An effective backup and disaster recovery plan must has a basic rule implemented to make it most secure and reliable. A simple backup rule which makes sure you back up your data is to a 3 2 1 rule. Yes it is backward counting, but it is a trusted and agreed upon rule which has proven its worth many a times around the world.
It is a very basic concept of having a backup and disaster recovery plan for your data. This article will elaborate what 3 2 1 rule is and how it can help make sure the availability and safety of the data.
What Does “3” Denote
3 refers to making at least three copies of your data in total. The idea behind it is that if a single undesirable event has occurred, it is not likely to destroy all three copies provided these copies are placed wisely. It puts the mission critical data at the minimum risk of being lost in a disaster.
It all depends on how important you think your data is to you and your business. Businesses which realize the importance of the a reliable Data backup and disaster recovery plan, leave no stone unturned, and go all the way towards the data protection and security. It is about adding extra layers of protection on your data to make it impossible to be breached or taken away.
What About the “2”
This 2 refers to the idea to store the data not in one format but in at least 2 form. You have the options of storing your data on disc drives, tape drives or in a cloud. What it will do is to maximize the chances that your data will survive the disaster. If you have your data stored on premises it suffers a flood for example, the copy of the data that has been stored in the cloud can be used to retrieve data and get back to business.
“1” is the Most Important One
Not every business has the resources to put the data on cloud, due to lack of band width or other issues, what to do then. There is the last but definitely not the least option in this rule. You must store at least 1 copy of your data on a location which is offsite, away from the office.
The selection of the offsite location must be done considering the risks and threats to that place. If you are facing a threat of earthquake, flood or fire, choose allocation that is geographically away and in a safe zone. This one copy will be your last resort to retrieving data in case of a severe disaster has occurred. Veeam backup to azure is also an good option to store and backup your data.
Conclusion
The 321 rule is the basic key to keep your data safe from most of the threats and risks of all the kinds. Remember you data is not only facing threats from natural disasters, but hackers, viruses and not to forget the latest one called ransomware in which you not only lose your data but also bear huge financial loss. Cloud disaster recovery solutions can be used to protect you Important data from disasters.
To minimize the risks and keep them away from your data, backup and disaster recovery plan is the most important thing to do. You need to consult the experts of the field to guide you what exactly you need and what you should buy.
