A backup that has never been tested is not a backup. It is hope.
We make sure your data is in more than one place, that restores are actually tried out regularly and that you know in advance how long you will be down if something goes wrong. Agreed, tested and on paper.
What backup and recovery means
Taking a backup is the easy part. What counts is that after a failed server, a ransomware attack or an accidentally deleted folder, you know how long it takes before you can work again, and how much work you would have to redo in the worst case.
In practice: together we decide per system how much data loss is acceptable and how quickly it has to be running again, we keep at least one copy that cannot be changed or deleted, we test restores to a fixed schedule and we write a recovery plan that someone other than us can follow too.
Three copies, two types of storage, one out of reach
Not a statistic, but a rule that has been the basis of a good backup for years. That way one incident never hits all your copies at once.
Three copies of your data
Your working data and at least two backups. If one copy is lost, there are still two.
On two types of storage
For example a local backup server and cloud storage. A fault or error in one system does not affect the other.
One copy outside your building
Encrypted and, where the platform allows it, immutable: during the retention period nobody can change or delete it, not even with stolen admin rights.
Recovery time in plain language
Two questions decide what your backup should look like. We answer them together, per system, before anything goes wrong.
How much work can you afford to lose?
That is called the RPO. If your accounts are backed up every four hours, in the worst case you lose the last four hours of work. For one system a day is acceptable, for another it is not.
How long can you be down?
That is called the RTO: the time until a system is running again. Your ERP or till system needs something different from the archive of five years ago.
What we agree, we test
A recovery time on paper only means something once it is met in a test. If it is not, we adjust the setup and test again.
What our backup and recovery covers
Everything your business needs to work, stored more than once and demonstrably restorable.
Servers & virtual machines
Files & shared folders
Microsoft 365
Databases & packages
Off-site copy
Recovery plan
From report to working again
A server that no longer starts, a deleted folder or an encrypted drive. This is how recovery goes from the moment something goes wrong.
Which systems come back first and who decides on your side is set out in the recovery plan in advance. In the moment, nobody has to work that out any more.
- 1Report
You call, or the monitoring raises the alarm
We see a failed backup or a server dropping out in our monitoring. If you notice first, report it to the service desk, or outside office hours on the emergency line.
- 2Assess
We establish what is affected and what comes first
Which systems and data are involved, which backup is the right one and what the recovery plan says must come back first. With ransomware we choose a copy from before the attack.
- 3Restore
Restoring, from one file to a full server
We restore a deleted folder as it was at a given moment. If a server fails, the latest backup can run temporarily as a virtual machine while the hardware is looked at.
- 4Check
Checking together that everything works
One of your colleagues tests the restored application before we close. Recovery is only done once work can really carry on.
- 5Afterwards
A short report, and a better setup
What happened, what we restored and how long it took. Where it can be faster or safer, we adjust the setup.
Tested, not just configured
A backup is only worth something if you can actually restore from it. That is why we schedule restore tests and you get a report of each one.
How it is set up
The details below are for IT managers and technical decision-makers. If that is not you, feel free to skip this.
Where the platform supports it, the off-site copy is immutable: during the retention period nobody can change or delete it, not even with stolen admin rights. The backup environment is managed with separate accounts and MFA, apart from your regular admin accounts.
Mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint sites and Teams are backed up to a fixed schedule to storage that is separate from your Microsoft tenant. Restores are possible at every level, from one email or file to a full mailbox or site.
Servers and virtual machines are backed up image-based, so we can restore both individual files and a complete machine. A local copy gives fast recovery, the off-site copy recovery after fire, theft or ransomware.
Backup jobs are checked every working day for errors and duration, and we follow up a failed backup the same day. We include new systems and folders as soon as they are in use, and review storage space and retention periods monthly.
We restore individual files and emails as a monthly spot check, and a critical system in full at least once a year. Every test gets a written report. The recovery plan describes the order of recovery, the dependencies between systems and who is notified when.
Three questions, two minutes, and a first picture of where your IT stands today.
Questions we get
Microsoft makes sure the service stays available, but only keeps deleted items for a limited time. In case of an error or an attack, files can be overwritten too. A separate backup of Microsoft 365 is therefore advisable.
We restore individual files and emails every month as a spot check. We run a full restore test of a critical system at least once a year, with a written report.
Yes. We first look at what is being backed up now and whether restores work. What is good, we keep, and what is missing we add, without any moment without a backup.
The local copy stays with you, the off-site copy is encrypted in a data centre we choose together with you. Where your data is and who has access to it is set out in your recovery plan.
It is a recurring service based on the amount of data and the number of systems and users. We discuss the price once we have agreed the recovery times together, because they determine the setup.
Let us look at how quickly you would be back today.
We go through your current backups and tell you honestly what would happen if you had to restore tomorrow.