Introduction
Backing up data is one of the most important things you can do to protect your digital assets. As we generate more and more data every year, backup speeds become increasingly important. In 2024, backup speeds will need to keep pace with rapidly expanding storage volumes.
This article will examine optimal backup speeds in 2024 based on emerging tech trends. We’ll look at factors that influence backup times, types of backups, and speed recommendations for different use cases. Whether you are an IT professional or home user, understanding backup speeds will help you choose the right solutions.
Key Factors That Influence Backup Speeds
Several key factors impact how fast backups can run. Being aware of these will help you set realistic speed expectations.
Hardware Capabilities
The capabilities of source and target hardware limit possible throughput. Disks, interfaces, CPUs all impose upper limits. As hardware improves, faster backups become possible.
Change Rate
If data changes frequently, successive backups must transfer more changes. This reduces overall backup speed.
Network Speed
Network bandwidth between source and backup destination heavily influences speed for cloud backups. Faster network connections enable faster cloud backups.
Backup Software
Software optimization like compression, deduplication, and multithreading improve backup speeds. Choice of software can speed up or slow down backups.
Backup Type
Full vs incremental vs differential backups have different speed implications. Incrementals only transfer changed data so they run faster.
Recommended Backup Speeds in 2024
With the factors above in mind, here are some general recommendations for backup speeds in 2024.
Disk to Disk and Local Backups
For disk to disk backups, where data stays local, we recommend a minimum speed of 1GB per minute. With 10GbE networks and SSDs, speeds of up to 10GB per minute are possible.
For perspective, backing up 1TB at 1GB/min would take 17 hours. At 10GB/min it would take 1.7 hours.
Cloud Backups
For cloud backups, use a minimum speed of 100MB per minute. This ensures 1TB backups finish within 7 days even on slower connections.
With a 1Gbps connection you can achieve 500MB/min. On a 10Gbps connection with compression, 2GB/min or more is possible.
Incremental cloud backups should run at least 5MB/min to backup 50GB of daily changes within 24 hours.
Virtual Machine Backups
Full VM backups should run at 1GB/min minimum. With VM-centric tools like VM replication, up to 10GB/min is possible.
Incremental VM backups can run at lower speeds, around 100–200MB/min since they transfer less data.
Mobile and Remote Device Backups
For phones, tablets, and remote machines the bar is lower. We recommend at least 10MB/min to ensure timely backups across the internet.
Recommendations by Data Volume
Here are the recommended minimum backup speeds based on how much data you need to backup:
| Data Volume | Minimum Speed |
|-|-|
| < 1 TB | 200 MB/min |
| 1 – 5 TB | 500 MB/min |
| 5 – 15 TB | 1 GB/min |
| > 15 TB | 2 GB/min |
Adjust these recommendations if you backup up over a slower WAN link.
Challenges Running Fast Backups
While the speeds above are viable for 2024, there are some challenges to running backups that quickly:
- Expensive hardware – Faster disks, CPUs, memory will add to costs.
- Network bottlenecks – Limits from network bandwidth and latency.
- App impact – Backups that use too much resource can disrupt apps.
- Moore’s Law – Expectations and datasets grow faster than hardware capabilities.
To overcome these, research backup methods and hardware carefully. Balance speed with other considerations like cost, reliability, and app impact.
Key Takeaways on Backup Speeds in 2024
- Backup speeds will need to increase to handle growing data volumes.
- Minimum speeds should hit 1GB/min for disk, 100MB/min for cloud.
- Faster incremental backups are needed to protect increasing daily changes.
- Hardware, networks, and software all impact speed – balance trade-offs.
- With careful planning, petabyte-scale backups at 10GB/min are viable by 2024.
Running fast, reliable backups at scale remains challenging. As Storage Administrator in 2024, ensure you account for these trends during capacity planning and technology refresh cycles. Analyze your environment and utilise the latest solutions to enable backups to keep pace with business demands.
