RAID Backups

A simple method that can be introduced to a dedicated server to increase the security of the data that you are hosting is RAID 1; this is a hard drive configuration that requires two physical disks, with the idea being that when you store data to one hard drive, it is automatically mirrored on the second hard drive so that if one of the pair fails, you can still run your server off the drive that is still available and you won’t lose any data. Failure of an entire RAID array is a very rare occurrence which is why we recommend this solution for anyone looking for a dedicated server that can offer data integrity; this is something that will need to be chosen during the order process because RAID can’t be integrated into your ESDS dedicated server once it has been provisioned.

Off-site Backups

A second line of defense is necessary to ensure that if your server does suffer data loss, you can still retrieve a copy of your data that can then be used to rebuild your dedicated server once it is bought back online. There are a number of ways in which you can create copies of the data that you wish to backup; more often than not it is only the data that you are hosting along with any specific configurations files that you should backup using such methods because these are the easiest to package and transfer automatically. If you were to create an image of an entire server and then copy this over to a backup site using methods such as SCP or FTP then this could take a long time.

Application Backup

There are many applications that you may be using as part of your day-to-day activities that can offer backup facilities, which can minimize the amount of work, that you have to do to keep your data safe. For example, web hosting control panels such as cPanel and Plesk can provide you with the facilities necessary to backup the web hosting accounts contained on your dedicated server to a remote location in just a few clicks. Such facilities can be a life saver as a web hosting provider because they allow for quick hosting account restoration if your server fails.

R1Soft Backup

ESDS offers R1Soft Backup as an option with our range of dedicated servers for the ultimate in data protection for business continuity. R1Soft is able to take a backup of your entire dedicated server by reading the disk at the lowest level possible; because the application is bypassing the operating system as a whole, it is able to detect individual vectors and back these up as necessary. When compared to traditional methods of backup that have to read every individual file on a server, R1Soft is able to achieve a lot more in a shorter period of time and without placing a high load on your dedicated server. Other benefits of choosing R1Soft for your backup needs include:

• You are able to configure your own data retention policies so that you can choose how long your backups are stored for – it is recommended that you take backups daily, but if the data stored on your servers is mission critical then more frequent backups (i.e. every hour or half-hour) can be setup
• R1Soft is designed to industry standards and can cope with backing up around 64TB of data from a single hard disk, meaning that it will be more than capable of keeping up with your data backup requirements
• A web interface is provided so that you can manage your backups and download files to restore from any of the backup points that match your retention policies.

ESDS believes that it is important to encourage our customers to take regular backups of their data so that if they do encounter hardware failure or data loss at any point, they will be able to recover their data so that their website can be bought back online in no time at all. If you are unsure about which backup system will be the most appropriate for you, then please contact the ESDS sales team as they can shed light on the best possible solution for your needs.