to ensure that it is working properly.</li> <li>Document your policy and train the IT staff. Your backup retention policy needs to be formally documented. You will also need to explain the policy and its control to the IT staff to ensure that policies are not violated or circumvented.</li> <li>Regularly review and update the policy. The backup retention policy that you put into place today might not meet your needs a year from now. It's essential to schedule regular reviews of your backup policy and to have a system in place for adapting the policy to changing business needs or regulatory requirements.</li> </ol> <p>Don't forget to check out the <a href="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/editorial/backup_retention_policy_template.docx">included backup retention policy template</a> for an example.</p> <p><i>Brien Posey is a former 22-time Microsoft MVP and a commercial astronaut candidate. In his more than 30 years in IT, he has served as a lead network engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense and a network administrator for some of the largest insurance companies in America.</i></p> </section> It's critical for an organization to know what data it needs to retain and where to store it. Create a backup retention policy with this free template. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/folder-files13.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/What-are-some-data-retention-policy-best-practices Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is a differential backup?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is a differential backup?</h2> <p>A differential backup is a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup">data backup</a> that copies all the files that have changed since the last full backup was performed. Differential backups copy any data that has been created, updated or altered in any way but don't copy all the data in a file every time. The term <i>differential backup</i> comes from the concept that only specific data that is different is copied.</p> <p>This backup method is an efficient way to preserve unaltered data and avoid unnecessary duplication. It reduces the backup time needed to protect data and saves space on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup-storage-device">backup storage devices</a>. Some organizations have data management policies that mandate periodic differential backups so data centers and remote backup repositories are up to date and data is protected against cyberattacks, natural disasters and data breaches.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How do differential backups work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How do differential backups work?</h2> <p>Differential backups start with an initial <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Full-Backup">full backup</a>, which is the process of making a copy of all objects in a file system used to store data. Once the first full backup is performed, differential backups use it for comparison when they carry out subsequent backups. As files are created or changed before the next full backup, they're flagged. Organizations set their differential backup schedule, and once initiated, the cumulative backup data is copied.</p> <p>For example, if a full backup is done on Sunday, Monday's differential backup duplicates all the files changed or added since Sunday's full backup. The differential backup performed on Tuesday then backs up all the changed files since Sunday's full backup, including the files changed on Monday. This process continues daily.</p> <p>If a complete <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore">restore</a> is needed at some point in time, only the last full backup and latest differential backup are required.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why use differential backups?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why use differential backups?</h2> <p>Differential backups save both space on storage systems and restoration time. Data changes within a repository typically don't affect the full amount of data within that repository. Given that, a differential backup is ideal because it takes less time to perform than a full backup.</p> <p>Regular full backups ensure the highest level of data security. However, they aren't practical for many companies because they take time and resources and could cause downtime that may disrupt business continuity. Differential backups provide an alternative <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-7-critical-backup-strategy-best-practices-to-keep-data-safe">method of protecting critical data or sensitive information</a>.</p> <p>One consideration with differential backups is balancing the full backup cycle. If too many differential backups are executed prior to the next full backup, the differential backup size may grow larger than the original full backup. This can create redundancies as some files included in earlier differential backups are rarely or never changed but are repeatedly backed up until the next full backup. Because of this situation, some data backup software vendors have incorporated triggers that automatically initiate a full backup if differential backups reach a certain size.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Differential backup vs. incremental backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Differential backup vs. incremental backup</h2> <p>Differential backups are often confused with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/incremental-backup">incremental backups</a> because both types of backup only copy new, altered or updated files. However, an incremental backup process compares changes to the state of the data since the previous backup -- whether it was a full backup or incremental.</p> <p>For example, if a full backup was performed on Monday, Tuesday's incremental backup copies all new or changed files since Monday's backup. However, Wednesday's incremental backup only duplicates files that have changed since Tuesday's incremental backup and so on until another full backup is performed.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png 1280w" alt="Diagram comparing differential and incremental backups to full backups" height="621" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>While incremental and differential backups are similar in some respects, there are significant differences between the two methods and a full backup. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>These smaller <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/data-set">data sets</a> are then used to create a chain of incremental changes along with the original full backup that represent the full, up-to-date copy. With differential backups, each day's changes are compared to the original full backup, making a more cumulative series of data copies.</p> <p>Incremental backups copy fewer files and thus take up less storage space. However, the incremental backup and restore process can take longer than differential backups because the software used to restore files and for data restoration needs to rebuild the data from the most recent full backup, as well as the subsequent incremental backups. To mitigate this issue, the multilevel incremental backup method was developed. <a target="_blank" href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/76402998/how-to-do-multi-level-incremental-backups-with-gnu-tar" rel="noopener">This variation of incremental backups</a> is most similar to differential backup operations as it assigns backup levels that can span over multiple days or backups.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VmgE3vQG3lc?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Pros and cons of differential backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Pros and cons of differential backups</h2> <p>There are advantages and disadvantages associated with differential backup solutions. When <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-backup-types-explained-Full-incremental-differential-and-incremental-forever-backup">compared to other backup strategies</a>, favorable aspects of differential backups include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The backup speed is faster when compared to a full backup, so there's less impact on business operations.</li> <li>Since only changed data is targeted for backup, storage space is saved and optimized.</li> <li>Typically, only two backup <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-medium">storage media</a> types, such as hard disk drives or solid-state drives, are needed for restoring data.</li> <li>Recovery time is faster as only the full backup and most recent differential backup are needed to restore the whole repository.</li> <li>When done correctly, data integrity is more likely maintained because changed or altered data is backed up before any threats to corrupt it or events causing data loss occur.</li> </ul> <p>Alternatively, negative aspects of differential backup systems include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The backed-up data in a differential backup becomes progressively larger with each full backup cycle. This may make it a less attractive option for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-backup">cloud backup</a> as cloud storage providers' pricing is usually based on cloud storage space and bandwidth consumed.</li> <li>Restoring individual backup files can be difficult and time-consuming because files must be identified and located within a larger backup.</li> <li>If the full backup or any subsequent differential backup fails, the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/data-recovery">data recovery</a> process can't be completed.</li> </ul> <p><em>Data protection techniques are evolving. Stay up to date on the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Major-data-backup-trends-to-watch">trends affecting data backup</a>.</em></p> </section> A differential backup is a data backup that copies all the files that have changed since the last full backup was performed. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/differential-backup Tue, 04 Jun 2024 09:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is LTO-8 (Linear Tape-Open 8)?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is LTO-8 (Linear Tape-Open 8)?</h2> <p>LTO-8, or Linear Tape-Open 8, is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium released in late 2017. It succeeded the LTO-7 version, which launched in 2015.</p> <p>An LTO-8 cartridge offers 30 terabytes of compressed storage capacity and 12 TB of uncompressed capacity. Sustained <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/data-transfer-rate">data transfer rates</a> are 750 megabytes per second for compressed data and 360 MBps for uncompressed data. LTO-8 -- as with LTO-5, LTO-6 and LTO-7 formats -- offers partitioning, encryption and the write once, read many (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/WORM-write-once-read-many">WORM</a>) feature. LTO-8 tape drives are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/backward-compatible-backward-compatibility">backward compatible</a> to one generation, so they can read and write to LTO-7 tapes.</p> <p>LTO is an open format <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/magnetic-tape">magnetic tape technology</a> developed and updated by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), IBM and Quantum -- the members of the LTO Consortium.</p> <p>LTO is often referred to as the LTO Ultrium format. Ultrium is fundamentally the trade name for LTO. However, today this and other elements of magnetic tape technology are collectively referred to simply as LTO.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Important features of LTO-8"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Important features of LTO-8</h2> <p>LTO-8 uses tunnel magnetoresistance (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/tunneling-magnetoresistance" rel="noopener">TMR</a>) for tape heads, a switch from the previous giant magnetoresistance (<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4934330/" rel="noopener">GMR</a>). TMR provides a more defined electrical signal than GMR, allowing bits to be written to smaller areas of LTO media. The LTO-8 tape head with TMR enables higher density, lower susceptibility to media discrepancies, cooler temperatures and better signal sensitivity, according to vendor Spectra Logic. TMR was developed because GMR heads had reached their density limit.</p> <p>LTO-8 also uses barium ferrite instead of metal particles for capacity improvement. Barium ferrite -- a type of magnetic particle -- can be reduced in size to improve recording density without magnetic signal loss.</p> <p>New versions of LTO have traditionally been able to read back two generations and write back to one generation. For example, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-7-Linear-Tape-Open-7">LTO-7</a> drives could read LTO-5 and LTO-6 cartridges and write to LTO-6. With LTO-8, the inclusion of TMR technology and barium ferrite limits backward compatibility to one generation. As a result, LTO-8 can read and write to LTO-7.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg 1280w" alt="Photo of an LTO-8 tape drive and LTO-8 media." data-credit="Spectra Logic" height="425" width="519"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>The LTO-8 tape format was released in late 2017 by members of the LTO Consortium. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>As with previous generations, LTO-8 features the WORM capability, the Linear Tape File System (<a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/essentialguide/LTFS-tape-NAS-What-it-is-and-how-to-build-it">LTFS</a>) and encryption. By allowing users to write to the tape only once, WORM ensures data isn't overwritten and helps with compliance. Through LTFS, the tapes offer partitioning, which tells the LTO tape drive exactly where a file is stored and improves file control and space management. And the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/Advanced-Encryption-Standard">AES</a>) enhances security and privacy when tapes are stored and shipped.</p> <p>Tape is a strong choice when data storage security is a concern to counter ransomware and other cyberattacks. It offers offline data protection, keeping data isolated from networks susceptible to viruses.</p> <p>LTO-8 supports up to four <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/partition">partitions</a> and has a reliability of a 10-19 bit error rate.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="LTO-8 tape capacity"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>LTO-8 tape capacity</h2> <p>Two of the biggest <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/answer/How-can-you-use-magnetic-tape-storage-in-this-big-data-age">benefits of tape storage are capacity</a> and its distinct product roadmap. LTO's roadmap has the technology essentially doubling tape storage capacity with each new generation. Capacity is a key element of storage now that even small businesses handle data at the hundreds of terabytes or even petabyte (PB) levels.</p> <p>The 12 TB of uncompressed capacity featured in LTO-8 is equivalent to 8,000 movies, 2,880,000 songs or 7,140,000 photos, according to Spectra Logic. In the last 10 years, LTO has increased capacity by 1,400%.</p> <p>The LTO Program introduced a new feature with LTO-8: The drive can write 9 TB uncompressed on a new LTO-7 cartridge, instead of the typical 6 TB. That <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-medium">medium</a> is labeled an "LTO-7 initialized LTO-8 Type M cartridge," according to the LTO Program. Only new LTO-7 cartridges can be initialized as LTO-8 Type M. The initialized cartridge can only be read and written to in an LTO-8 drive. It offers 22.5 TB of compressed capacity.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="LTO-8 vs. LTO-7"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>LTO-8 vs. LTO-7</h2> <p>LTO-8 doubled the capacity of LTO-7, from 6 TB to 12 TB uncompressed and 15 TB to 30 TB compressed. The capacity compression ratio of 2.5-1 is the same. They also have the same number of channels at 32.</p> <p>LTO-8 features a performance increase from 300 MBps to 360 MBps for the uncompressed data transfer rate and from 700 MBps to 750 MBps compressed. Industry experts have said LTO-7 might be the last iteration catering to small and medium-sized customers, given its lower price point.</p> <p>LTO-7 drives can read LTO-6 and LTO-5 cartridges and write back to LTO-6, while LTO-8 can only read and write back to LTO-7.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="LTO-8 vs. LTO-9"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>LTO-8 vs. LTO-9</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-9-Linear-Tape-Open-9">LTO-9</a> increased the capacity of LTO-8 from 12 TB to 18 TB uncompressed and from 30 TB to 45 TB compressed. As with previous LTO versions, LTO-9 continues with a 2.5-1 compression ratio and can write data over 32 channels.</p> <p>LTO-9 further increases the tape performance from 360 MBps to 400 MBps for uncompressed data, and from 750 MBps to 1,000 MBps for compressed data.</p> <p>LTO-9 drives can read and write back to LTO-8 media. This compatibility is similar to LTO-8, but it represents a shift from LTO-1 through LTO-7, which can read from tapes two generations prior, in addition to writing to tapes one generation prior.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="LTO tape roadmap and future directions"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>LTO tape roadmap and future directions</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Linear-Tape-Open-LTO">LTO Ultrium tape technology</a> was first introduced in 2000 and has continued to advance through a series of new iterations appearing every few years, including the following nine:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>LTO-1</b>, released in 2000, was the first version of the LTO technology to serve as an open standard substitute to the available formats of the day. It has native capacity of 100 gigabytes (GB) and a native transfer speed of 20 MBps.</li> <li><b>LTO-2</b>, released in 2003, offered 200 GB capacity (400 GB compressed) with 40 MBps throughput (80 MBps compressed). It doubled the speed and capacity of LTO-1. Capacity and data transfer rates for LTO-2 assume a 2-1 compression ratio.</li> <li><b>LTO-3</b>, released in 2005, doubled native capacity to 400 GB (800 GB compressed) and transfer rates to 80 MBps (160 MBps compressed). It was the first LTO format to feature WORM.</li> <li><b>LTO-4</b>, released in 2007, again doubled native capacity to 800 GB (1.6 TB compressed) and boosted transfer rates to 120 MBps (240 MBps compressed). LTO-4 also included 256-bit AES-Galois/Counter Mode drive-level encryption.</li> <li><b>LTO-5</b>, released in 2010, boosted native capacity to 1.5 TB (3 TB compressed) and data transfer rates to 140 MBps (280 MBps compressed), with a 2-1 compression ratio. The standard also added partitioning.</li> <li><b>LTO-6</b>, released in 2012, featured 2.5 TB native capacity (6.25 TB compressed), with native sustained data transfer rates as high as 160 MBps (400 MBps compressed).</li> <li><b>LTO-7</b>, released in 2015, provided 6 TB of uncompressed capacity (15 TB compressed) and data transfer rates up to 300 MBps uncompressed (700 MBps compressed), with 2.5-1 compression and up to four partitions.</li> <li><b>LTO-8</b>, released in 2017, offered up to 12 TB of uncompressed capacity (30 TB compressed) and data transfer rates up to 360 MBps uncompressed (750 MBps compressed). It maintains 2.5-1 compression and up to four partitions.</li> <li><b>LTO-9</b>, released in 2021, has up to 18 TB of uncompressed capacity (45 TB compressed) and can deliver data transfer rates of 400 MBps uncompressed (up to 1,000 MBps compressed). It also provides 2.5-1 compression ratios and support for up to four partitions.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png 1280w" alt="Chart showing the LTO Ultrium Roadmap." height="347" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Of the LTO Consortium's 14 LTO iterations, LTO-9 is the latest version currently available. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>The LTO Consortium currently has 14 LTO iterations in its overall roadmap, with LTO-9 now in the marketplace. Future iterations are expected to include LTO-10 through LTO-14, presuming current naming conventions are maintained.</p> <p>Moving forward, each new LTO iteration is expected to double the uncompressed and compressed storage capacity over the previous iteration, while increasing data transfer rates as technology allows. The 2.5-1 compression ratio is expected to be preserved throughout the LTO roadmap, and well-established features including LTFS, WORM, partitioning and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/How-tape-backup-systems-improve-data-protection">encryption should also be present</a>.</p> <p>The planned 1,440 TB compressed capacity of LTO-14 will be 48 times greater than the 30 TB compressed capacity of LTO-8.</p> <p>In the past, users would often skip an LTO generation when upgrading, as the increase in capacity wasn't big enough to encourage a change to the next LTO format. For example, moving from LTO-5 to LTO-6 increased the uncompressed capacity by only 1 TB. Now, each new LTO release has a large enough capacity increase to warrant an immediate upgrade.</p> <p>In addition, starting with LTO-8, tape drives are only able to read back one generation versus the previous two. This, too, encourages organizations to upgrade faster.</p> <p>However, any decision to upgrade must include consideration of both backward LTO cartridge compatibility and long-term data storage obligations. Because LTO-8 and future LTO iterations can only interoperate with one previous LTO generation, it's possible for tape drives to be upgraded beyond their ability to read older tapes. This situation could render long-term archival tape data inaccessible.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What tape is used for"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What tape is used for</h2> <p>Magnetic tape is exceeded only by punched paper as the oldest and longest-serving form of storage medium found for digital environments. Tape once served as mainline storage, letting computers of the day save and load programs and data in much the same way that current systems rely on magnetic hard drives. Classic reel-to-reel systems were reimagined as self-contained cartridge systems, and the LTO standard represents just one of many tape data cartridges.</p> <p>As hard disk drives permeated computer technology, tape was relegated to a secondary role as a backup storage medium; <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/podcast/Podcast-HDDs-have-a-long-life-ahead-in-certain-workloads">HDDs held programs and data</a>, and backup copies were made periodically to tape. If an HDD failed, the latest available copy could be restored from tape. In addition, tape cartridges are highly self-contained and mobile, and well-suited for off-site disaster recovery storage technology.</p> <p>Still, the growth of data protection technologies such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/continuous-data-protection">continuous data protection</a> and data backup targets -- like <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/Software-as-a-Service">software as a service</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/Top-public-cloud-providers-A-brief-comparison">public cloud providers</a> -- has further marginalized tape technologies to long-term, high-volume archival tasks. Tape is often used by industries such as media, entertainment and the sciences, which can create large volumes of data daily and need a storage medium that's less expensive than disk.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TC0QP1VRfmU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Pros and cons of tape"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Pros and cons of tape</h2> <p>Tape technology has fallen into disuse because its advantages are outstripped by its limitations. However, it's still the go-to option for a few remaining niche tasks, such as data-heavy audio and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/Best-options-for-video-data-storage-include-cloud-tape">video data storage</a>. Tape does offer some noteworthy functionality and benefits, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Long life.</b> Magnetic tape typically suffers from low endurance -- it can't be rewritten countless times like HDDs and solid-state drives (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/SSD-solid-state-drive">SSDs</a>). However, because it's rarely used, a properly written, validated, stored tape cartridge can remain valid for decades. Businesses that demand high-volume, long-term storage might find tapes useful.</li> <li><b>Good mobility.</b> Tape cartridges are inherently mobile, relying on a shell to shield the tape within from dust, debris and light physical shock. Tapes have long been used for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-keep-physical-backup-media-storage-safe">off-site storage</a>, letting businesses easily separate backup and disaster recovery data from actual facilities and providing an added level of physical protection.</li> <li><b>Natural security.</b> Once a tape cartridge is removed from a tape drive, the data on the cartridge has a high level of natural security. It can't be altered or hacked, and its data is often recorded with encryption.</li> <li><b>Low cost.</b> Although tape drives can be a costly investment, the actual tape cartridges -- the storage media -- are relatively cheap, allowing vast storage at an economical price point.</li> </ul> <p>Despite these advantages, businesses are left to consider the potential disadvantages of tape:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Linear storage.</b> Tape is a linear medium. An entire tape, such as the entire backup session, typically must be read and restored. This is extremely slow and inefficient compared with HDDs and SSDs, which feature random access. While it is possible to create searchable backups with tape, those tapes then must be searched to find the data content to be restored.</li> <li><b>Physical security.</b> The convenient mobility of tape is tempered by the vulnerability of tape cartridges to theft and physical damage. A stolen tape with unencrypted data can be just as devastating to a business as a hack of its online data set. Tapes must be <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-importance-of-backup-policies">secured against theft</a> and stored in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment to ensure their optimum retention life.</li> <li><b>Compatibility.</b> Modern tape's long life span is useless if there's no working drive available to read the cartridge. This means a business must consider its tape strategy carefully, and tape drive technology refreshes will need to interoperate with existing, older tape cartridges. This can be problematic when tape standards evolve every few years, but tape cartridges might be kept for decades, depending on the organization's data retention policy.</li> <li><b>Retention uncertainty.</b> Tape is only useful if its contents can be restored, but a tape cartridge removed from a drive and secured in an off-site location can't be tested at intervals to ensure the data is intact. This creates an undesirable cone of uncertainty about the reliability of long-term backup data.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is a tape library?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is a tape library?</h2> <p>A large business might require many tape drives to get the storage it needs. Organizations can vastly increase the capacity of a tape storage system by using a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-library">tape library</a>.</p> <p>A tape library is a collection of cartridges and drives. A typical library contains multiple drives for reading and writing data, access ports for entering and removing tapes, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searcherp/definition/bar-code-or-barcode">barcodes</a> for tracking, and a device for mounting and dismounting cartridges. A library can include hundreds or thousands of tapes, providing high-capacity storage.</p> <p>A tape library must be compatible with the rest of an organization's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Best-data-protection-software-platforms">data protection platform</a>, including its backup software. Organizations of all sizes use tape libraries. An enterprise will often use a tape library as a secondary backup or an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/New-media-could-bring-fresh-competition-to-tape-archive-market">archive</a>, if not as a primary backup.</p> <p>When fully populated with LTO-8 drives and LTO tape media, Spectra Logic's libraries will support at least 1 PB of compressed storage capacity. The Quantum LTO 3U scalable library can house 300 TB uncompressed -- and at least 600 TB compressed -- of LTO-8 tape storage for backup, archive and other secondary uses, according to industry experts. LTO-9 tape drives are now commonly deployed in many tape systems and libraries with even greater capacity.</p> <p>Besides Quantum and Spectra Logic, Straits Research <a target="_blank" href="https://straitsresearch.com/report/tape-storage-market/north-america" rel="noopener">identified</a> the following companies as key players in the North American tape storage market: Dell Technologies, HPE, IBM, Lenovo, Overland-Tandberg, QStar Technologies and Qualstar.</p> <p><em>Learn <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/Whats-driving-the-resurgence-in-tape-storage-use">what's behind the resurgence in tape use</a> and how it might be useful to your organization.</em></p> </section> LTO-8, or Linear Tape-Open 8, is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open Consortium released in late 2017. It succeeded the LTO-7 version, which launched in 2015. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-8-Linear-Tape-Open-8 Wed, 29 May 2024 14:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is an incremental backup?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is an incremental backup?</h2> <p>An incremental backup is a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Full-incremental-or-differential-How-to-choose-the-correct-backup-type">backup type</a> that only copies data that has been changed or created since the previous backup activity was conducted. An incremental backup approach is used when the amount of data that must be protected is too voluminous to perform a full backup of that data every day. By only backing up changed data, incremental backups save restore time and disk space.</p> <p>Incremental is a common method for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-backup">cloud backup</a>, as it tends to use fewer resources, yet it can apply to traditional storage methods as well. Incremental backup must be implemented correctly and on an appropriate schedule to be successful.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How do incremental backups work?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How do incremental backups work?</h2> <p>An incremental backup scenario requires one <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Full-Backup">full backup</a> and then subsequent incremental backups over a period of time. For example, if a first full backup was performed on Monday, Tuesday's incremental will take a snapshot and back up all new or changed files since Monday's backup. However, Wednesday's incremental will only back up files that have changed since Tuesday's incremental backup and so on until another full backup is performed.</p> <p>Because the initial full backup can take some time to complete, companies will often execute the full backup over a weekend when the data is less likely to be needed by the business.</p> <p>To be able to restore up-to-date data or a full copy of the data, each of the incremental backups that were performed since the last full backup must be applied to that initial full backup. It can take some time to effectively reconstruct a new full backup to use for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery">disaster recovery</a>, but ostensibly the overall restoration process would still be faster and more efficient than trying to do full backups on a daily basis.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Common types of incremental backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Common types of incremental backups</h2> <p>There are various types of incremental backups and different scenarios for updating data or creating new full backups of the data. Some of these variations include the following:</p> <h3><strong>Synthetic </strong><strong>full </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>A synthetic full backup is made by reading the previous full backup and subsequent incremental backups rather than doing another full backup that would require reading and copying the data from the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/primary-storage">primary storage</a>. This approach helps avoid having to do traditional full backups, generally because the amount of data to be protected is so great that there wouldn't be enough time to complete a full backup without disrupting the business.</p> <p>Most companies today have such large data stores that full backups are simply unmanageable. Traditionally, backup operators relied on the slice of time between the end of the workday and the following morning when the new workday begins -- a period called the backup window -- to complete all necessary backups. Today, with so many companies running round-the-clock operations or doing business internationally, the backup window has effectively disappeared.</p> <h3><strong>File-level </strong><strong>incremental </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>A file-level incremental backs up data on a simple, granular scale and works well with small <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/data-set">data sets</a>. When an incremental file is modified or updated, it's sent to a backup repository.</p> <h3><strong>Block-level </strong><strong>incremental </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>A block-level incremental is a common form of incremental backup in which the software backs up storage blocks that have been written rather than backing up files and folders. The written blocks contain either new or modified data. Block-level backups are more efficient than file-level backups because only the changed blocks are backed up as opposed to the software having to back up the entire file. Block-level access is how some storage devices and systems -- notably <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/storage-area-network-SAN">storage area networks</a> -- access data, so this approach can also provide faster backups.</p> <h3><strong>Byte-level </strong><strong>incremental </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>Byte-level incremental backups are even more granular than block-level incrementals. With a byte-level incremental, the file system is monitored for individual bytes that have changed and then those bytes are backed up on an incremental basis. Because it deals with such small data elements, this approach yields the smallest possible backups.</p> <h3><strong>Incremental </strong><strong>forever </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>Also known as progressive incremental backups, this variation is designed to work on both <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Cloud-backup-vs-local-traditional-backup-advantages-disadvantages">cloud storage backup and local backup systems</a>. After an initial copy of the data is made, the software only backs up new and modified data. Because the backup is disk-based, there's no need to create periodic full backups as the incremental changes can easily be applied to the locally stored full copy.</p> <h3><strong>Enhanced </strong><strong>incremental </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>Some backup vendors tout a feature often referred to as <i>enhanced incremental backup</i> that adds another layer of oversight to help ensure that backups are up-to-date and comprehensive. The <i>enhanced</i> part of these incrementals indicates that, in addition to identifying and backing up new and modified files, these backup apps can also recognize other changes such as files that have been moved or renamed.</p> <h3><strong>Reverse </strong><strong>incremental </strong><strong>backup</strong></h3> <p>A reverse incremental backup methodology is similar to a synthetic full approach. In a reverse incremental scenario, the process begins with the initial full backup. When the first incremental is created, it's applied to the initial full backup to produce a new full backup copy, without altering the original full backup. The next incremental is prepared by capturing the changes against the new full, and then it's used to create yet another, more up-to-date full backup.</p> <p>In this manner, a full backup copy is always available, without having to go through the process of applying each incremental separately. Also, this approach makes it possible to revert to an earlier full copy if needed, to deal with incidents such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/malware">malware</a> attacks.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VmgE3vQG3lc?si=SBG_d_WQcDVzzgPo?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental vs. differential backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental vs. differential backups</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/differential-backup">Differential backups</a> represent a twist on the traditional full-plus-incrementals backup scenario. As noted, a typical incremental process involves comparing the daily changes to the state of the data on the previous day. This creates a series of backup data sets that would all have to be applied to the original full backup copy to create an up-to-date full backup copy.</p> <p>With differentials, each day's changes are compared to the original full backup and those changes are retained, so the effect is more cumulative than with incremental backups. It also means a full backup copy should be available for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/data-recovery">data recovery</a> processes without having to apply a series of changed data files to the full copy.</p> <p>Multilevel incremental backups are a variation of the differential backup methodology. In a multilevel incremental, backup levels are defined to decrease the amount of time it takes to restore a backup. Suppose that when <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/Create-your-data-backup-strategy-A-comprehensive-guide">crafting a backup strategy</a>, an administrator creates a full backup, defined as Level 0, on Monday. Then, the administrator creates a Level 1 backup on Tuesday and a Level 2 backup on Wednesday. Under normal circumstances, if a user created and then restored an incremental backup on Thursday, it would require the backups from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to also be restored.</p> <p>As an alternative, a backup administrator might create a Level 1 incremental backup on Thursday, which would include all the data created or modified since the last Level 1 backup was made -- in this case on Tuesday. Consequently, a full restoration would require restoring the backups from Monday, Tuesday and Thursday rather than restoring the backups from Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png 1280w" alt="Diagram comparing full, incremental and differential backups" height="621" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>How full, incremental and differential backups compare with each other. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental vs. continuous data protection"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental vs. continuous data protection</h2> <p>Continuous data protection (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/continuous-data-protection">CDP</a>) is a backup method that's related to incremental backups -- particularly the incremental forever approach -- in that only new and modified data needs to be captured and saved. The major difference between incrementals and CDP, however, is the backup speed, meaning the time between data backup operations.</p> <p>CDP captures data changes as they occur or at very short intervals, such as every 10 minutes as opposed to incremental backup activities which tend to occur every 24 hours. The changes that CDP grabs and saves are usually applied quickly to the full data backup copy, so an up-to-date full backup is available almost instantly.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-recovery_response_times.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-recovery_response_times_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-recovery_response_times_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-recovery_response_times.png 1280w" alt="Graphic comparing response times for backup, replication and continuous data protection" height="329" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Data recovery response times compared for traditional backup, continuous data protection and replication. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Advantages and disadvantages of incremental backups"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Advantages and disadvantages of incremental backups</h2> <p>The main advantage of incremental backups is that there are fewer daily backup files, allowing for shorter backup windows and less storage space. The principal disadvantage is that during a complete <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore">restore</a>, the latest full backup and all subsequent incremental backups must be restored, which can take significantly longer than restoring a full backup. Even if only a single file must be restored, a series of incrementals must be applied to ensure that the latest version of the file is being recovered.</p> <p>It's also imperative to check each incremental to make sure it's clean, uncorrupted and restorable. If one incremental in a backup chain is corrupted or otherwise unrecoverable, the process of recreating a full backup will be disrupted. This will require effectively abandoning the questionable incrementals and starting over with a new full backup. Many backup apps incorporate some level of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/virus">virus</a> detection during the backup process, which can help avoid ending up with corrupted incremental copies.</p> <p>As with all data backup and restore activities, the process will need to be managed and monitored carefully to keep track of when a full or incremental backup was run, where it's stored and which copies of the data are safely stashed at an offsite location. In most cases, the backup software that's used for the incremental backup process provides detailed logs and other tracking information.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Incremental backup best practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Incremental backup best practices</h2> <p>Organizations should follow a set of best practices once they implement a comprehensive incremental backup strategy. Some <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-7-critical-backup-strategy-best-practices-to-keep-data-safe">backup strategy best practices</a> to all backup processes, but others are more specific to incremental backup, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><b>Combining incremental backup with other types. </b>Since one type of backup isn't mutually exclusive to another, different types can be combined to reap the benefits of each one. For instance, on days of the week or in a month when there's less employee activity, the more comprehensive and time-consuming full backup type can take place.</li> <li><b>Optimizing processing power for recovery servers. </b>To ensure all infrastructure requirements are in place when recovering data, recovery servers should be equipped with up-to-date processing power. Budgetary constraints can impede large-scale upgrades, in which case optimization might be stretched out over a longer period of time.</li> <li><b>Updating retention policies. </b><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-retention-policy">Data retention policies</a> could dictate that once data is used as intended, it's discarded. This will optimize incremental backups, so they only apply to critical data and ensure they don't require more effort and resources than necessary.</li> <li><b>Mandating periodic full backups. </b>Mandating full backups periodically and ensuring they run smoothly ensures that incremental backups run successfully when needed. They should also be performed any time there's a major upgrade to an IT infrastructure, such as operating system updates.</li> <li><b>Considering different backup granularity levels. </b>There are different levels of granularity that various <a href="https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/backup-as-a-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backup providers</a> offer. For higher granularity, a byte-level incremental backup ensures any changes to a byte of data since the preceding backup are saved. For lower granularity, a file-level incremental backup ensures any changes to a file since the preceding backup are saved.</li> </ul> <p><i>Knowledge of the primary backup types is crucial for data backup professionals, but there are other key backup trends to be aware of. Explore </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Major-data-backup-trends-to-watch"><i>five major data backup trends</i></a><i> that should be top of mind for IT teams.</i></p> </section> An incremental backup is a backup type that only copies data that has been changed or created since the previous backup activity was conducted. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/6.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/incremental-backup Wed, 01 May 2024 00:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is LTO-7 (Linear Tape-Open 7)?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is LTO-7 (Linear Tape-Open 7)?</h2> <p>LTO-7 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Linear-Tape-Open-LTO">LTO</a>) Consortium released in late 2015. It succeeded the LTO-6 version, which launched in 2012.</p> <p>Other earlier versions included LTO-1, LTO-2, LTO-3, LTO-4 and LTO-5. LTO-7 is currently followed by LTO-8 and LTO-9, with five more versions projected to launch in the future.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="LTO-7 capacity and speed"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>LTO-7 capacity and speed</h2> <p>An LTO-7 cartridge offers 15 <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/terabyte">terabytes</a> of compressed capacity, sustained data transfer rates of up to 750 <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/megabytes-per-second">megabytes per second</a> for compressed data, uncompressed capacity of 6 TB and an uncompressed transfer rate of 300 MBps.</p> <p>LTO-7 capacity and data transfer rates assume a 2.5:1 <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/compression">compression</a> ratio. The LTO compression algorithm is lossless.</p> <p>One LTO-7 cartridge can store up to 800 high-definition movies, according to the LTO Consortium. LTO-7 capacity can hold the data of up to five LTO-5 cartridges.</p> <p>Comparing native data transfer rates, tape is faster than a typical hard drive that offers 130 MBps. The transfer rate for LTO-7 is almost twice as fast as that of an LTO-6 tape drive.</p> <p>Technology enhancements, including stronger magnetic properties and a doubling of read/write heads, helped increase the capacity and data transfer rates.</p> <p>Barium ferrite has replaced other metal particle coatings on LTO cartridges and has demonstrated the potential of providing capacities of up to 220 TB -- uncompressed -- per cartridge.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Important features in LTO-7"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Important features in LTO-7</h2> <p>Like LTO-5 and LTO-6, LTO-7 offers <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/partition">partitioning</a>; <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">encryption</a>; and the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/WORM-write-once-read-many">write once, read many</a> (WORM) feature.</p> <p>In 2005, LTO-3 added the WORM capability, which enables compliance with legal record-keeping regulations and reduces the risk of data loss from human error. Data cannot be altered, rewritten or erased.</p> <p>In 2007, LTO-4 added the ability to encrypt data before it is written to tape with the 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-Galois/Counter Mode.</p> <p>In 2010, LTO-5 added partitioning, which enabled the Linear Tape File System (LTFS) to be integrated. Partitioning reserves a portion of the tape for indexing, which tells the drive exactly where in the tape a file is stored. The second partition holds the actual file.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Use cases for LTO"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Use cases for LTO</h2> <p>Though tape has lost favor to disk as a primary and backup storage medium, it remains well suited for long-term storage and archiving because of its high capacity, low cost, durability and portability.</p> <p>As data continues to grow exponentially, tape is commonly used by industries such as entertainment and the sciences, which can create huge volumes each day and need a place for storage at a lower cost than disk.</p> <p>While disk can enable quicker recovery of data, tape presents a strong choice for security in an age of cyberattacks, such as ransomware. Tape provides offline data protection, keeping data isolated from networks that are susceptible to viruses. In addition, tape stored off-site presents an option for disaster recovery if a primary data center is compromised by a natural disaster or human-caused problem.</p> <p>LTO-7 has a durability of 30 years. No electricity is required to preserve data stored on tape, thus saving energy and money.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Previous LTO generations and compatibility"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Previous LTO generations and compatibility</h2> <p>Hewlett Packard, now HPE; IBM; and Seagate, which later sold its tape business to Quantum, formed the Linear Tape-Open Consortium in the late 1990s. The consortium typically releases a new generation of LTO every two to three years.</p> <p>LTO-1 was the first version of the LTO magnetic tape data storage technology to serve as an open standard alternative to the available formats of the day. It has 100 gigabytes (GB) of native capacity and a native transfer speed of 20 MBps.</p> <p>Each of the next three versions of LTO doubled the native capacity, bringing the LTO-4 version to 800 GB.</p> <p>The introduction of LTO-5 raised native capacity to 1.5 TB and data transfer rates up to 140 MBps with a 2:1 compression ratio.</p> <p>LTO-6 offers 2.5 TB native capacity -- 6.25 TB compressed -- with native sustained data transfer rates as high as 160 MBps and compressed sustained data transfer rates up to 400 MBps. Starting with LTO-6, the capacity and data transfer rates both assume 2.5:1 compression ratios.</p> <p>An LTO tape drive through generation 7 can read tapes from its own generation and two prior generations, and it can write to tapes from its own and one previous generation. For example, LTO-7 drives can read LTO-5, LTO-6 and LTO-7 tapes, and write to LTO-6 and LTO-7 tapes.</p> <p>LTO-8 is fully backward compatible with LTO-7 cartridges, which marked a change from previous versions that could read back two generations.</p> <p>Since LTO specifications are open format, they provide interoperability among competing vendors. The open tape format offers intellectual property licenses to potential manufacturers. That competitive environment can lead to faster innovation and more improvements.</p> <p>Vendors submit products for compatibility testing to ensure an LTO tape from one vendor can be used on a tape drive from another. However, LTO products are not compatible with non-LTO products.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Linear Tape File System"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Linear Tape File System</h2> <p>LTFS enables LTO technology to be indexed. An LTO tape drive reads the indexing information and presents it in a format that enables organizations to drag and drop files to and from tape, like with disk. LTFS improves user access through search and retrieval tools.</p> <p>LTO is still a serial recording device, so an organization can only access data at the end of a tape after running through its entire length.</p> <p>LTFS is compatible with LTO-5, LTO-6, LTO-7, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-8-Linear-Tape-Open-8">LTO-8</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-9-Linear-Tape-Open-9">LTO-9</a>. Users can download software that enables their operating system to recognize LTFS.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Future LTO specifications"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Future LTO specifications</h2> <p>The LTO Consortium has since released LTO-8 and LTO-9. As of 2024, none of the projected future formats have launched. The projected specifications for each format are as follows:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>LTO-10 is slated to offer 36 TB of uncompressed capacity and 90 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-11 is projected to provide 72 TB of uncompressed capacity and 180 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-12 is expected to feature 144 TB of uncompressed capacity and 360 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-13 is expected to feature 288 TB of uncompressed capacity and 720 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-14 is expected to feature 576 TB of uncompressed capacity and 1,440 TB compressed.</li> </ul> <p>The new generations are expected to continue to support LTFS, WORM and AES encryption.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png 1280w" alt="Bar graph showing the capacities of current and future LTO Ultrium releases." height="347" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>The LTO Ultrium roadmap outlines the projected capacities for upcoming generations of LTO tape. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>LTO-8 uses tunnel magnetoresistance, which provides a more defined electrical signal than the previous giant magnetoresistance, causing bits to be written to smaller areas of media. As a result, TMR has increased capacity projections over the next few LTO generations.</p> </section> LTO-7 is a tape format from the Linear Tape-Open (LTO) Consortium released in late 2015. It succeeded the LTO-6 version, which launched in 2012. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/2.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/LTO-7-Linear-Tape-Open-7 Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:00:00 GMT <p>Good disaster recovery testing comes from thorough planning and preparation. An untested plan is another crisis waiting to happen, so it is critical to have a disaster recovery testing strategy in place.</p> <p>Full disaster recovery plan testing is not something many organizations can do frequently. To plan and execute a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-DR-test">disaster recovery test</a> requires two valuable resources: time and money. For that reason alone, DR teams must be realistic in how many tests they can execute each year. Most major applications are only <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/What-are-good-reasons-to-do-yearly-disaster-recovery-testing">end-to-end tested once a year</a> at most. Some applications can be tested once every three years. It depends on the DR team's requirements.</p> <p>This places disaster recovery teams in a dilemma: If they can't test often enough, critical applications or processes could miss out on necessary updates. However, if they spread themselves too thin with extraneous testing, they risk using up the aforementioned valuable resources. A testing strategy must be almost as thorough as the recovery itself. This will ensure DR teams don't miss out on any required changes and can use even <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/A-disaster-recovery-budget-template-A-free-download-and-guide">limited resources</a> to the fullest.</p> <p>To get the most out of a disaster recovery testing strategy, consider incorporating these best practices.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Determine the type of test and plan accordingly"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Determine the type of test and plan accordingly</h2> <p>Disaster recovery testing comes in two types: full DR test and component test. The difference is that component tests are smaller in nature and test a subset of the application. Most component tests are effectively a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsoftwarequality/definition/smoke-testing">smoke test</a> to help ensure the smaller parts of the overall application are working before committing significant resources to a full-blown DR test.</p> <p>Before talking about the technical aspects of the test, it's critical to understand what is being tested. Is it a full interactive disaster recovery test with users being asked to log in, perform in a crisis scenario and prove that the application works as expected? Or is it enough to verify that the systems and software are available? Depending on the tools or processes in an organization's <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-plan">DR plan</a>, it might be necessary to perform a full run-through of the plan to test how it will run in a crisis.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ipf3nXsgC3M?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Ensure everything is in place early -- and double-check"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Ensure everything is in place early -- and double-check</h2> <p>It might seem trivial, but not checking key components before running a full test is one of the most common and preventable mistakes organizations make. The point of a DR test is to ensure things work as expected, but when there is a fix that can be done outside the full test, it's worth it to check that everything is all set beforehand. This is one area where component testing can come in handy.</p> <p>A frequent example is when an IT team discovers that required firewall ports are not open. This is something they might find during the full DR test, but it's still easier to check ahead of time to preserve time and resources. Remediating firewall issues can be a frustrating process, and it's likely not something <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/tip/What-to-include-in-a-network-disaster-recovery-plan-checklist">security and networking staff</a> want to deal with in the middle of running an end-to-end DR test.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Good documentation is evergreen"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Good documentation is evergreen</h2> <p>The importance of good documentation is paramount. If a DR test is done by less experienced staff, they might face and resolve several problems along the way. However, if they don't document those issues and the remediations, that loss of important information can significantly affect the speed of the DR test or real recovery.</p> <p>There are four types of documentation DR teams must have for a strong testing strategy:</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>The current DR plan as written, with discrete steps and a schedule.</li> <li>Notes on any issues that came up during testing and how they were fixed. If there was a temporary workaround, outline what it was.</li> <li>Detailed documentation of the testing process. This should include what is being tested and by whom.</li> <li>Admin sign-off on test completion.</li> </ol> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Don't bypass thorough wrap-up and reporting"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Don't bypass thorough wrap-up and reporting</h2> <p>It might seem simple, but post-test reporting is where many DR teams fall short. Unfortunately, this is the task that has the most impact and presence to the management level.</p> <p>Management is not often interested in the nuts and bolts of IT, but relaying the success or failure at a high level is a complex undertaking. This is especially true when a production system is taken down to test a DR scenario. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/After-action-report-template-and-guide-for-DR-planning">Just like with a real disaster</a>, IT teams should create comprehensive documentation throughout the process to inform management of how the test went and any areas they must address.</p> <p>To avoid overloading management with technical details during wrap-up, timely communication of high-level status during the test is critical. Keep in mind that some DR tests can be quite lengthy in execution, spanning 24 hours or more. Ensuring those key stakeholders stay <a target="_blank" href="https://menitasa.medium.com/10-common-it-manager-issues-and-how-to-solve-them-79210d0f481d" rel="noopener">apprised of what is happening</a> keeps them happy and shows good communication.</p> <p><i>Stuart Burns is a virtualization expert at a Fortune 500 company. He specializes in VMware and system integration with additional expertise in disaster recovery and systems management. Burns received vExpert status in 2015.</i></p> </section> Testing is a critical part of the disaster recovery planning process. Without proper testing, IT teams might miss crucial updates or make avoidable missteps in a recovery. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/collab_a240557247.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/A-disaster-recovery-testing-strategy-is-key-to-successful-DR Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is encryption key management?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is encryption key management?</h2> <p>Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/key">encryption keys</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="The need for encryption key management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>The need for encryption key management</h2> <p>High-profile <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data">data</a> losses and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/regulatory-compliance">regulatory compliance</a> requirements have caused a dramatic increase in the use of encryption to protect data in the enterprise. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">Encryption</a> is the process of applying complex <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/algorithm">algorithms</a> to data and then converting that data into streams of seemingly random <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/alphanumeric-alphameric">alphanumeric</a> characters. There are two basic types of cryptographic algorithms: symmetric, or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/private-key">private key</a>, and asymmetric, or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/public-key">public key</a>.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-symmetric_vs_asymmetri_encryption.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-symmetric_vs_asymmetri_encryption_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-symmetric_vs_asymmetri_encryption_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/security-symmetric_vs_asymmetri_encryption.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of symmetric vs. asymmetric encryption." height="397" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>See how symmetric and asymmetric encryption compare. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>To protect their data and business-critical assets, enterprises might use many different and possibly incompatible encryption tools, resulting in the use of thousands of encryption keys. Each key must be securely generated and stored, because if an unauthorized or malicious user gains access to a key, they could be able to decrypt the encrypted data and then use that data for their own purposes.</p> <p>In addition, the distribution of encryption keys must be controlled, and any losses or compromises must be addressed quickly and appropriately. It's also vital to ensure that each key is easily retrievable by authorized users.</p> <p>To effectively manage all these aspects, encryption key management is vital. With an effective encryption key management system, organizations can efficiently generate, store, use, organize and manage their encryption keys. That's why encryption key management must be part of the enterprise data encryption and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-protection">data protection</a> strategy.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/encryption_operation-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/encryption_operation-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/encryption_operation-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/encryption_operation-f.png 1280w" alt="Diagram of an encryption operation." height="224" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>When a cryptographic key and a plaintext message are added to a cryptographic algorithm, the result is an encrypted message. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Best practices for encryption key management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Best practices for encryption key management</h2> <p>Key management means protecting every encryption key from loss, corruption and unauthorized access throughout its lifecycle. Many processes can be used to control key management, including changing the keys regularly as well as managing how keys are assigned and who is authorized to get them. In addition, organizations must evaluate whether one key should be used for all data types or if each type should have its own key. They must also rotate keys to minimize the chances of keys being stolen or compromised because they've been used for a long time.</p> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/security-aes_design.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/security-aes_design_half_column_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/security-aes_design_half_column_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/security-aes_design.jpg 1280w" alt="Diagram of AES encryption." height="298" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>AES uses 128-, 192- or 256-bit keys to encrypt and decrypt data. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>To generate secure encryption keys, it's important to use secure methods such as Advanced Encryption Standard (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/Advanced-Encryption-Standard">AES</a>) encryption algorithms and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/random-numbers">random number</a> generators. Also, the keys must not be hardcoded into any program code and must be securely distributed to authorized users only via secure connections.</p> <p>Secure storage is vital so that the encryption keys can be reused for decryption more than once. A hardware security module (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/hardware-security-module-HSM">HSM</a>) provides one of the most secure methods for encryption key storage. Keys can also be securely stored in the cloud using a cloud service provider's key management service. Ideally, deactivated keys should also be stored in a secure archive to enable the later decryption of encrypted data that uses those keys.</p> <p>Having more than one person in charge of storing, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup">backing up</a>, referencing and rotating encryption keys is essential. The roles of key players should be defined, and the encryption key management policy should be accessible to everyone on an internal or intranet site. The policy should clearly state the methods and practices used in the organization to track key generation, access and use.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Encryption key management standards"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Encryption key management standards</h2> <p>The best-known encryption key management standard is the Key Management Interoperability Protocol (<a href="https://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=kmip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KMIP</a>), developed by vendors and submitted to OASIS, the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards. The goal of KMIP is to allow users to attach any encryption device to a key management system.</p> <p>KMIP enables and simplifies key lifecycle management. It can be used by both legacy and new cryptographic applications and works with many types of keys, including symmetric and asymmetric keys, authentication tokens, and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/digital-certificate">digital certificates</a>.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aOdxWtqibCI?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Recent advancements in encryption key management"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Recent advancements in encryption key management</h2> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchaws/definition/AWS-Key-Management-Service-AWS-KMS">AWS Key Management Service</a> enables users to create and manage cryptographic keys that protect data in the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchaws/definition/Amazon-Web-Services">Amazon Web Services</a> cloud. These keys can also be used in cryptographic operations, such as to sign and verify messages, generate hash-based message authentication codes, and generate random numbers for specific applications. Each key is protected and validated using HSMs. Organizations can track and audit their AWS keys for regulatory and compliance purposes via <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/AWS-CloudTrail">AWS CloudTrail</a>.</p> <p>AWS encryption keys are generally used in a single region. For example, data encrypted in one region would be encrypted with a different key than a replicated version of that data stored in a different region.</p> <p><em>Learn more about how <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/end-to-end-encryption-E2EE">end-to-end encryption</a> works to keep data secure. See <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/answer/Which-private-keys-and-public-keys-can-create-a-digital-signature">how to use a public key and private key in digital signatures</a> and how to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/tip/Use-centralized-encryption-methods-in-large-scale-IT-environments">use centralized encryption methods in large-scale IT environments</a>. Explore our <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/Data-security-guide-Everything-you-need-to-know">comprehensive guide to data security</a>.</em></p> </section> Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/encryption-key-management Wed, 24 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is data protection management?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is data protection management?</h2> <p>Data protection management (DPM) is the administration, monitoring and management of backup processes to ensure backup tasks run on schedule and data is securely backed up and recoverable. Good data protection management means having effective <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup">backup</a> processes and methodologies in place to maintain <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/definition/integrity">data integrity</a>.</p> <p>Data protection management refers to the best practices an organization applies to managing data protection applications and operations. However, it's also a technology and product category with both backup and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/definition/systems-management">systems management</a> application vendors providing software that addresses data protection.</p> <p>DPM software first entered the enterprise data storage market with data backup reporting tools designed to help storage and backup administrators analyze their backup environments. Early DPM products reported on backup failure and success rates, typically relying on the backup applications' operational <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/log-log-file">log files</a>.</p> <p>Over time, DPM products became more than just log analyzers; they could also survey the environment and determine if any volumes, directories or files were missed during the backup process. DPM software can also discover orphaned servers that aren't included in current protection policies. They are essential tools for demonstrating compliance with laws and regulatory requirements addressing data protection and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/definition/data-management">data management</a>.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XvlyY62M3VM?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why is data protection management important?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why is data protection management important?</h2> <p>DPM applications provide backup management features that many backup apps lack. DPM programs have been around for more than two decades. Many backup applications include DPM features and have extensive DPM capabilities.</p> <p>In addition to reporting on the effectiveness of backup activities, DPM also indicates the likely success of data recovery efforts. Confidence in the recoverability of backed-up data is important for routine recoveries where a file or two or a directory has been deleted or damaged, and DPM technology is increasingly essential for disaster recovery (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery">DR</a>) planning. Many DPM applications can simulate a DR scenario and indicate which files can be recovered to ensure business continuity.</p> <p>DPM is particularly useful for customers who use more than one vendor's backup application in their data protection infrastructure. Those mixed-vendor environments require expertise in each of the backup apps in use, as well as monitoring and reporting on each one separately. Some DPM products can support a variety of backup applications, making it possible to access, manage and monitor the various backup systems from a single dashboard.</p> <p>DPM can enhance the backup process and data protection policies in other ways, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><strong>Managing snapshots.</strong> Increasingly, users are turning to storage array snapshotting capabilities to accelerate data backup. DPM apps provide tools to manage those proprietary <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/storage-snapshot">storage snapshots</a> from different storage vendors.</li> <li><strong>Ensuring </strong><strong>regulatory compliance</strong><strong>.</strong> DPM tools can track data to ensure that its use doesn't conflict with specific regulatory directives such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchhealthit/definition/HIPAA">HIPAA</a>) and the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/General-Data-Protection-Regulation-GDPR">GDPR</a>).</li> <li><strong>Storage management.</strong> Given their reach across multiple server and storage systems and cloud computing resources, DPM applications can report on the general health of these systems, going beyond just managing data protection processes.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Who needs data protection management?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Who needs data protection management?</h2> <p>The short answer is any organization that has data and wants to keep it safe. From public and private sector organizations to individual users, data protection is an essential part of overall IT administration. It takes many forms, from thumb drives used as data backup tools to on-premises data storage assets and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cloud-storage">cloud storage</a> resources.</p> <p>Deciding to establish a process for protecting data is one of the most important decisions an organization can make. Not only is it an important step toward DPM, it's also essential for complying with laws and regulations addressing data protection issues.</p> <p>The GDPR and HIPAA address data protection and privacy, respectively. Compliance with the GDPR is an increasingly important mandate, and compliance with HIPAA rules for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/information-security-infosec">information security</a> and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/data-privacy-information-privacy">data privacy</a> is essential in the United States.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What should be part of a DPM strategy?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What should be part of a DPM strategy?</h2> <p>Modern DPM tools let storage administrators use service levels to set backup and recovery policies and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/tip/The-tiers-of-disaster-recovery-explained">tier data protection</a> based on its value to the business. Newer products are designed to help admins understand what works in their environment, so they spend less time troubleshooting and more time managing errors and infrastructure issues. A DPM tool provides insight into these issues; something standalone backup applications can't always do.</p> <p>In addition to the features described above, a good DPM process should also include the following capabilities:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Configure storage systems and related software, such as general storage management such as space allocation.</li> <li>View and determine the status of all current and past data protection processes.</li> <li>Automate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/data-loss-prevention-DLP">data loss prevention</a> and provide information to address potential losses.</li> <li>Establish a data inventory using data discovery technologies.</li> <li>Enable a system to handle alerts that would <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/How-to-recover-from-a-data-backup-failure-and-move-forward">indicate a backup process failure</a> and a methodology for responding to and resolving alerts.</li> <li>Provide resources that protect the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Confidentiality-integrity-and-availability-CIA">confidentiality, integrity and availability</a> of sensitive data from data breaches and cyber attacks using access control and authentication.</li> <li>Ensure data privacy as part of an overall data protection strategy.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/databackup-core_elements_of_a_data_protection_strategy-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/databackup-core_elements_of_a_data_protection_strategy-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/databackup-core_elements_of_a_data_protection_strategy-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/databackup-core_elements_of_a_data_protection_strategy-f.png 1280w" alt="List of components of a data protection strategy" height="392" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An effective data protection strategy includes data risk management, data loss prevention and password management. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Data protection officer and data protection impact assessments"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Data protection officer and data protection impact assessments</h2> <p>One of the requirements of the GDPR is to designate a data protection officer (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/Data-protection-officer-responsibilities-and-role-importance">DPO</a>). A DPO provides a single point of contact within an organization for all activities associated with protecting its data and information assets.</p> <p>The DPO's responsibilities include establishing data protection strategies, policies and procedures; serving as a liaison across the organization for all data protection activities and stakeholders; and ensuring the organization and its business processes are compliant with the GDPR and other data protection regulations and legislation.</p> <p>Another requirement of the GDPR is <a href="https://gdpr.eu/data-protection-impact-assessment-template/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">performing</a> a data protection impact assessment (DPIA). These risk assessments identify threats and vulnerabilities that could impact the integrity of data, especially personal data and other sensitive information. A DPIA should be part of an overall corporate risk management process, and the results can provide evidence for audits.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Examples of DPM tools"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Examples of DPM tools</h2> <p>Many backup applications include DPM features as these applications evolve into data management platforms that protect an organization's data.</p> <p>Vendors offering data protection management systems include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><strong>Amazon Web Services</strong> offers a selection of products addressing data protection, including Amazon S3 and Amazon Backup.</li> <li><strong>Arcserve</strong> has several data protection products, including Arcserve Unified Data Protection, Replication and High Availability, and Assured Recovery.</li> <li><strong>Bocada</strong> provides a dashboard that links to a variety of data protection products, such as Veritas NetBackup and NetApp systems.</li> <li><strong>Carbonite </strong>offers its Data Protection Platform that sets the appropriate level of data protection for each type of data.</li> <li><strong>Cobalt Iron</strong> has Compass, a multifunction platform for data protection and data management.</li> <li><strong>Dell Technologies'</strong> Data Protection Suite provides tools that address data protection in cloud and noncloud environments.</li> <li><strong>NetApp</strong> offers the Ontap data protection platform. It also offers a Data Protection and Security Assessment to identify risks in a data protection program, data security and cybersecurity.</li> <li><strong>Rocket Servergraph</strong> provides a suite of DPM services for a variety of data backup applications.</li> <li><strong>SolarWinds</strong> Access Rights Manager provides a variety of data protection services.</li> <li><strong>Veritas</strong> offers its flagship backup product, NetBackup, with extensive DPM features. The company also offers Alta Data Protection for cloud environments.</li> </ul> <p><i>Learn more about data protection impact assessments and </i><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/tip/Data-protection-impact-assessment-tips-and-templates"><i>check out our free, downloadable templates</i></a><i>.</i></p> </section> Data protection management (DPM) is the administration, monitoring and management of backup processes to ensure backup tasks run on schedule and data is securely backed up and recoverable. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/3.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-protection-management-DPM Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:30:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is magnetic tape storage?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is magnetic tape storage?</h2> <p>Magnetic tape is one of the oldest technologies for electronic data storage. While tape has largely been displaced as a primary and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup-storage-device">backup storage</a> medium, it remains well suited for archiving because of its high capacity, low cost and long durability.</p> <p>If the tape is part of a library, robotic selection and loading the right cartridge into a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/tape-drive">tape drive</a> can add latency. In an archive, latency is not an issue. With tape archiving, there is no online copy for quick retrieval, as everything is vaulted for the long term.</p> <p>While tape can't compete with other storage media in terms of random access, there are still industries in which magnetic tape storage is a valuable storage technology.</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Many motion picture production companies record their footage on tape after experiencing costly failures with both hard disk and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/flash-storage">flash storage</a>.</li> <li>Scientific experiments that produce mass quantities of data in a few microseconds leverage tape's capacity and write speeds.</li> <li>The oil and gas industry has used tape for years to capture, transport and store valuable data. Because oil exploration occurs outside the data center, tape is a good medium to transport data back from the field.</li> </ul> <p>Tape is often paired with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/object-storage">object storage</a> to address the need for lower-latency file access. Sometimes, it is entirely replaced by object storage.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TC0QP1VRfmU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="How magnetic tape works"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>How magnetic tape works</h2> <p>Data <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/bit-binary-digit">bits</a> -- magnetic states representing on and off -- are recorded to a particulate medium bonded to a substrate of Mylar plastic. Improvements in track-following technology and giant magnetoresistive read/write heads increased the number of tracks that can be recorded on a tape.</p> <p>The industry has largely moved from oxides as a recording material to barium ferrite, which can deliver high recording data density because of its support for perpendicular magnetic recording. Barium ferrite is used in both enterprise tape from Oracle and IBM as well as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Linear-Tape-Open-LTO">Linear Tape-Open</a> Ultrium format tape from the LTO Consortium.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Magnetic tape storage pros and cons"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Magnetic tape storage pros and cons</h2> <p>With data volumes on the rise, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/news/252495598/Potential-magnetic-tape-storage-capacity-surges-in-renaissance">magnetic tape is a strong option for high-capacity</a>, long-term backup storage and archiving at a cost comparatively cheaper than disk.</p> <p>Tape capacity continues to grow. The LTO Program has a defined schedule for upcoming releases, and it typically launches a new version every two to three years. Customers can count on that reliable product roadmap.</p> <p>Magnetic tape storage is also well suited for archiving because of its durability, as it generally has a 30-year shelf life. Tapes are also easily movable, while disks are not as portable. In a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery">disaster recovery</a> scenario, as long as the tapes are far enough away from the affected data center, an organization can use them for restoration.</p> <p>It's quicker, though, to restore data from disk. As a result, disk has replaced tape as the preferred medium for backup. Disk provides random access, so finding specific data on disks is a quick process.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/disk-backup-or-disk-based-backup">Disk-based backup</a> products typically perform backups throughout the day, while tape backs up data less frequently -- for example, on a daily basis. So an organization would not want to rely on tape for its most recent backup. In addition, an organization must make sure its tape library is compatible with the rest of its infrastructure.</p> <p>With the rise of ransomware attacks, the offline nature of magnetic tape storage is a big selling point. A cyber attack cannot affect tapes in storage that aren't connected to a network, because they have what is called an <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/air-gapping">air gap</a>. In this case, tape even beats the cloud, which is an increasingly common platform for backup, but which is susceptible to cyberthreats because of its online nature.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="History of magnetic tape storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>History of magnetic tape storage</h2> <p>Modern magnetic tape storage traces its roots to the 1950s. When the first modern commercial computer, the UNIVAC I, was released in 1951, the inventors used magnetic tape to supplement the computer's storage, according to data storage vendor Iron Mountain.</p> <p>Tape libraries had a boom in the mainframe era when large computer systems ran compute jobs in groups. Operators stored a program and its data on tape, moving the job off the computer for temporary storage and reloading it when it needed to be run again.</p> <p>When disk and its random access hit the market, it largely replaced tape for primary storage. Some industries, though, such as media and entertainment, as well as sciences and video surveillance, heavily use magnetic tape for storage -- notably for its large capacity.</p> <p>In the late 1990s, the LTO Ultrium format launched. Hewlett Packard -- now Hewlett Packard Enterprise -- IBM and Seagate collaborated on the tape storage technology.</p> <p>LTO-1 launched in 2000, providing 100 gigabytes of native storage per cartridge. Every two to three years, a new LTO version hits the market with around double the capacity of the prior edition and higher throughput.</p> <p>According to a 2023 report released by the LTO Program, a total of 148,300 exabytes of compressed tape capacity shipped in 2022 -- an increase of 0.5% over the capacity shipped in 2021.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/editorial/sDB_LTO8-Drive-LFOneTape.jpg 1280w" alt="Example image of an LTO-8 tape drive and storage media." data-credit="Spectra Logic" height="425" width="519"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>An LTO-8 tape drive and LTO-8 tape media. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Top vendors and types of tape"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Top vendors and types of tape</h2> <p>LTO is the most popular tape format on the market, although enterprise tape supports greater capacity per cartridge. The most recent iteration, LTO-9, was released in 2020. It has a capacity of 18 terabytes and up to 45 TB compressed.</p> <p>Hewlett Packard, IBM and Seagate -- which later sold its tape business to Quantum -- formed the LTO Consortium in the late 1990s as an alternative to Quantum's proprietary Digital Linear Tape format.</p> <p>IBM and Oracle lead the pack of enterprise tape providers. Like LTO, their tape technologies are based on barium ferrite media, but they provide drive technology innovations, tape lengths and cartridge formats that work for their customers.</p> <p>For example, the IBM 3592 Jaguar series tape system uses its TS1150 drive and claims an uncompressed storage capacity of up to 10 TB. Oracle, which bought Sun Microsystems and StorageTek, has been building on a tape technology line called T10000 since 2010, offering a T10000D drive and cartridge with a native uncompressed capacity of 8.5 TB.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Magnetic tape vs. disk vs. cloud storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Magnetic tape vs. disk vs. cloud storage</h2> <p>Disk surpassed tape as a preferred backup storage media in the late 1990s. Later innovations in the tape world, including IBM's Linear Tape File System (LTFS), made it easier to access data on tape. Files and objects can be copied directly to a tape repository running LTFS technology, so they retain their native structure and metadata.</p> <p>Tape is faster than disk when performing streaming read/write operations, but content on magnetic tape can only be read or written in a sequential format by spooling it to the appropriate position.</p> <p>In contrast to disk, where access times are measured in milliseconds, tape access times can be seconds or minutes long. As a result, tape's serial access might be good -- uncompressed transfer speed for LTO-9 is approximately 400 megabytes per second -- but timely random access is almost impossible to achieve.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg 1280w" alt="Tape vs. disk comparison chart." height="392" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Cloud providers have embraced tape for long-term data retention. For example, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchaws/definition/Glacier-Amazon-Glacier">Amazon Glacier</a> has a strong tape component. Google has long incorporated tape for disaster recovery; when Gmail went down for three days in 2011, the company rescued the system using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-backup">tape backup</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Advances in tape technology and future outlook"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Advances in tape technology and future outlook</h2> <p>Tape has added features over the years.</p> <p>LTO-3, launched in 2004, added the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/WORM-write-once-read-many">write-once, read-many</a> feature, which writes data to a tape one time and prevents its erasure. LTO-4 in 2007 provided data encryption. In 2010, LTO-5 added LTFS, which provides for indexing and partitioning. All later LTO releases also include these features.</p> <p>The newest versions, LTO-8 and LTO-9, use tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) for tape heads, which enables bits to be written to smaller areas of LTO storage media. The technology marks a switch from the previous giant magnetoresistance. These newer iterations also use barium ferrite magnetic particles for increased tape storage capacity.</p> <p>However, with the inclusion of TMR and barium ferrite, LTO-8 and LTO-9 are only backward-compatible to one generation. LTO could previously read back two generations and write back to one generation.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/lto_ultrium_roadmap-f.png 1280w" alt="LTO Ultrium Roadmap graphic showing current and future release storage capacities." height="347" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>As of 2023, the LTO roadmap projects out to the 14th generation. The projected capacity specifications are as follows:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>LTO-10: up to 36 TB capacity; up to 90 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-11: up to 72 TB capacity; up to 180 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-12: up to 144 TB capacity; up to 360 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-13: up to 288 TB capacity; up to 720 TB compressed.</li> <li>LTO-14: up to 576 TB capacity; up to 1,440 TB compressed.</li> </ul> <p>In 2020, IBM and Fujifilm said they had developed technology for the highest recording areal density for magnetic tape storage, resulting in about 580 TB uncompressed capacity per cartridge. This was an increase from the 330 TB uncompressed capacity per cartridge achieved by IBM and Sony in 2017.</p> <p>In 2018, Quantum and Veeam launched what they called a converged tape appliance that integrated Veeam's data protection software with Quantum's backup.</p> <p>In addition, top cloud storage providers Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform use LTFS-attached tape libraries as part of their storage architectures, according to Iron Mountain.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Magnetic tape storage best practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Magnetic tape storage best practices</h2> <p>Magnetic tape cartridges are resilient, but they still require proper care. Although the life span of a tape is expressed in years, careless handling can cut that to weeks or destroy a tape completely.</p> <p>Dust, dirt and oils are harmful to tape. Users should keep tapes in their plastic cases when they are not in use. In addition, users should avoid doing the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Handling the tape directly.</li> <li>Touching the tape surface.</li> <li>Opening the drive doors manually.</li> </ul> </section> Magnetic tape is one of the oldest technologies for electronic data storage. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/magnetic-tape Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:00:00 GMT <p>Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge. The data can be recovered from the tape cartridge if there is a hard disk crash or failure. Tape backups can be done manually or be programmed to happen automatically with appropriate software.</p> <p>Tape works for both large- and small-scale backups. Tape can store the backups of a personal computer's hard drive, but also can be used in large enterprises to back up large amounts of data storage for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/archive">archiving</a> and disaster recovery (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery">DR</a>) purposes. Tape backups can also restore data to <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/primary-storage">storage</a> devices when needed.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TC0QP1VRfmU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Tape backup advantages and use cases"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Tape backup advantages and use cases</h2> <p>Tape can be one of the best options for dealing with large-scale unstructured data backups because of its inexpensive operational and ownership cost, capacity and speed. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/magnetic-tape">Magnetic tape</a> is especially attractive in an era of massive data growth. Organizations can copy and store archival and backup data on tape in conjunction with the cloud.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchunifiedcommunications/definition/data-transfer-rate">data transfer rate</a> for tape can be significantly faster than disk and on par with <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/USB-drive">flash drive</a> storage, with native write rates of at least 300 megabytes per second (MBps). For organizations concerned with backups increasing the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/latency">latency</a> of production storage, flash-to-tape, disk-to-disk-to-tape or other data buffering strategies can mask the tape write operation.</p> <p>Because disk is easier to restore data from, is more secure and benefits from technologies such as <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/data-deduplication">data deduplication</a>, it has replaced tape as the preferred medium for backup. Tape is still a relevant medium for archiving, however, and remains in use in large enterprises that might have <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/petabyte">petabytes</a> of data backed up on tape libraries.</p> <p>Magnetic tape is <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/How-tape-backup-systems-improve-data-protection">well suited for archiving</a> because of its high capacity, low cost and durability. Tape is a linear recording system that is not good for random access. In an archive, latency is less of an issue.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="A brief history of tape"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>A brief history of tape</h2> <p>Early on, magnetic tape was used as a primary data storage device. When other media provided better random access, the role of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/What-is-the-difference-between-archives-and-backups">tape veered more toward backup and archive</a>. There are still industries where tape is preferred for data storage, such as motion picture recording, because of its durability, and the scientific community, for its capacity and write speeds.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-library">Tape libraries</a> house drives and tape cartridges with entire backup <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/data-set">data sets</a>. For DR, companies can then transport backup tapes to off-site locations, often contracting with a service such as Iron Mountain to carry tapes to secure vaults on a daily or weekly basis.</p> <p>Tape libraries originated in the mainframe world, where large computer systems ran compute jobs in batches. Computer operators would store a program and the data it used on tape so that a job could be moved off the computer for temporary storage and reloaded when it needed to be run again.</p> <p>Innovations in the tape world, such as the Linear Tape-Open (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Linear-Tape-Open-LTO">LTO</a>) format and IBM's Linear Tape File System (LTFS), have removed the need for backup software. Launched in 2000, LTO-1 held 100 <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/gigabyte">gigabytes</a> of data per cartridge. Since then, the LTO Consortium has released a new generation of LTO every two or three years, each approximately doubling the storage capacity.</p> <p>Files and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchapparchitecture/definition/object">objects</a> copied directly to a tape repository running LTFS technology retain their native structure and metadata.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Magnetic tape vs. disk-based backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Magnetic tape vs. disk-based backup</h2> <p>For larger organizations that use disk-to-disk backups, tape can augment the primary backup target by providing longer and more durable data storage than what a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/array">disk array</a> can provide by itself.</p> <p>Customers can improve their backup process by combining the two, since disk and tape have their own strengths and weaknesses.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/magnetictape_tapevsdisk.jpg 1280w" alt="Tape vs. disk comparison chart." height="392" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Tapes are relatively easy to move and transport compared with disk. Tapes and disks are both generally reliable, but many disk-based backup applications perform <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/block-storage">block-level</a> incremental backups. This means a single disk error can render an entire series of backups useless.</p> <p>However, there are benefits to disk over tape. Many disk-based products perform backups continuously throughout the day, while tape is backed up less frequently.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Tape backup security best practices"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Tape backup security best practices</h2> <p>While tape enables some of the safest backups due to being offline, organizations can take additional measures to protect tape backups. Some ways to make data on tape more secure include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/encryption">Encrypt</a> the data.</li> <li>Ship tapes off site as soon as they have been written, to limit opportunities for them to be stolen.</li> <li>Use a reputable service for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/off-site-backup">off-site</a> tape storage.</li> <li>Control physical access to the tape drives.</li> </ul> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Technical challenges with tape backup"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Technical challenges with tape backup</h2> <p>There are hurdles to clear when using tape for backup. Potential challenges include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Tape rotation logistics.</li> <li>Ensuring adequate <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchnetworking/definition/bandwidth">bandwidth</a> between the data source and the tape drives.</li> <li>Scheduling tape drive maintenance.</li> <li>Capacity planning.</li> <li>Completing backups within a backup window.</li> </ul> </section> Tape backup is the practice of periodically copying data from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/1.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-backup Fri, 17 Nov 2023 14:00:00 GMT <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What is data reduction?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What is data reduction?</h2> <p>Data reduction lowers the amount of capacity required to store data. Data reduction can increase storage efficiency and reduce costs.</p> <p>Data reduction can be achieved several ways. The main types are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/data-deduplication">data deduplication</a>, <a href="/">compression</a> and single-instance storage. Data deduplication, also known as <em>data dedupe</em>, eliminates redundant segments of data on storage systems. It only stores redundant segments once and uses that one copy whenever a request is made to access that piece of data. Data dedupe is more granular than single-instance storage. Single-instance storage finds files such as email attachments sent to multiple people and only stores one copy of that file. As with dedupe, single-instance storage replaces duplicates with pointers to the one saved copy.</p> <p>Some storage arrays track which blocks are the most heavily shared. Those blocks that are shared by the largest number of files may be moved to a memory- or flash storage-based <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cache">cache</a> so they can be read as efficiently as possible.</p> <p>Data compression also works on a file level. It is accomplished natively in storage systems using algorithms or formulas designed to identify and remove redundant bits of data. Data compression specifically refers to a data reduction method by which files are shrunk at the bit level.</p> <p>Compression works by using formulas or algorithms to reduce the number of bits needed to represent the data. This is usually done by representing a repeating string of bits with a smaller string of bits and using a dictionary to convert between them.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Common techniques of data reduction"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Common techniques of data reduction</h2> <p>There are also ways to reduce the amount of data that must be stored without shrinking the sizes of blocks and files. These techniques include thin provisioning and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-archiving">data archiving</a>.</p> <p>Thin provisioning dynamically allocates storage space in a flexible manner. This method keeps reserved space just a little ahead of actual written space, enabling more unreserved space to be used by other applications.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/thick-provisioning">Thick provisioning</a> allocates fixed amounts of storage space as soon as a disk is created, regardless of whether that entire capacity will be filled.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-thick_v_thin_provision.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-thick_v_thin_provision_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-thick_v_thin_provision_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/data_backup-thick_v_thin_provision.png 1280w" alt="Graphic showing differences between thin and thick provisioning" height="474" width="560"> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>Archiving data also reduces data on storage systems, but the approach is quite different. Rather than reducing data within files or databases, archiving removes older, infrequently accessed data from expensive storage and moves it to low-cost, high-capacity storage. Archive storage can be on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/hard-disk">disk</a>, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/magnetic-tape">tape</a> or <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cloud-storage">cloud</a>.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Data reduction for primary storage"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Data reduction for primary storage</h2> <p>Although data deduplication was first developed for <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/backup">backup</a> data on <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/secondary-auxiliary-storage">secondary storage</a>, it is possible to deduplicate primary storage. Primary storage deduplication can occur as a function of the storage hardware or operating system (OS). Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2, for instance, have built-in data deduplication capabilities. The deduplication engine uses post-processing deduplication, which means deduplication does not occur in real time. Instead, a scheduled process periodically deduplicates primary storage data.</p> <p>Primary storage deduplication is a common feature of many all-flash storage systems. Because flash storage is expensive, deduplication is used to make the most of flash storage capacity. Also, because flash storage offers such high performance, the overhead of performing deduplication has less of an impact than it would on a disk system.</p> </section> Data reduction lowers the amount of capacity required to store data. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/4.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-reduction Mon, 23 Oct 2023 09:00:00 GMT <p>Cloud backup, also known as <em>online backup</em> or <em>remote backup</em>, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance. The backup server and data storage systems are usually hosted by a third-party cloud or SaaS provider that charges the backup customer a recurring fee based on storage space or capacity used, data transmission bandwidth, number of users, number of servers or number of times data is retrieved.</p> <p>Implementing cloud data backup can help bolster an organization's data protection, business continuance and regulatory compliance strategies without increasing the workload of IT staff. The labor-saving benefit can be significant and enough of a consideration to offset some of the additional costs associated with cloud backup, such as data transmission charges.</p> <p>Most cloud subscriptions run on a monthly or yearly basis. Initially used mainly by consumers and home offices, online backup services are now commonly used by SMBs and larger enterprises to back up some forms of data. For larger companies, cloud data backup can serve as a supplementary form of backup.</p> <h3>What is the cloud?</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/cloud-computing">Cloud computing</a> is a general term that refers to hosted resources and services that are delivered over the internet. Different from traditional web hosting, the services on the cloud are sold on demand, offered in an elastic manner -- meaning the customer can use as much or as little of the service as needed -- and managed completely by the service provider. Additionally, a cloud can be private or public. A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/public-cloud">public cloud</a> sells services to anyone on the internet, such as how AWS operates, while a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/definition/private-cloud">private cloud</a> supplies hosted services to a limited number of users within the business.</p> <h3>Cloud backup use cases and approaches</h3> <p>In an organization's data center, a backup application copies data and stores it on different media or another storage system for easy access in the event of a recovery situation Although there are multiple options and approaches to off-site backup, cloud backup serves as the off-site facility for many organizations. In an enterprise, the company might own the off-site server if it hosts its own private cloud service, but the chargeback method would be similar if the company uses a service provider to manage the cloud backup environment and receives a regular bill for backup storage and services.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lc-hY-uHgUU?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> <p>There are a variety of approaches to cloud backup, with available services that can easily fit into an organization's existing data protection process. Varieties of cloud backup include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><strong>Backing up directly to the public cloud.</strong> One way to store organizational workloads is by duplicating resources in the public cloud. This method entails writing data directly to cloud providers, such as AWS, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure. The organization uses its own backup software to create the data copy to send to the cloud storage service. The cloud storage service then provides the destination and safekeeping for the data, but it doesn't specifically provide a backup application. In this scenario, it's important that the backup software is capable of interfacing with the cloud's storage service. Additionally, with public cloud options, IT professionals might need to look into supplemental data protection procedures, such as data encryption as well as identity and access management to secure backed up data.</li> <li><strong>Backing up to a service provider.</strong> In this scenario, an organization writes data to a cloud service or SaaS provider that offers backup services in a managed data center. The backup software that the company uses to send its data to the service might be provided as part of the service, or the service might support specific commercially available backup applications.</li> <li><strong>Choosing a cloud-to-cloud (C2C) backup.</strong> These services are among the newest offerings in the cloud backup arena. They specialize in backing up data that already lives in the cloud, either as data created using a SaaS application or as data stored in a cloud backup service. As its name suggests, a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-to-cloud-backup">C2C backup service</a> copies data from one cloud to another cloud. The cloud-to-cloud backup service typically hosts the software that handles this process.</li> <li><strong>Using online cloud backup systems.</strong> There are also hardware alternatives that facilitate backing up data to a cloud backup service. These appliances are all-in-one backup machines that include backup software and disk capacity, along with the backup server. The appliances are about as close to plug-and-play as backup gets, and most of them also provide a seamless link to one or more cloud backup services or cloud providers. The list of vendors that offer backup appliances that include cloud interfaces is long, with Quantum, Unitrends, Arcserve, Rubrik, Cohesity, Dell EMC, StorageCraft and Asigra active in this arena. These appliances typically retain the most recent backup locally, in addition to copying it to the cloud backup provider, so any required recoveries can be made from the local backup copy, saving time and transmission costs.</li> </ul> <figure class="main-article-image half-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-basic_steps.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-basic_steps_half_column_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-basic_steps_half_column_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-basic_steps.png 1280w" alt="Basic steps of cloud backup" height="248" width="280"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Although the steps can vary based on backup method or type, this is the basic process for cloud backups. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>When an organization engages a cloud backup service, the first step is to complete a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/Full-Backup">full backup</a> of the data that must be protected. This initial backup can sometimes take days to finish uploading over a network as a result of the large volume of data being transferred. In a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/3-2-1-Backup-Strategy">3-2-1 backup strategy</a>, where an organization has three copies of data on two different media, at least one copy of the backed up data should be sent to an off-site backup facility so that it's accessible even if on-site systems are unavailable.</p> <p>Using a technique called <em>cloud seeding</em>, a cloud backup vendor sends a storage device -- such as a hard drive or tape cartridge -- to its new customer, which then backs up the data locally onto the device and returns it to the provider. This process removes the need to send the initial data over the network to the backup provider. One example of a device that employs this technique is AWS Snowball Edge.</p> <p>If the amount of data in the initial backup is substantial, the cloud backup service might provide a full storage array for the seeding process. These arrays are typically small <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/network-attached-storage">network-attached storage</a> (NAS) devices that can be shipped back and forth relatively easily. After the initial seeding, only changed data is backed up over the network.</p> <h3>How data is restored</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Top-20-cloud-backup-services-for-2019">Cloud backup services</a> are typically built around a client software application that runs on a schedule determined by the purchased level of service and the customer's requirements. For example, if the customer has contracted for daily backups, the application collects, compresses, encrypts and transfers data to the cloud service provider's servers every 24 hours. To reduce the amount of bandwidth consumed and the time it takes to transfer files, the service provider might only provide incremental backups after the initial full backup.</p> <p>Cloud backup services often include the software and hardware necessary to protect an organization's data, including applications for Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server. Whether a customer uses its own backup application or the software the cloud backup service provides, the organization uses that same application to restore backed up data. Restorations could be on a file-by-file basis, by volume or a full restoration of the complete backup. More granular file-by-file restoration is typically the preferred method because it enables a business to quickly recover individual lost or damaged files rather than take the time and risk in restoring entire volumes.</p> <p>If the volume of data to be restored is very large, the cloud backup service might ship the data on a complete storage array that the customer can hook up to its servers to recover its data. This is, in effect, a reverse seeding process. Restoring a large amount of data over a network can take an unacceptably long time, depending on the organization's recovery time objective (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/recovery-time-objective-RTO">RTO</a>).</p> <p>A key feature of cloud backup restorations is that they can be done anywhere, from nearly any kind of computer. For example, an organization could recover its data directly to a disaster recovery site in a different location if its primary data center is unavailable.</p> <figure class="main-article-image" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_key_features.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_key_features_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_key_features_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_key_features.png 1280w" alt="cloud backup features" height="364" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Key cloud backup features include data encryption, data deduplication and incremental forever. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Types of backup</h3> <p>In addition to the various approaches to cloud backup, there are also <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Full-incremental-or-differential-How-to-choose-the-correct-backup-type">multiple backup methods to consider</a>. Although cloud backup providers give customers the option to choose the backup method that best fits their needs and applications, it's important to understand the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-backup-types-explained-Full-incremental-differential-and-incremental-forever-backup">differences among the three main types</a>.</p> <ol class="default-list"> <li>Full backups copy the entire data set every time a backup is initiated. As a result, they provide the highest level of protection. However, most organizations can't perform full backups frequently because they can be time-consuming and take up too much data storage capacity.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/incremental-backup">Incremental backups</a> only back up the data that has been changed or updated since the last backup increment -- not the last full backup. This method saves time and storage space but can make it more difficult to perform a complete restore, because if any backup increment is lost or damaged, a full restore will be impossible. Incremental is a common form of cloud backup because it tends to use fewer resources.</li> <li><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/differential-backup">Differential backups</a> are similar to incremental backups because they only contain data that has been altered. However, differential backups back up data that has changed since the last <em>full</em> backup, rather than the last backup in general. This method solves the problem of difficult restores that can arise with incremental backups.</li> </ol> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/whatis-pillar_full_incremental_differential_backup.png 1280w" alt="full vs. incremental vs. differential backup" height="621" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Visualize the differences between each method of backing up data. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Pros and cons</h3> <p>Before choosing cloud backup as a backup strategy, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/The-pros-and-cons-of-cloud-backup-technologies">weigh the potential pros and cons</a> that are associated with using a third party to store data. The advantages of cloud backup include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Generally, it's cheaper to back up data using a cloud backup service compared to building and maintaining an in-house backup operation. The associated cloud backup costs will rise as the volume of backup data rises, but the economics are likely to continue to make cloud backup an attractive choice. Some providers might offer free cloud backup, but the amount of backup capacity typically has a storage limit, which makes free backup appropriate for some home users and only the smallest of companies.</li> <li>The cloud is scalable, so even as a company's data grows, it can still be easily backed up to a cloud backup service. But organizations need to be wary of escalating costs as data volume grows. By weeding out dormant data and sending it to an archive, a company can better manage the amount -- and cost -- of data it backs up to the cloud.</li> <li>Managing cloud backups is simpler because service providers take care of many of the management tasks that are required with other forms of backup.</li> <li>Backups are generally more secure against <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/ransomware">ransomware</a> attacks because they are performed outside of the office network. Backup data is typically encrypted before it's transmitted from the customer's site to the cloud backup service, and it usually remains encrypted on the service's storage systems.</li> <li>Cloud storage is typically resilient and redundant, so backups help lower the risk of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Data-backup-failure-Five-tips-for-prevention">common data backup failures</a> caused by improper storage, physical media damage or accidental overwrites.</li> <li>A cloud backup service can help to consolidate a company's backup data because the service can back up main data center storage systems, remote office servers and storage devices, and end-user devices such as laptops and tablets.</li> <li>Backed up data is accessible from anywhere.</li> </ul> <p>Despite its many benefits, there are some disadvantages and challenges to using a cloud backup service, including the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>The backup speed depends on bandwidth and latency. For example, when many organizations are using the internet connection, the backup could be slower. This could be bothersome when backing data up but could be an even greater issue when it's necessary to recover data from the service. Anything that slows a recovery can jeopardize an established RTO.</li> <li>Costs can escalate when backing up large amounts of data to the cloud. This is due to recurring storage costs over time, as well as spiraling storage volumes needed to host evermore backups. Storage management and data retention policies are vitally important for any cloud storage initiatives, including backups.</li> <li>As with any use of cloud storage, data is moved outside of an organization's buildings and equipment and into the control of an outside provider. Therefore, it's incumbent to learn as much as possible about the cloud backup provider's equipment, physical security procedures, data protection process and fiscal viability. Cloud users bear the responsibility to encrypt and control access to stored data at all times.</li> </ul> <h4>Best practices</h4> <p>Although strategies, technologies and providers widely vary, there are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/The-7-critical-backup-strategy-best-practices-to-keep-data-safe">several agreed-upon best practices</a> when it comes to implementing cloud backup in the enterprise. Here are a few guidelines:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li>Understand all aspects of the cloud backup provider service-level agreement (<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cloud-storage-SLA">cloud SLA</a>), such as how data is backed up and protected, where vendor offices are located and how costs accumulate over time. Know the limits of a provider's responsibility and how to seek support and remediation if necessary.</li> <li>Don't rely on any one method or data storage medium for backup. The 3-2-1 backup methodology remains a central policy for enterprise backups.</li> <li>Test backup strategies and data recovery checklists to ensure they are sufficient in case of a disaster. Validate backups and periodically test recovery processes to ensure that technologies and staff skill sets are sufficient to recover if necessary.</li> <li>Have administrators routinely monitor cloud backups to make sure processes are successful and uncorrupted.</li> <li>Choose a data restore destination that is easily accessible and doesn't overwrite existing data.</li> <li>Make decisions about specific data or files to back up based on the criticality of the information to business operations -- all data isn't created equal, so implement backups that reflect the importance and value of varied business data types.</li> <li>Use metadata properly to enable the quick location and restoration of specific files.</li> <li>Consider using private encryption for data that must stay confidential.</li> <li>Use data retention policies and data management techniques to ensure that only necessary data is backed up -- especially in the cloud, where recurring costs accumulate.</li> </ul> <ul class="default-list"></ul> <h4>Special considerations</h4> <p>When choosing a cloud backup service provider, there are a few additional considerations to weigh. Some companies have special needs related to data protection, but not all cloud backup providers are able to meet those needs. For example, if a company must comply with a specific regulation such as HIPAA or GDPR, the cloud backup service needs to be certified as compliant with data handling procedures as defined by that regulation. Although an outside firm provides the backup, the customer is still responsible for the data and could face serious consequences -- including steep fines and litigation -- if the cloud backup provider doesn't maintain the data appropriately.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/data-archiving">Data archiving</a> is another special consideration when selecting a cloud backup service. Archiving is different from routine data backup. Archived data is data that isn't currently needed but still needs to be retained. Ideally, that data should be removed from the daily backup stream because it's likely unchanged, and it unnecessarily increases the volume of backup data transmissions. Some cloud backup providers offer archiving services to complement their backup products. Archive data is generally stored on equipment geared for longer retentions and infrequent access, such as tape or low-performing disk systems. Archival storage, such as Amazon S3 Glacier or Azure Archive Storage, is generally less expensive than data storage used for active backups.</p> <figure class="main-article-image" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_should_you.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_should_you_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_should_you_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/data_backup-cloud_backup_should_you.png 1280w" alt="using cloud backup" height="241" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Determining whether to use the cloud or a traditional backup depends on the amount of data and rate of change. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Cloud vs. local backup</h3> <p>When looking into data backup options, two main product categories are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/feature/Cloud-backup-vs-local-traditional-backup-advantages-disadvantages">cloud backup and local backup</a>. Local backup, also known as <em>traditional backup</em>, is the process of storing a copy of data on site at the organization. In this approach, backup software is used to manage, copy and restore the data to backup targets such as tapes, disks or network-attached storage devices.</p> <p>In the enterprise, cloud data backup services were initially used for noncritical data. Traditional backup was considered better for critical data that requires a short RTO because there are physical limits as to how much data can be moved in a given amount of time over a network. When a large amount of data needs to be recovered, it might need to be shipped on tape or some other portable storage media.</p> <p>However, with most cloud backup schemes -- whether controlled by a user's backup software, the cloud backup service app or a backup appliance -- the most recently backed up data is retained on site, as well as spun off to the cloud service. This arrangement provides all the benefits of cloud backup, while leaving a local copy of the data that can be used for quick recoveries.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/tape-backup">Tape backup</a> requires data to be copied from a primary storage device to a tape cartridge. Cartridges have grown dramatically in capacity in recent years. LTO-8 tapes, released in late 2017, can store 12 TB of uncompressed data and 30 TB of compressed data. Subsequent LTO tape standards include LTO-9 with 18 TB of capacity (45 TB compressed), LTO-10 with 36 TB (90 TB compressed), LTO-11 with 72 TB (180 TB compressed) and LTO-12 with 144 TB (360 TB compressed).</p> <p>Tape is a strong and easily transported storage medium in an age of exponential data growth. In addition to their capacity benefits, tapes are comparatively inexpensive to own and operate. However, the restore process can be slow because access is sequential.</p> <p>Although the cloud appears to offer unlimited storage capacity, costs rise dramatically depending on how much an organization needs. Although access isn't sequential like with tape, restore times still depend on the internet or private communications lines and require an appropriate amount of bandwidth.</p> <p>Cloud service providers take some of the backup management work out of the process for organizations. The process of backing up to tape and maintaining the cartridges is essentially up to the organization. There is more flexibility in the process of restoring from cloud backup because an organization can restore to several different devices, including laptops and phones.</p> <p>Cloud and tape both provide protection from cyber attacks, including ransomware. Cloud backups are useful in the event of an attack because they are off-site. Tape backups are even more secure because they are offline.</p> <p>Disk, while not as portable as tape, is another common medium for backup. The biggest benefit to a disk is access speed. Disks offer random access and often top cloud and tape for restore speed. Disk-based backups are typically performed continuously throughout the day, while tape backs up less regularly. A disk-based backup is self-contained, with less personnel interaction than with tape, making the risk of human error smaller. Disk-based backups can be expensive, though -- often costlier than tape or cloud. The lifespan of disk is shorter than tape, and its durability is weaker than that of tape. As long as the service provider is still in business, the lifespan of a cloud backup could be longer than that of disk or tape.</p> <p>NAS backup relies on a disk-based NAS appliance that connects to a network, rather than a desktop or server, to accomplish a local backup. These appliances allow multiple devices and users on the same network to store, access and share data wirelessly. Both <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/tip/NAS-vs-cloud-storage-Which-is-better-for-your-business">NAS and cloud backup</a> offer strong data protection, high security and efficient recovery times, but since NAS appliances are located on the same LAN as the devices being backed up, NAS backups are quicker to perform than cloud backups. However, cloud backups can provide a lower initial cost and a higher reliability in the case of on-site disasters.</p> <p>The following chart helps to illustrate when cloud data backups should be considered as a viable option.</p> <p>With a proper retention policy, cloud backups can reduce or even replace the need for off-site tape data storage, so organizations are making the switch from disk-to-disk-to-tape (D2D2T) strategies to disk-to-disk-to-cloud (D2D2C).</p> <p>Flexibility is another benefit of the cloud because no additional storage hardware is needed.</p> <h3>Cloud backup vs. cloud DR</h3> <p>Cloud backup and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/cloud-disaster-recovery-cloud-DR">cloud disaster recovery</a> aren't the same, but they are connected. Although cloud backup services can be tapped to recover data and resume operations after a disruptive event, it should be noted that they aren't necessarily specifically oriented to provide all the advanced features and services that a true <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/disaster-recovery-as-a-service-DRaaS">DRaaS</a> offering would provide.</p> <p>The real difference between a backup and a DR environment is "content." For example, in order to use the data saved to a cloud backup service to recover from a disaster, the backup content would have to include much more than just data files; OSes, application software, drivers and utilities are also required. Users would have to set up their backup routines to include those elements specifically, such as by mirroring entire servers to the cloud backup service.</p> <p>More importantly, a true DRaaS not only has the data and the system and application software ready to be accessed; it also provides the necessary servers -- physical or virtual -- and storage resources to spin up the clients' servers and applications so that they continue to operate and carry on with their business.</p> <p>An organization must consider whether the disaster recovery provider has enough bandwidth and resources to handle the data transfer and, thus, how long it will take to perform a recovery. Cloud DR testing is important and often easier than traditional DR testing because many providers offer automated tests.</p> <p>A cloud backup provider might also offer disaster recovery in the cloud. Cloud disaster recovery is particularly attractive for smaller businesses that don't have the funding or resources to support their own DR site. The cloud data center should be far enough away from the organization using it to ensure recovery from any local or regional disaster.</p> <h3>File sync and share</h3> <p>There is often confusion among the definitions of cloud backup, cloud storage and cloud sync, often referred to as file sync and share (FSS). There are similarities among the three, but they are different processes.</p> <p>FSS services allow users to create folders online where they can store and access files stored on personal computers and servers. As the name implies, these services can automatically update files to their latest versions, whether stored locally or online. They also make collaboration and file sharing with colleagues or clients easy. Cloud sync providers include Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive.</p> <p>Some companies rely on FSS services to back up their data as well. Although this approach might be acceptable for a small amount of data, it's not appropriate for large data volumes or a company's critical data, as these services tend to lack the types of content and retention management and version control features that cloud backup offers. Also, given their user-oriented approach to data handling, data can become vulnerable if mishandled by sync and share participants.</p> <figure class="main-article-image full-col" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-storage_vs_backup_vs_fss.png"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-storage_vs_backup_vs_fss_mobile.png" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-storage_vs_backup_vs_fss_mobile.png 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineimages/cloud_backup-storage_vs_backup_vs_fss.png 1280w" alt="data storage backup options" height="286" width="560"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Compare cloud backup, cloud storage and cloud sync. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <h3>Cloud backup vs. cloud storage</h3> <p>Although they share similarities, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/tip/Cloud-backup-versus-cloud-storage-comparison">cloud backup and cloud storage aren't the same thing</a>. Cloud storage is a service model in which data is stored on remote systems. Data in cloud storage is available to users over a network, typically the internet. Benefits of cloud storage include global availability, ease of use and off-site security. Potential drawbacks range from performance issues depending on network connection, to loss of complete control over the data, to escalating costs over time.</p> <p>There are three main types of cloud storage: public, private and hybrid. Public cloud data is stored in the service provider's data center. Customers pay based on several factors, including frequency and volume of data accessed. The top three public cloud storage providers are Amazon, Google and Microsoft. Private cloud storage is typically implemented through in-house storage protected behind an organization's firewall. Private cloud users often need more customization and control over their data. A <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/hybrid-cloud-storage">hybrid cloud storage</a> model is a mix of public and private cloud storage.</p> <p>As cloud backup is a service that sends an extra copy of an organization's data over a network to an off-site server, the typical user shouldn't need to access that data on a regular basis. Cloud storage, though, is for more regular use. Ultimately, the difference between storage and backup isn't "content" but the purpose for which that content is intended.</p> <p>Cloud storage itself should have backup. For example, an organization could back up data it has in AWS or Microsoft Azure with the provider's native backup or use a third-party tool. However, it's worth noting that cloud storage often implements high levels of resilience and redundancy by design, so take the time to compare the provider's storage SLA reliability commitments against the organization's retention requirements. Creating a cloud backup of cloud storage can be an unneeded expense for some types of low-priority data.</p> <p>Archiving -- through purpose-built <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/cloud-archive">cloud archive</a> storage services, for example -- is a good use case for cold cloud storage, but only up to a point. The infrequently accessed tier of cloud storage provides a comparatively cheaper cost to store data that an organization must keep but doesn't need to regularly access. However, organizations should tread carefully here, because costs add up as volumes rise and the price to get data out is high. In some cases, aging data can actually be removed from the cloud and stored back on local storage systems, and archiving can be a particularly attractive use case for tape storage.</p> <h3>Hybrid cloud backup</h3> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/hybrid-backup">Hybrid cloud backup</a> providers connect traditional local or private cloud backups to the public cloud. A hybrid cloud backup strategy is useful for organizations that produce a large volume of data and need quick restore access.</p> <p>With one approach, a NAS appliance serves as a local backup target and syncs backup data to the cloud. When an organization needs a quick restore, the data is available in the on-site NAS. If an organization loses its primary site, the cloud backup is still available, protecting against data loss. This method can also be referred to as <em>D2D2C backup</em>. In another hybrid approach, an organization uses both the public and private cloud for backup.</p> <p>It's difficult to get data consistency with hybrid cloud backup, especially if the data transfer takes a long time. Consequently, backup synchronization and data validation are critical parts of a hybrid -- or any multitarget -- backup strategy. Point-in-time snapshots and continuous backups help, but costs rise as backup frequency increases.</p> <p>Comparatively, in a pure cloud backup scenario, backups go directly to the service provider's cloud.</p> <h3>Cost</h3> <p>Third-party cloud backup initially gained popularity with SMBs and home users because of its convenience. Today, cloud backup services have become more sophisticated and can offer the same level of data protection as in-house enterprise data backup, if not greater.</p> <p>Cloud backup technology has an initial upfront cost and effort to implement, but its lower recurring monthly or yearly payment plans appeal to many smaller operations. Capital expenditures for additional hardware aren't required, and backups can be run dark. However, the cost of keeping data in the cloud for years does add up. In addition, costs rise as the amount of data backed up to the cloud increases. A system of effective data retention/deletion and archiving can help keep cloud backup storage costs down.</p> <p>In terms of return on investment, consider the long-term costs of backing up to the cloud. A five-year projection is recommended to properly estimate future expenses and to decide whether the cloud will help an organization break even after initial costs. After these costs are offset, ROI on cloud-based backups <a href="https://www.keepit.com/blog/the-roi-of-cloud-backup/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can be determined</a>. Estimates require a careful analysis of future storage growth and retention demands over the same time period.</p> <p>Pricing models vary by vendor, but it's important to look out for hidden costs in cloud backup services. Although most products for backing up to the cloud are sold using a price-per-gigabyte-per-month payment model, providers can also use a sliding scale model, set usage minimums and add transaction costs. It might be possible to reduce backup and archival cloud storage costs by investigating price reductions for long-term service commitments. A well-versed cloud FinOps team can also help identify and manage cloud costs for backup and archival storage initiatives.</p> <h3>Security</h3> <p>Security is an important element in the cloud backup process. The three main considerations are often referred to as the security CIA: confidentiality, integrity and availability.</p> <p>Most data will move across the public internet on its way to the cloud, so for confidentiality, many cloud backup providers encrypt data throughout the process: at the original location, during transit and at rest in the provider's data center. A user or the provider holds the encryption key. Most organizations prefer to hold their encryption keys, and providers should offer this option. Types of network encryption include Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security protocols.</p> <figure class="main-article-image" data-img-fullsize="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/cloudcomputing_lithium-cloud-security.jpg"> <img data-src="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/cloudcomputing_lithium-cloud-security_mobile.jpg" class="lazy" data-srcset="https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/cloudcomputing_lithium-cloud-security_mobile.jpg 960w,https://www.techtarget.com/rms/onlineImages/cloudcomputing_lithium-cloud-security.jpg 1280w" alt="cloud data security flow chart" height="634" width="520"> <figcaption> <i class="icon pictures" data-icon="z"></i>Take these steps to address your cloud security concerns. </figcaption> <div class="main-article-image-enlarge"> <i class="icon" data-icon="w"></i> </div> </figure> <p>For integrity, users must determine whether data is the same when it's read back or whether it was corrupted. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchstorage/definition/object-storage">Object storage</a> offers built-in integrity checks -- a form of validation that is typically conducted as the backup is created.</p> <p>Availability takes the restoration process into account. It asks: Will data be available in a timely fashion in a disaster recovery situation? Availability is often the most overlooked and underappreciated aspect of cloud backups. Users assume that a cloud is always available from anywhere, but cloud providers do experience service disruptions that can range anywhere from several minutes to several hours. An enterprise must determine whether the provider's availability is adequate for cloud backup needs.</p> <p>Access control is also important. An organization tightens security by limiting access to cloud backups. Furthermore, write-once, read-only access protects backup data from being overwritten, altered or deleted.</p> <p>Cloud backups can help an organization guard against malicious attacks such as malware. The idea is simple: When an attack strikes, simply invoke a restoration to return the affected systems to an uninfected state. However, malware is frequently designed to replicate and hide on different systems. Simple restoration doesn't guarantee that all instances of the malware are removed, since restoring a server doesn't necessarily restore a user's infected endpoint. Administrators must execute thorough malware testing and eradication during restoration. Similarly, undetected malware infection can easily be present in backups, resulting in problematic restoration, so organizations require comprehensive malware protection regimens before backups are ever created.</p> <h3>Vendor options</h3> <p>Approaches to online backup services vary, so an organization should take a close look at SLAs, pricing plans and long-term costs before choosing a provider. Examples of cloud data backup vendor options include the following:</p> <ul class="default-list"> <li><strong>Acronis.</strong> This vendor offers Cyber Backup, a hybrid cloud backup-as-a-service product. Acronis Cyber Backup protects virtual, physical and cloud environments, and it includes a pay-as-you-go business model.</li> <li><strong>Arcserve.</strong> With its purchase of Zetta, Arcserve expanded its Unified Data Protection (UDP) offering. The product includes Arcserve UDP Cloud Direct direct-to-cloud DR and backup. The cloud protection is targeted at the midmarket.</li> <li><strong>Asigra. </strong> A cloud backup pioneer, Asigra's Cloud Backup features embedded malware engines to prevent ransomware from getting into backups.</li> <li><strong>Backblaze.</strong> This vendor offers personal and business cloud backup, as well as cloud storage. Backblaze stores data on its open source Storage Pods hardware platform and cloud-based Backblaze Vault file system. Backup data through Backblaze is accessible through a web browser on mobile devices and computers. Restores are downloaded over SSLs.</li> <li><strong>Carbonite.</strong> Selling to consumers, SMBs and enterprises, the company's offerings back up documents, email, music, photos and settings and are available for Windows and Mac users. In March 2018, Carbonite acquired rival Mozy from Dell EMC and incorporated its services into its offerings. In 2019, Carbonite bought cybersecurity vendor Webroot. Later in 2019, content management vendor OpenText acquired Carbonite.</li> <li><strong>CrashPlan.</strong> This vendor offers small business and enterprise backup options. It supports full drive backups to local drives and protects Linux and macOS networked drives.</li> <li><strong>Druva.</strong> This cloud backup vendor features three major offerings. The enterprise-level Druva inSync is targeted at endpoints and backs up data across physical and public cloud storage, while Druva for Hybrid Workloads is a software agent used to back up and restore data sets in the cloud for distributed physical and virtual servers. In addition, in 2018, Druva acquired CloudRanger for AWS data protection.</li> <li><strong>IDrive.</strong> Geared toward consumers and small businesses, IDrive includes snapshots, a syncing service and hybrid data protection.</li> <li><strong>Microsoft Azure Backup.</strong> This service automatically sends backups to the Azure cloud. Azure Site Recovery automates replication to back up private Windows infrastructure.</li> <li><strong>Rubrik. </strong>Specializing in strong security and rapid recovery, Rubrik offers a cloud data management platform that supports hybrid and multi-cloud environments.</li> <li><strong>SpiderOak One Backup.</strong> This SMB hybrid cloud backup offering protects an unlimited number of devices -- including external devices -- and offers a 5 TB storage limit.</li> <li><strong>Unitrends.</strong> This vendor enables customers to back up indefinitely to its private cloud with Forever Cloud and offers several DRaaS options for recovery.</li> <li><strong>Veeam Software.</strong> Veeam provides cloud backup through its Cloud Connect product. Service providers can partner with Veeam to create a backup and recovery target in the cloud.</li> <li><strong>Veritas NetBackup.</strong> Veritas provides unified data protection for physical, virtual and multi-cloud environments that can be managed from a single pane of glass.</li> </ul> Cloud backup, also known as online backup or remote backup, is a strategy for sending a copy of a physical or virtual file or database to a secondary, off-site location for preservation in case of equipment failure, site catastrophe or human malfeasance. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/5.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/cloud-backup Mon, 06 Feb 2023 13:33:00 GMT 60 webmaster@techtarget.com