Data Recovery Support is a highly sensitive topic.  It’s people’s livelihoods at stake and can be very intense situation if the individual supporting the recovery process does not successfully restore the file or files.  Anyone who has been in IT long enough recognizes the need for multiple forms of backup.  We need to ensure your data has multiple forms or processes of protection.  There is nothing worse than performing data recovery only to find out the DR (Disaster Recovery) process you have in place wasn’t working or was working poorly.  Not only do you need healthy backup process but also a way to expedite the recovery of the data in the event of a disaster.

BCDR

Managed Service Providers not only provide Business Continuity Disaster Recovery plans but the hardware associated with them.  It is integrated into their PSA for alerts of test recovery failing and the hardware itself failing.  This is ideal for anyone hosting their hardware infrastructure.  We are talking several servers in the mix and over 10 users.

External Disks – Local Backup

This solution is not ideal and probably for under 5 user environment.  This is in addition to some cloud based back up like Synology C2.

I understand that a local backup using external hard drives is not ideal but yes, it is a typical solution for a small business.  Iron Mountain has a whole business model surrounding it…  See below.   We will talk additional alternatives once we plow through external hard drive based backup.

I’m discussing the local external disks because it will not be a huge expense; and it will alleviate most of our immediate concerns your data recovery support issues.  Again, I understand it is not ideal but once successfully completed, you will have your first full backup and hopefully centralized backup.  Thus, it contains all your data.  The setup can be found below all the backup talking points.

Synology Active Backup

Read more here

AWS – Glacier – Cloud Backup

Amazon Web Services – Glacier is a if all recovery options fail then go to Glacier to recover.  While it’s very reasonably priced service, it breaks from time to time.  Bottom line, every business needs more than one method of backup.  I highly recommend Synology C2 over Glacier.

Hyper Backup – Off Site Backup – Remote Synology NAS

The other option is to have another offsite or Remote Synology NAS at another site but that can involve more billable time and hardware.  Fortunately, Network Antics provides a Remote Synology NAS for storing your data.  Technically, Synology’s Hyper Backup Remote Synology NAS is another cloud based solution.  The difference is your team can easily retrieve and recover the data if the remote site is somewhat local to your place of business.

I’ve pushed all clients to do this because Ramsomware is your worst enemy and I want you prepared for when it comes knocking.   I have had too many businesses come to me when it is too late and nothing can be done.

Click here for Synology to Synology Backup.

Iron Mountain – External Disks Storage – How it works:

With Iron Mountain® Secure Offsite Tape Vaulting service, you’ll have safe storage of your tapes until you need them – whether that’s tomorrow or next year, you can retrieve them on-demand. It’s also the most efficient way to utilize long-term archiving of your backup data. Your tapes are stored in a few simple steps:

• You prepare your pickup request with their online portal
• Iron Mountain picks up your container, scanning the barcode before and after transit
• Your tapes are stored offsite in an environmentally controlled facility
• Manage schedule changes, reporting, and retrievals with the portal.

Home Storage – External Disks Alternative Storage Location

Many clients forgo Iron Mountain and carry it home.

 

Data Recovery Support for Hyper Backup – External Disk Setup Steps

 

Synology Backup covers the backup process for all shared folder data, the configuration file for the Synology system , and some Synology applications like PhotoStation.  Select the backup destination after you opened Hyper Backup for the first time to perform your first backup.

 

Purchase External Hard Disks and Plug Into NAS

The Synology NAS has a recommended or compatible device list for external hard drives.   It is recommended you attach one drive at a time, once your new drives have arrived.  Please confirm which external disk it is under external devices and label accordingly.

• Week 1 and Week 3 for external drive #1
• Week 2 and Week 4 for external drive #2

 

Rename Shared Folders

USBShare1 to Backup1
USBShare2 to Backup2

 

 

Backup Destination Settings:

Create a new backup task if you are trying to alternate week between external drive one and external drive two.  This is the preferred backup method.  Otherwise, relink to existing task if you are trying to resume the backup task after completing a migration to a new chassis.

 

Data Backup:

Get familiar with your data.  Some data may not be worth backing up their shared folder.

Backup Settings:

This one is worth a snapshot.  The data can be backed up daily or once a week.  Daily makes sense but you may want to select “remove destination external device when task has successfully finished” if you are rotating external drives.  This eliminates an extra step when rotating drives.  My preferred settings are set below for that reason.

Week  1 – 3 Backup Task

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rotation Settings:

I don’t have a complete understanding of this setting yet.  It does not have to do with rotating external hard drives.  Here are the recommended settings with what little knowledge I know of this setting.

 

 

 

 

Backup Processes

Kick off your first backup and label the external drives

• Week 1 and Week 3 for external drive #1
• Week 2 and Week 4 for external drive #2

Backup Destination Settings For Second Drive

 

 

 

 

 

Backup Settings:

Change task to “week 2 – 4” and copy additional settings below

 

Rotation Settings:  Setup the same settings as prior task setup located above.

Hyper Backup Dashboard

You should have two tasks labeled “week 1 – 3” and “week 2 – 4” once you have completed the setup

 

 

 

 

The Physical Setup of Hyper Back to the Synology NAS

There are two USB external drives currently plugged in as displayed below.  The local external disk backup is set to 3a every Thursday.  Remove on Thursday or Friday the week completed.  Plug in  Week 1 and 3 for the following week’s backup or week 2 and 4 if the following is week 2 or 4 of the month.

 

External Drive Backups Labeling

How do I know which drive is which?

The drives are labeled accordingly as displayed below.