A backup you've never restored isn't really a backup

Ask a business whether its website and systems are backed up and the answer is nearly always yes. Ask when someone last restored from those backups and the room tends to go quiet. A backup is only worth something if you can get your data back from it, quickly, on a bad day.

Why backups fail when you need them

• The backup job stopped running months ago and nobody noticed.
• It backs up the files but not the database, or the other way round.
• The backup sits on the same server as the thing it's protecting, so one failure takes out both.
• The backup exists, but nobody knows how to restore it, or how long it would take.

What a dependable setup looks like

It doesn't need to be complicated. A few habits cover most of the risk.

• Back up everything that matters, every day: files, databases and settings.
• Keep a copy somewhere else, away from the main server.
• Keep several days of history, so a mistake you notice on Friday can still be undone from Tuesday.
• Watch the backups, so a failed job gets noticed the same day.
• Restore from them on a schedule, to prove they work.

Test the restore, not just the backup

The last point is the one most often skipped, and the one that matters most. A test restore tells you three things: that the backup is complete, that someone knows how to bring it back, and how long it takes. That last figure is worth knowing before the day you need it.

Who should own this?

Backups are the kind of chore that falls between chairs: everyone assumes someone else is watching them. Whether it's a member of your team or a hosting partner, make it somebody's named responsibility, and ask them when they last tested a restore.

If you're not sure what state your backups are in, we can review your setup and tell you plainly what's covered, what isn't and what to fix first.