Even the most secure Linux systems are still at risk of data loss. When it comes to critical elements of your organization, you can’t leave everything to chance by operating without secure backups. Backing up your Linux servers protects your business from these risks and serves as an additional safeguard if all else fails.
The secure backup method depends on the Linux Server Backup type. This guide provides Managed Services Providers (MSPs) and IT administrators with five key tips for running successful Linux backup and restores operations.
How to create a backup file and restore a Linux server?
The Linux backup and restore process is time-consuming, but it is a necessary and very vital part of protecting business continuity and keeping your MSP fully secure. For those who want to make this essential process as robust as possible, these five tips will help you better understand how to achieve Linux backup and restore. Alternatively, a dedicated backup tool can consolidate all these steps in an efficient and hassle-free way.
1. 3-2-1 Rule
The vast majority of admins are aware of the 3-2-1 rule that establishes the ideal amount of backups and where they are stored. The 3-2-1 rule states that you must maintain at least three copies of your data, including two backup copies on different storage media and one copy at an offsite location. Companies that enforce this rule rarely have viable backups in the event of a system failure. The 3-2-1 rule is an essential part of protecting your Linux backup.
2. Stacker Backup
Don’t fall into the trap of setting all your backups to start at a specific time. This can flood the network with backup traffic. As a result, backups can time out or run forever and remain incomplete. Calculate the amount of time each backup takes and then stagger them accordingly to set them to start at different times to avoid flooding the network. Not all servers need to be backed up overnight. Some servers may go quiet in the evening when employees log out of the corporate network, perhaps as early as 5 pm.
3. Document your backup policy
Documentation can be a daunting process, but it’s important to remember that you’re not working in a vacuum. Maybe one day you’ll have to teach someone how to manage your backups. If you change jobs, take long sick leave, or take long vacations, it’s important to have another team member manage your backups according to standardized policies.
Document your strategy, the steps you take to manage your Linux backups and perform restores as needed, and where you store your data. Be as thorough and specific as possible. The documentation should allow someone who has no knowledge of your process to run a standard backup on your behalf.
4. Check Backup
This tip may seem obvious, but an astonishing number of admins run backups, verify that the backups are running, and then fail to verify that the backups themselves serve their purpose. A simple way to verify a backup is to put a file with a recognizable name such as “backup_verify.txt” on the file system. Whether you do it manually or automate the process, take this file from a backup and make sure you can restore it to a known location.
Simplify the process with the right server backup software
Backups can be frustrating, but secure backups save a lot of time and help ensure business continuity in the long run. Managing Linux Windows Server Backup Software and restoring the jobs can be challenging, but with the right backup software, the process is much easier and less time-consuming. SolarWinds Backup is a versatile data protection product designed to help you in selecting and prioritizing the data and assets which you want to protect, all are managed from a single dashboard.
SolarWinds Backup lets you back up physical and virtual servers, workstations, business documents, Microsoft 365 Exchange, OneDrive, and SharePoint. You can also restore from a bare-metal image in minutes. It provides complete protection, including full system or file and folder level recovery and physical-to-virtual recovery.
This restore software is easy to use, accessible via the web and provides advanced security for your backups. For maximum security, the software encrypts data at rest and in transit using global certified data centers, regional data storage, AES 256-bit encryption and utilizes end-to-end encryption. If you are looking for backup and restore software that will help you simplify your strategy and relieve the stress of managing your backups, then SolarWinds Backup is the place for you. Start today with a 30-day free trial.
