Best Practices for Server Backups
Question
Joe, a systems administrator, is setting up a risk management plan for the IT department.
Part of the plan is to take daily backups of all servers.
The server backups will be saved locally to NAS.
Which of the following can Joe do to ensure the backups will work if needed?
Answers
Explanations
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A. B. C. D. E.D.
As a systems administrator, Joe is responsible for ensuring that the IT department has a risk management plan in place that includes regular backups of all servers. Backups are essential to ensure that in case of any disaster, data can be restored and business continuity can be maintained. In order to ensure that the backups will work if needed, Joe can take the following steps:
A. Frequently restore the servers from backup files and test them: This is an effective way to ensure that the backups are working as expected. Joe can restore a backup of a server on a test system and verify that everything is working as expected. This will help identify any issues with the backup process or backup files, and ensure that the data can be restored in case of any disaster.
B. Configure the backups to restore to virtual machines for quick recovery: Restoring to virtual machines can help in quick recovery of the data in case of a disaster. Joe can set up the backup process to create virtual machine images of the servers and store them on the NAS. This will help in quickly restoring the data to a new virtual machine in case of any disaster.
C. Set up scripts that automatically rerun failed backup jobs: Backup jobs may fail due to various reasons like network issues, storage issues, or software glitches. Joe can set up scripts that will automatically rerun failed backup jobs to ensure that all backups are completed successfully.
D. Set up alerts to let administrators know when backups fail: It is important to ensure that all backups are completed successfully. Joe can set up alerts to notify the administrators when backups fail so that corrective action can be taken immediately.
E. Store copies of the backups off-site in a secure datacenter: It is always recommended to store copies of the backups off-site to ensure that data can be restored in case of any disaster that affects the primary site. Joe can store copies of the backups in a secure datacenter that is physically separate from the primary site. This will ensure that the data can be restored even if the primary site is affected by a disaster.
In summary, Joe can ensure that the backups will work if needed by frequently testing restored backups, configuring backups to restore to virtual machines, setting up scripts to automatically rerun failed backup jobs, setting up alerts to notify administrators when backups fail, and storing copies of the backups off-site in a secure datacenter.
