3-2-1 Backup Rule for Data Safety
Here you will find out:
- importance of backup
- backup 3-2-1 rule
- when DiskInternals can help you
Are you ready? Let's read!
Why do you need a backup on a VM?
Backing up has saved a lot of people when their computers or hard drives suddenly crashed.
Of course, when it comes to backing up one physical disk, there will be no problems. But when you deal with virtual environments, it will be a little more complicated, since there may even be several thousand virtual machines. In this case, you cannot do without effective backup tools. Remember the 3-2-1 backup rule and you will be able to handle VMs with ease.
Backup amounts
3 2 1 backup strategy suggests that having one copy of the data is very small, especially if stored on a medium of the same type and in the same room as the primary data. Thus, the 321 backup rule is based on the fact that you need at least three copies of your data. Namely, the primary data and two backup copies of these data. In this case, you will not be afraid of any sudden external events (fire, theft, inattentive or dissatisfied employee, ordinary vandalism, etc.).
Where should you keep backups?
The 3-2-1 backup rule also helps you determine where it is best to back up data to minimize the risk of data loss.
1. For your peace of mind, you should keep two backups on different devices. As you know, any information storage device will break down eventually. This could be due to physical or logical damage, or it might just be the end of life for this device. Thus, two drives of the same type have a much greater risk of simultaneous failure than two drives of different types. In this case, the 3-2-1 backup rule says that, if you store your data on an internal hard drive, then the backups must be on a different type of media. It can be an optical drive, external hard drive, cloud storage, etc. Another great option that you can use is a NAS, which you can connect directly to your network and use to store relevant data in a redundant format. Even if your infrastructure crashes, NAS devices work and remain accessible for data extraction, regardless of the rest of the infrastructure to which they are connected.
2. Also, the 3 2 1 backup plan recommends storing at least one backup copy off-site; for example, in remote storage or in the cloud. Remote storage refers to storage in another city, country, or even continent. This will help you save data in some large-scale disasters.
So, to review:
- Storing one backup copy offsite significantly improves overall data security.
- Keeping another backup in place enables quick recovery in the event of failure.
What else do you need for VM safety?
For the safety of data on explosives, you also need a tool for recovering VMware data, restoring VMFS, reading, and restoring VMDK files. DiskInternals VMFS Recovery is such a tool - it has earned the trust of IT and forensic experts for 15 years due to its unsurpassed results. This utility automatically checks the current state storages of VMFS data, volumes, disks, RAID (if used), and reads VMDK images, as well as VMFS structures, where possible and subsequently restores the maximum possible amount of data.
Before you begin, check out the step-by-step guide for using DiskInternals VMFS Recovery:
1. First, download and install this application on your computer. Now you can start the recovery process.
2. Connect using SSH if necessary.
3. Open the drive (local drive or SSH).
4. Scan it and find the necessary VMDK files.
5. Mount the VMDK file.
6. Open this file and use the preview function to verify data integrity.
7. The last and most important step is to acquire a license and export data to another storage medium.