Backup and Recovery Strategy

When you are planning a backup and recovery strategy, you need to consider the following factors:

• Database availability

  What is the database availability requirement for business operations? Is it required for 7X24X365 availability or only during standard business hours? You can adopt different database backup methods and frequencies according to the availability requirement.

• Data loss tolerance

  How much data can you afford to lose due to a database crash? Can you afford to lose one day or one week’s worth of data in the event of a database crash? Can you re-enter user data if there is a database failure? If your database cannot tolerate data loss due to failure, then a good data protection backup method needs to be adopted.

• Recovery time

  How much time can you afford to spend recovering a database in the event of a crash? Different backup methods have different recovery times. Physical methods for backup and recovery are much faster than logical backups, and backups to disk are much faster than to tape. Recovery is also much faster from disk than from tape.

• Technical skills

  What are the technical skills of your database or systems administrator? Some backup methods require more database knowledge than others.

• Hardware or software investment

  How much hardware or software investment do you want to put into to the system? Some advanced features, such as high availability, require more of an investment in hardware and software. You can determine the safest backup method for your environment based on database requirements, database running mode, and your recovery scenario. However, the final decisions about the backup and recovery strategy you use is beyond the scope of this document.