Planning a backup strategy is very wise, although you will have to decide between image-based backups and file-based backups. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages and are useful in different situations, which is why you need to do your research to make informed decisions. 

File-Based Backup

This refers to the backup of a single file, multiple files or even all the files on your system. It does not include a backup of the OS and only includes the files. You will get to decide which files you want to back up and can choose to do it with only certain file types, or you can choose to back up a specific set of files for one department, like accounting files, for example. 

This method is simple and very straightforward, and you will just back up files as opposed to an entire system. You will have more control over what gets backed up and what you recover and will have the ability to customize. You will also enjoy less storage and faster backups. These advantages will help any business, although you have to be aware of the two disadvantages. Files are saved, but not the applications that created them, and file-based backups are limited in disaster recovery situations. 

Image-Based Backup

This method will allow you to back up all of the volumes on your server and will create a copy of your entire system. An image-based backup will back up your entire OS, including your applications, settings, configurations and executable programs. This method is more robust, which makes it larger. 

Advantages include the ability to restore a server in its entirety and the flexibility to restore individual files or the entire system. Additionally, you will enjoy faster recoveries, and image-based backups can save you time. 

Since you will be backing up everything, this method will take longer and will use more internet bandwidth when saving them to cloud storage. For this reason, backing up after business hours is recommended. It’s also more expensive to store because image-based backups take up more cloud storage space. Finally, if you only need to recover a file that has been accidentally deleted or corrupted, this method may be too much, and you won’t really need a full image-based backup for simple day-to-day recovery needs.

How to Choose the Best Method?

A file-based backup is recommended if you have a virtualized environment or to back up employee workstations. An image-based backup is recommended for servers with mission-critical data or for anything that would take a long time to configure. You can also try using both, as this would allow you to manage your storage costs while maximizing your ability to recover quickly. 

Conclusion

Want to learn more about server cloud backup options and cloud disaster recovery software? Point 2 Point Disaster Recovery Inc can provide you with more information.

We serve clients in the Toronto and Vancouver areas and will help you make informed decisions regarding the backup method that would be best for your needs! Call (514) 824-0213 today.

Posted in Image-Based Backup vs. File-Based Backup