Most of our customers already deploy local and remote (Internet) backup. We also recommend an additional element to the backup strategy – a package designed to allow quicker recovery time in the event of total server failure or catastrophic loss. The very latest technologies used in this product include live system imaging, ‘restore anywhere’ technology, virtualisation, and bare metal recovery.

• How is this package different to our current tape back up system?
• How does this package work?
• How can you check the package is working properly?
• Can we abandon tape back up now? Does this package replace our local back up?
• We would rather not spend the money. Are we at risk with our current tape back up system?
  

How is this package different to our current tape back up system?

Local tape backup keeps copies of all your critical data, the Windows system state, and (capacity allowing), all your other documents and settings. However, in the event of total server loss, a new server would need to be built, and have Windows reinstalled before the data could be recovered into it. In some circumstances this would lead to a one or two days downtime while the appropriate environment was reconstructed. Our first aim in such a situation would be to give the business prompt visibility of your critical data. However, other systems, such as your email system, shared documents, profiles, and other secondary systems, may take much longer to rebuild. Using the system recovery software in this package, we would be able to restore the entire system within hours.

How does this package work?

The product is based around a NAS (network attached storage) device and specialist system imaging and recovery software. This software runs daily, and keeps multiple images of your entire server on the network attached storage device. These images can be used to rapidly rebuild an entire server onto any new or replacement hardware.

How can you check the package is working properly?

Dental IT Limited has made a considerable investment in management software for this product, which allows us to view the status of the backups across the Internet. Customers on our support contracts, who also pay for our monitoring services, will have the recovery software monitored as well, at no extra charge.

Can we abandon tape back up now? Does this package replace our local back up?

No, you cannot stop changing tapes – the local tape backup is still a vital part of the overall strategy. It ensures that there is an off-site element to your backup strategy, streams data onto removable media that are not part of the network, and therefore not vulnerable to system downtime, virus threat or accidental damage, or Internet connectivity downtime. Furthermore, the tape backup strategy ensures that an element of responsibility for the backups remains with the dental practice.

We would rather not spend the money. Are we at risk with our current tape back up system?

No, you are not at risk. The package we are recommending further improves the backup solution, especially as regards the RTO (Recovery Time Objective). In the event of catastrophic downtime, entire system recovery would be much quicker. However, if you have a full Dental IT Ltd installed server and backup solution, your current system will protect you from data loss.