Optimize Backup Operations with a Recovery Services Plan

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Few organizations are wholly confident in their approach to backup and recovery. While many feel assured that backups are taking place, they are less sure that they will be able to recover the data they need from those backups.
Many organizations are assuming unnecessary risk by not investing in their backup solution. It often takes the occurrence of a significant disaster before an organization realizes its backup is worth the money, but by then it's too late.

Our Advice

Critical Insight

Organizations approach backup from the wrong direction. The emphasis should be on recovery rather than backup. This slight shift in posture can not only lead to a better backup and recovery solution but can help to better convince stakeholders the value of the work the backup team does.
Data loss is rarely the result of a natural disaster and more frequently caused by human error. Nevertheless, organizations build their backup solution around the former and, as a result, do not have a solution that fits actual need.
A focus on procedures and processes is a more significant driver of backup success than technology. Focusing efforts on requirements gathering, planning, and documentation is a more effective, cost-efficient path to backup success.

Impact and Result

Better protect your organization's valuable data with an approach to backup that is based on actual need, rather than a brute force solution that is driven by the backup window.
Identify where to spend and where to save by matching recovery objectives to the value of your data.
Create SLAs and SOPs that transform backup into recovery services, clarifying for users their shared responsibilities in ensuring recoverability and improving service offerings.

Optimize Backup Operations with a Recovery Services Plan Research & Tools

1. Determine backup and recovery objectives

Determine requirements and strategize a best-fit backup and recovery solution.

2. Evaluate the impact of technology on backup procedures

Assess recovery capabilities with a gap analysis.

3. Document standard operating procedures for backup and recovery

Ensure clear guidelines and ensure the recoverability of backed up data.

Workshop: Optimize Backup Operations with a Recovery Services Plan

Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.

Module 1: Communicate the Value of Backup Optimization

The Purpose

Identification of backup and recovery challenges faced by most organizations
Identification of resources that require backup and recovery services
Identification of issues in the present backup and recovery workflows

Key Benefits Achieved

Defined value of backup and recovery that justifies expenditures
More developed sense of what is at risk with a mis-provisioned backup environment
Strategies for communicating the value of backup and recovery to stakeholders

Activities

Outputs

1.1

Inventory critical systems and data that are being backed up

List of data assets

1.2

Map current backup procedures

Risk assessment

1.3

Determine what’s at stake with a risk matrix

Module 2: Determine Recovery Requirements

The Purpose

Determine recovery requirements

Key Benefits Achieved

Development of recovery requirements for core data sets
A better understanding of the value of a tiered approach to backup
A plan for tiered backups that better aligns costs and required quality of service

Activities

Outputs

2.1

Identify mission critical business activities

Documented list of core business activities and related systems

2.2

Identify critical applications that support business activities

List of system dependencies

2.3

Identify dependencies

Documented recovery service tiers

2.4

Rank recovery needs of core applications and determine service tiers

Module 3: Evaluate the Impact of Technology on Backup Procedures

The Purpose

Determine how technology will affect backup operations

Key Benefits Achieved

Assessment of capabilities and shortcomings of the present backup solution
A developed sense of how storage and backup technology can be used to enhance recovery capabilities
Avoid domain disputes by clearly assigning ownership of backup and recovery roles

Activities

Outputs

3.1

Assess recovery capabilities with a gap analysis

Recovery capabilities gap analysis

3.2

Build a backup schedule from the RPO up

RPO-driven backup schedule

3.3

Assess risk and reward of data being protected

Documentation of domain ownership

3.4

Clarify ownership of backup tasks

Risk and reward assessment for backed up data

Module 4: Turn Backup into Recovery Services with SLAs and SOPs

The Purpose

Create service level agreements and standard operating procedures that optimize recovery service capabilities

Key Benefits Achieved

A strategy to better communicate the value of backup and recovery to stakeholders and users
A standardized approach to backup and recovery that can help improve confidence in the solution
An agreement that outlines end user’s role in ensuring recoverability

Activities

Outputs

4.1

Document the present service level agreement for data recovery

Backup and recovery SOPs

4.2

Plan the recovery response workflow

Recovery SLAs
Recovery response workflow

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Table of Contents

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Call 1: Communicate the value of backup optimization

The value of backup is often misunderstood when it comes time to set the budget. Understand the value of optimization and communicate its worth effectively to your stakeholders.
Call 2: Determine recovery requirements

Backup operations are driven by your recovery requirements—not the backup window. Determine your organization’s real recovery needs and set meaningful recovery point objectives (RPOs) and recovery time objectives (RTOs).
Call 3: Evaluate the impact of technology on backup operations

Discuss and analyze where your present approach to backup may be coming up short. Discuss ways in which different backup and recovery technologies can help you achieve your goals, and where they may mean adjustments are necessary.
Call 4: Provide recovery assurance with SLAs and SOPs

Treat backup and recovery as a service you provide to your users. Clearly communicate everyone’s role and responsibility in making sure backups are effective, and lay out clear processes to ensure that your approach can get the job done.