If you are in search of the right backup solution for your business and weighing your options between hosting the backups yourself versus using a SaaS-type solution for your backups also known as “Backup as a Solution” (BaaS) then you have come to the right place. We will discuss what options there are and what the differences are for your company. If you are unsure about the 3-2-1 Rule for backups then I highly suggest you read this blog. This is a great starting point to understanding the terminology that is critical to your backup plan’s success. If you ever get stuck, Secure Packet is here to help with our IT Consulting services. The first call is always free so no need to worry!
Next, I would suggest having a great understanding of the restore point objective and restore time objective since these are critical parts when deciding if a Backup as a service solution is right for you or possibly if you require a hybrid type solution. You can read more about RTO vs RPO here.
What is a Backup as a Service?
Once you understand what it takes to create a backup plan for your business’ IT environment, you can now evaluate what type of product you should use to fill those needs and if you want to use a backup as a service or not. There are a few different types of BaaS offerings out there and it depends on which kind of service you are looking for when defining Backup as a Service. Whether the provider is offering just storage space, a full environment for you to manage, or a full white glove offering, all the options still require you to understand the pros and cons of each and if there are any shortcomings you need to make up for.
Storage Space as a Service
It is not usually referred to as storage space as a service but the term fits here. This would be a storage offering that your backup software can connect to that would provide you with a remote location to back up your data to. This can be object storage, raw type storage with an OS where you manage it, block storage, or custom storage that is built only for your backup software of choice.
One example of a custom-built storage offering is the Veeam Cloud Connect. This is where Cloud providers or some sort of Managed Service Provider (MSP) will provide Cloud Connect storage that is only used by Veeam’s backup software offerings. It simplifies your deployment, any configuration, maintenance, etc. of the remote storage system since the MSP will be providing all of that under the Cloud Connect storage offering you are purchasing. Depending on your budget and technical know-how, this could be a great solution for your small or medium business.
A SaaS like Backup as a Service solution
Another offering type is a full white glove approach by a Managed Service Provider where they will purchase or contract for your software licensing, the MSP will install and configure the software, and also provide an on-site and off-site backup storage solution. With the reference to on-site storage, some MSPs will offer on-site storage while other MSPs will shy away from providing hardware onsite for the customer. It really depends on their business model. This is where the RTO and RPO that were mentioned earlier come into play. If you decide for someone to take control of all of your backups, you will need to ask how long will it take to restore ALL of your data. You have to be clear here since if you only have the off-site backup storage solution, then your data will only move as fast as your internet connection will allow. With most small and even medium businesses only having a 100 Mbps or 1Gbps connection, if you have a lot of data stored then it could take days or even weeks to restore your data from an offsite location. This is a critical risk decision that should not be taken lightly. This is where the whole backup plan needs to be evaluated with business risks and the overall business plan. Most software as a service backup solution providers will not inform you of these risks.
Is a Software as a Service Backup Service Solution right for me?
This is something that depends on a lot of factors. The people that opt for the option that is not the service-based route are either people who do not have the budget and have some technical abilities or it is a higher-end medium to enterprise size business that has a full IT team that can provide the maintenance, knowledge, and correct setup for the business needs.
If you value your time or if your IT team has already too much on their plate with security, compliance, and company-requested projects being put on the back burner then BaaS is a great service to offload as long as you fully research and trust the vendor. Most vendors who perform these backups will use enterprise-grade software like Veeam or Zerto and have techs who are fully trained and certified to use them. If you decide that on-site backups are a must along with off-site backups then selecting the right vendor to oversee both is critical since you do not want to split the responsibility of your backup software. Also, when evaluating your backup vendor, you must ensure that they meet all of your security, compliance, and encryption needs. Without encryption and the right certifications, they should be removed from your list immediately.
At a bare minimum, an offsite backup solution for less IT-dependent companies is a must. You can read more about why you need off-site backups here.
Most small and medium businesses will usually perform a hybrid approach depending on who they select as their backup service provider. At Secure Packet, we internally utilize a hybrid approach where we handle the software licensing, the onsite storage server, the configuration and maintenance of all systems, and daily, weekly, and monthly checks. We currently use a Cloud Connect vendor for our offsite backups to ensure there is no connection to our sites at all to help provide that extra layer of redundancy that we prefer. This isn’t the 100% right way for everyone, but evaluating our business disaster recovery needs, business continuity needs, and our client’s needs turned out to be the perfect solution for Secure Packet. Secure Packet can replicate our backup solution fo your company or provide a completely customized one to fit your business’s unique needs.
If you need help determining what backup solution is right for your company and how to ensure you are meeting all regulatory and compliance needs, reach out to Secure Packet today at [email protected] and we will craft the perfect solution for you.
Looking for some help and guidance on what the next step is for your disaster recovery plan? Secure Packet engineers are standing by to help. Schedule a free call today to ensure you are covered. We provide Backup and DR solutions while also providing consulting-only offerings as well to ensure you have someone reviewing your vendors to ensure they will be able to meet your business’s needs.