BaaS (Backup as a Service) is a subscription-based service model that provides continual access to services or products in return for regular, predictable payments. In this context it refers to the use of online backup, storage and recovery services to protect and manage enterprise data. This enables organizations to effectively protect their data and quickly recover them should they need to, without having to invest in internal hardware or infrastructure.
IT administrators and experts can use BaaS to delegate hosting and maintenance tasks to a third-party cloud provider—whereas traditional data backup solutions require not only magnetic tape, hard drives, physical or cloud storage, but also backup software, which has to be managed internally.
With BaaS, all organizations need to do in order to securely access, store or recover backup files from remote cloud locations is connect to their BaaS solution. This strategy also helps to reduce the initial and running costs associated with the purchase, installation, use and maintenance of backup and recovery software.
We all know that sinking feeling of realizing we have misplaced or lost something valuable, be it photos, films, or the presentation we worked on all night. What if that “something valuable” were critical data your company relies on? Data thousands of people depend on, from employees to customers and everyone in between. Losing that data is a sure way to damage a business or even ruin it. Data loss is unfortunately a common phenomenon and once data have been lost, it can be quite difficult to recover them.
The scenario is all too familiar: everything seems to be going well, when suddenly the database is damaged, an error occurs or someone accidentally clicks on something they shouldn’t have. These are the moments when it becomes clear just how important a reliable backup system is for an organization, because without it, business operations would be significantly impaired whenever an unexpected problem occurred. It is also worth remembering that data loss can not only be caused (unintentionally) by internal employees, but also by external threats like cyber attacks.
This is where BaaS goes from useful to essential, particularly because it allows for centralized, automated data backup in the cloud from any device in any location. BaaS also supports flexible backup plans and strategies that can be tailored to the dynamic working patterns and various needs of an organization’s employees—a feature that is especially important in our mobile world.
Incorporating Backup as a Service into IT strategies is an important step for modern organizations. In the following section, we have listed a few of the key elements and benefits BaaS offers companies of any size:
In general, backups can be split into three different categories: incremental, differential and full.
Let’s take a closer look at these backup techniques, so that you can decide which best matches the needs of your organization.
1. Full Backup: The purpose of a full backup is to create a complete copy of all selected data, including in files, folders, SaaS applications, hard drives and more. The main advantage of this type of backup is that it allows the fastest restoration of the data. However, the backup itself takes longer than with other backup techniques, since everything is being backed up at once.
One of the biggest drawbacks of a full backup is that it requires a large amount of storage space. To reduce the space required, many organizations create an initial full backup of their data, but then use differential or incremental backups to secure any data added or changes made after this point. With this technique, they can increase the speed of subsequent backups and reduce the strain on their storage resources.
2. Incremental Backup: In an incremental backup, only changes that were made after the previous backup are recorded and stored, regardless of whether the previous backup was a full or an incremental backup. Compared with full backups, this creates smaller backup sets, which helps reduce the required storage, backup time and network load. Incremental backups are therefore particularly well suited to environments with a high rate of data change. Starting with a full backup that serves as a baseline for any future backups is essential for the success of this incremental approach. In addition, database administrators should not only carry out recovery tests, but should also check the integrity of their backup sets regularly, in order to ensure that data is complete and can easily be restored.
3. Differential Backup: Differential backups retain and save all changes made since the last full backup, which means that they ultimately create larger backup sets than incremental backups, which only record changes made since the last backup of any kind.
Differential backups are the best option for organizations trying to find the right balance between backup size and recovery time. Since the latest differential backup contains all changes made after the last full backup, it enables a faster data recovery than incremental backups. Recovery from differential backups is also easier, because only two backup sets are required instead of potentially numerous sets of incremental backups.
Having a solid backup plan in place is key in guarding against data loss or damage as a result of a cyber attack—this much is clear. Should your organization fall prey to a malware or ransomware attack, backups allow you to restore data to their last backed-up version. Some organizations save their backups on external hard drives, others use cloud-based services such as Dropbox or Google Drive. However, in order to guarantee the security and recoverability of your data, we recommend that you have more than one solution in your backup plan.
First of all, it is important to establish the exact data requirements of your company. This includes identifying which critical data needs to be backed up regularly in order to support business continuity and determining the volume and the types data processed in your organization.
Start with a comprehensive discovery of critical data and ensure that this data is covered by your backup plan.
Next, you should select your backup strategy. Which data backup method you choose will depend first and foremost on your organization’s individual needs. For example, an online backup service could be the best option if your organization processes large quantities of data.
Once you have set up your backup processes, it is important to establish a secure storage location for your backups. If you use physical storage media, such as external hard drives, you should ensure that they are kept safe from water and fire damage, in order to prevent unforeseen catastrophes.
Regularly testing your backups is another key element of your strategy. Restore your backups in a test environment to check if all your data are accessible and intact. Repeat this test regularly to ensure that your backups can be relied upon in case of data loss.
Lastly, it is important to remember that your backup plan should evolve with your organization. Regular reviews and updates will ensure that your strategy is up to date and able to fulfill your changing data backup requirements. Follow these steps to create a solid and reliable backup strategy that will protect your critical business data.
Rubrik’s creative solutions have had a significant impact on the BaaS market. Our focus lies on automating and simplifying the backup and recovery process, making our approach accessible and easy to implement for organizations of all sizes. Rubrik’s technology is characterized by its speed and efficiency in managing large volumes of data, which shortens backup windows.
A key element of our portfolio is data security: we use the latest protocols and encryption methods to protect data from advanced modern cyber threats such as ransomware. Scalability ensures that our solutions can adapt to the growing, changing data requirements of any organization.
Furthermore, Rubrik can be integrated with a wide range of cloud platforms—such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure—allowing users to benefit from cloud computing with the peace of mind provided by reliable data backups.
We have established that a good backup solution can protect your organization from any number of disasters. Backup as a Service is a revolutionary strategy fit for our digital world, offering organizations an effective, subscription-based model for data backup and recovery. Cloud-based solutions take care of the heavy lifting of data management, which means that you do not need to invest in a lot of physical hardware and infrastructure.
BaaS is unique in that it provides automated, flexible data protection that can easily adapt to the dynamic requirements of modern IT environments. It also plays a key role in supporting business continuity by protecting organizations from damage caused by internal errors and external cyber threats.
Rubrik’s core offering is designed to effectively manage huge data volumes while maintaining high levels of security and reducing downtime. Organizations such as yours can trust in our solutions, knowing that they offer advanced, modern protection from cyber threats such as ransomware and that they are tailored to meet your exact individual requirements. So take that all-important first step toward better security—and let Rubrik be your shield.