Introduction
Having a reliable backup system is crucial for any business. However, as technology evolves and data needs change, the backup solutions that once worked can become outdated and inadequate. Here are 5 signs that indicate it may be time to upgrade your backup system:
1. Recovery Takes Too Long
One of the main purposes of a backup system is being able to quickly recover data in the event of a failure or data loss. If restoring files and data from your backups takes hours or days, your backup system may not be meeting your recovery time objectives. Modern backup solutions are designed for fast recovery times, often recovering files and data within minutes. If your recovery process takes too long, an upgraded backup system could significantly improve this.
2. Limited Scalability
As your business and data needs grow, your backup system needs to scale accordingly. If your current backup solution struggles to keep up with data growth or does not allow easy expansion, it will soon become a liability. Choose a backup system that can seamlessly scale-out on commodity hardware to match your expanding storage requirements. Cloud-based backups often handle scalability very well.
3. No Offsite Backups
Having offsite or cloud backups is essential to protect against site disasters like fires, floods, etc. that can destroy onsite backup copies. If your current system only stores backups onsite, the risk of losing data is high. Modern backup systems like cloud storage and managed services provide offsite backup storage and protection without the hassle of maintaining offsite tapes.
4. No Integration with Existing Apps
Many backup systems come with plug-ins or APIs to integrate closely with popular business applications like Office 365, Salesforce, SharePoint etc. This integration makes backups seamless while also backing up application data. If your backup system lacks integration with apps your business relies on, it’s a sign that you need an upgraded solution.
5. Difficult Manual Management
Maintaining and managing backups shouldn’t be a complicated, manual process. If your IT staff spends excessive time on backup management, it takes away from more productive tasks. Look for automated, policy-based backups that simplify most backup tasks like on-demand backup, restores, and retention management.
When to Upgrade Your Backup System
- If recovery takes hours instead of minutes
- If there’s limited scalability for growth
- If there are no offsite or cloud backups
- If no integration with existing business apps
- If managing backups is time-consuming
By upgrading outdated backup systems using the signs above, businesses can enjoy simplified management, faster backup and recovery, lower risk, and greater scalability. The return on investment is well worth the upgrade.
