We regularly encounter businesses that are using offsite, remote, Internet based backup providers such as Mozy, iDrive, Dell DataSafe (which is Mozy, re-branded).  This is always a concern for us, as it gives a false sense of security that your data is protected.  If you read my previous post “Forget Backup, Think Recovery“, you’ll know where I’m coming from.  Having your data backed up is just the first step, what you’re really after is a Recovery plan.

I was reading some blog posts from another IT provider, and read a great article on how an attempt to restore data from Mozy turned into a complete nightmare.  You can read the full post here (it really is worth reading in entirety).   In short, it took 11 days before the data was available to start the restore process.  There was still more time involved in the actual restore process – they  had to rebuild their Active Directory and Exchange databases from scratch.  Could you imagine your business being down for 2 weeks straight?  This particular customer was without email, files, without a network essentially.  Insane.

The best way we’ve found to properly include Recovery in your Disaster Recovery Plan is to have the ability to use your backup system as a stand-by or fail-over server.  You can’t afford to wait days for data to be downloaded or shipped and then finally restored.  Having the recovery capability built into your backup system means you can be up in running in minutes, not days.  For many businesses this is a must, not a ‘would be nice to have’.

I know that Mozy is cheap.  They have plans for as low as $4.95/month for unlimited storage.  But you have to ask:  “Am I going to trust one of my most important assets to a company based purely on what’s the cheapest?”  Would you go to the cheapest dentist you could find?  Or go hire a lawyer or accountant based on the fact that his/her hourly rate is the lowest?  You’d probably try to get a referal, and talk to some of their other clients, and look for the best value, and most importantly work with somebody you can trust.  Don’t get me wrong, these services have their place, it’s just that  Mozy is probably better suited in the home environment, where you can afford to wait for a restore.

Affordability is key, I get that, but when the ‘stuff’ hits the fan, and your business is at risk, you need to be able to rely on your Recovery system.  I’m sure that it was the longest 11 days the owner of that business ever faced, wondering if all their data is even going to show up, let alone be restored.

If you’d like to get a  Backup and Disaster Recovery audit, where we actually put your systems to the test, please Contact Us. Don’t wait until you’re down – a little bit of planning today, will save your business tomorrow.   Hope is not a strategy.

PS – I’ve got to give thanks to the author of the blog post I referenced (no author listed).   It’s easy to blog about your successes, but the sharing of his nightmare will hopefully serve as a valuable reminder on how critical it is to have a full Recovery plan.  It also highlights the importance of testing your Recovery system on a regular basis.