The backup software is installed, the jobs are running, the dashboard shows no problem. As the owner of the backup, it is natural to relax at this point. But the value of a backup depends on whether it can be restored when it is needed. The five questions below are a short checklist for reviewing this in your own organization.
The goal is to be able to say “yes, I know” to every question. An answer of “I am not sure” is not a failure; it marks an area that needs a look.
1. Do we know what we are backing up?
A backup job finishing successfully does not show that the right data was backed up. A newly added server, a moved application or a database placed on another disk may have been left outside the scope.
To check:
- Is there a current list of the systems being backed up?
- Does this list include every system that matters to the business?
- Is the list updated when the infrastructure changes?
2. Do we have what we need to open the backup?
The backup file alone may not be enough. For encrypted backups, a password or key may be needed; with some software, the software itself and its license may be needed for the restore. If this information is known by only one person or stored in the same place as the backup itself, there can be trouble.
- Are passwords and keys in a secure place that more than one authorized person can reach?
- Is there any information tied to someone who has left?
- Are the software and license details needed for the restore on record?
3. Have we ever tried a restore?
A restore is the most direct way to verify a backup and to rehearse the process. Before trying it, you cannot know that the backup can be read, that the application can come up with that data, or how long the restore will take.
- Has a restore been tried at least once, in a separate area that does not affect the live system?
- Have the result and the problems encountered been written down?
- Is the test repeated after a major infrastructure change?
4. Is the backup separate from where the primary data lives?
If the backup is on the same server, on the same disk or in a place reached with the same network permissions as the primary data, a single event can affect both. Keeping a copy of the backup in a different location and under different access conditions reduces this risk.
- Is a copy of the backup in another location?
- Can an administrator account in the production environment also delete the backups?
- Who is access to the backups limited to?
5. Who will do what when a restore is needed?
Even a technically sound backup costs time if the owner of the process is not clear. Which system comes up first, who decides and who informs the business units should be set in advance. It is also necessary to discuss with the technical team how long the business units can wait.
- Are the restore steps written down?
- Has the priority order of systems been set together with the business units?
- Are the people who will carry out these steps, and their backups, known?
If the answers fell short
If you cannot give a clear answer to several of the five questions, a reasonable start is to first gather the scope list and the access details, then plan a small restore test. You do not have to fix everything at once; going in order of priority is enough.
What does 7 Tepe Bilişim do here?
We manage and monitor your backup jobs. We add the restore test to the scope on request; its frequency and report are written in the quote.
Also on this topic: Backing up is not enough: do you know you can restore?
Would you like to review the state of your backups together? Explore our backup and disaster recovery service: Backup and Disaster Recovery
