In today’s digital age, data is the lifeblood of businesses. Protecting and ensuring the availability of this data is crucial for the success and continuity of any organization. Many organizations like yours are already utilizing Veeam, but are you using it to its fullest potential?
Step One: Are you utilizing the features already built into the software you own?
Network Extension Appliance (NEA)
The Veeam Network Extension Appliance, a part of your Veeam license, facilitates effortless access to your disaster recovery (DR) location. This appliance cleverly makes DR servers appear as though they are on the production network. It is easy to configure, deploy, and use, allowing you to set it up and then rest easy, knowing your DR strategy is sound.
See more about the NEA here: https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backup/cloud/cloud_network_extension_appliance.html?ver=120
SureBackup
SureBackup is a service from Veeam that creates isolated virtual environments where backup or replicated VMs can be started and tested without affecting the production environment.
SureBackup streamlines the testing process, allowing your team to quickly and easily assess the recoverability of VMs and applications without the complexity of setting up separate testing environments.
Learn more about SureBackup here: https://bp.veeam.com/vbr/2_Design_Structures/D_Veeam_Components/D_SureBackup/SureBackup.html
Linux Hardened Repositories
A Linux Hardened Repository is purpose-built to provide businesses with a secure and trusted immutable backup solution for their backup data, ensuring that their data is safe and reliably recoverable when disaster strikes.
This solution is built with hardened security and compliance in mind, guaranteeing the immutability of all your data and safeguarding it from any unauthorized changes or removal. This is especially significant for organizations handling sensitive information such as financial records and personally identifiable data.
Learn how to set up your Linux Hardened Repositories here:
Step 2: Are you doing Disaster Recovery?
Veeam Disaster Recovery as a Service with Cloud Connect
Veeam Cloud Connect seamlessly enables customers to easily leverage disaster recovery as a service. This approach empowers IT departments to capitalize on the benefits of a multi-cloud architecture while retaining direct communication and a close working relationship with the DRaaS provider.
By shifting the responsibility of disaster recovery to a trusted service provider like Managecast, businesses can focus on core operations while ensuring the safety of their data. This flexibility allows IT departments to configure and consume the service to suit their unique needs.
Resource: https://www.managecast.com/veeam/
Your secondary Data Center shouldn’t contain secondary equipment!
Most backup Data Centers (DCs) are comprised of hand-me-down older equipment that is close to, or out of warranty when the primary DC is refreshed. On the surface, this approach is inexpensive, until warranty, software licensing, cooling, electrical, and human capital costs are calculated.
And when this equipment is needed, will the performance be enough? Think about three years ago and the changes that have happened since… The average age of DC servers/storage is at least 6+ years!
Run Books – Do you have one? If so, how up-to-date is it?
A Run Book is a document that outlines the steps involved in recovering from a disaster. It is a critical part of any DR plan, as it provides clear instructions for IT staff on how to restore systems and data in the event of an outage.
Ensuring you have a current Run Book is vital for an effective DR plan. An up-to-date Run Book is essential for several reasons:
- Ensuring that IT staff are aware of the steps involved in recovery and can take action quickly and efficiently.
- Reducing the amount of time and resources needed to recover from a disaster.
- Minimizing the financial and reputational damage caused by a disaster.
- Improving communication and coordination between IT staff and other stakeholders.
- Reducing the risk of human error during a recovery event.
- Ensuring that your organization complies with regulatory requirements.
Have you ever experienced (DR) Test Anxiety?
Sure, you studied and re-reviewed the course material, but you’re just not confident with the test you’re about to take. We’ve all been there, and let’s face it, sometimes we choke. Whether we overthink things, are ill-prepared, or the test is harder than we anticipated – we sometimes don’t do well.
The time for test anxiety need not be present during a DR event. Too many people are depending on you and your team to enable them to do their jobs.
Managecast helps you test with confidence, not anxiety. When you subscribe to our Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), the environment is available to you 7x24x365 to test your DR readiness. And when you know that it works as advertised you and your team will have the confidence to use it should the need present itself.
Step Three: Review other products in your stack that may need protection
Microsoft 365 Backup
Microsoft provides a wide array of powerful services within Microsoft 365, but a comprehensive backup of your Microsoft 365 data is not one of them. Remember, it’s your data – you control it – and it is your responsibility to protect it.
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 ensures the comprehensive protection of your Microsoft 365 data, including emails, files, calendars, contacts, tasks, SharePoint sites, and OneDrive files. This all-inclusive coverage guarantees that no critical data is left vulnerable to loss, accidental deletion, or security breaches.
AWS Backup
Amazon Web Services (AWS) provides a robust cloud platform for you to create and deploy apps without the burden of maintaining your own infrastructure. However, as referenced by the AWS Shared Responsibility Model, your apps and data remain your responsibility to secure and protect.
Veeam delivers native, fully automated AWS backup and disaster recovery to effortlessly protect and manage Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and Amazon Relational Database Services (Amazon RDS) data.
Azure Backup
Microsoft Azure provides a reliable cloud computing platform for you to build, test, and deploy applications without the financial burdens and time commitments of maintaining your own infrastructure. However, as referenced by the Microsoft Shared Responsibility model, it’s still your data and it’s still your responsibility to protect it.
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Azure delivers enterprise‑ready Azure backup and recovery to cost‑effectively and securely protect your cloud data and easily overcome ANY data loss in minutes! With turnkey deployment directly through the Azure Marketplace and a simple, wizard‑driven UI, you can start protecting your applications and data with a comprehensive Azure backup solution.
Salesforce Backup
Salesforce is one of the most utilized CRMs (Customer Relationship Management) in the world because of its advanced account and contact management, customization options, and third-party app integrations. While these options can be essential to the growth of a business, the complexities can lead to issues, including data loss.
Veeam Backup for Salesforce eliminates the risk of losing your data and metadata due to human error, integration issues, or other Salesforce data loss scenarios.
Conclusion
Data protection is a multifaceted endeavor, and Veeam provides a suite of tools to address the various needs of modern businesses. By fully utilizing these resources, you’re not only safeguarding your organization’s vital data but also securing its future in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Use the power of Veeam to its fullest potential to ensure your data remains safe and secure.
