lesson 12 A+ core 2

what is Data backup?

Data backup is a system maintenance task that enables you to store copies of critical data for safekeeping.

what does backup protect against?

Backup protects against loss of data due to disasters such as file corruption or hardware failure.

what iis Data recovery?

Data recovery is a task that enables you to restore user access to lost or corrupt data via the backup.

what will most large organizations implement ?

Most large organizations will implement a structured backup scheme that includes a backup schedule and specifications for which files are backed up, where the backup is stored, and how it can be recovered.

When a computer is connected to a network, what is bad practice for a user to store?

When a computer is connected to a network, it is bad practice for a user to store data locally (on the client PC's fixed disks).

what can Network home folders and the use of scripts to copy data , help users with?

Network home folders and the use of scripts to copy data can help users transfer data to a file server, where it can be backed up safely.

who are Personal backups good for?

Personal backups are necessary for home users or on workgroups, where no central file server is available. In this scenario, the backup software supplied with Windows is serviceable.

what two things will Most home users use for back up?

Most home users will back up to external hard drives or use some sort of cloud-based storage

In Windows, how are user data backup options implemented ?

In Windows, user data backup options are implemented via the File History feature, which is accessed through Settings Update & Security Backup.

what can you configure a local drive or network folder as ?

You can configure a local drive or network folder as the target for storing backup files.

can you choose what to exclude from the backup?

You can choose which folders and files to include or exclude from the backup job plus a schedule for running the job.

what two things can you use to restore a file or folder?

If you need to restore a file or folder, you can either use the Previous Versions tab in the object's Properties dialog box or use the File History applet to restore multiple files

what is an alternative to back up manager?

The Backup and Restore Center control panel tool provides an alternative backup manager.

apart from backs ups of files what can you use Backup and Restore Center control panel tool for?

It can also be used to make image backups of the entire operating system, rather than just data file backups.

what is an alternative to backing up data?

Using OneDrive, through syncing, is another alternative for backing up data.

what must be carefully planned when considering a file server or database server?

When considering a file server or database server, the execution and frequency of backups must be carefully planned and guided by policies.

what does each back up job record?

Each backup job records data as it was at a certain point in time.

as each back up jobs takes a lot of space, what do you need to combat that issue?

As each backup job might take up a lot of space and there is never limitless storage capacity, there must be some system to minimize the amount of data occupying backup storage media while still giving adequate coverage of the required recovery window.

what two factors govern back up operations?

Two main factors govern backup operations:

• Frequency

• Data retention

what is frequency in back up?

Frequency is the period between backup jobs.

what does The frequency configuration mean?

The frequency configuration reflects how much lost work can be tolerated.

example of frequency configuration?

For example, if employees can recall and input the previous day’s work on document files, a daily backup will meet the requirement.

If the edits are much more difficult to reconstruct, what may the backup frequency need?

If the edits are much more difficult to reconstruct, the backup frequency might need to be measured in hours, minutes, or seconds.

what is data retention in back up?

Data retention is the period that any given backup job is kept for.

what is short term retention? what two things is it important for?

Short-term retention is important for version control and for recovering from malware infection.

example of short term retention?

• Consider the scenario where a backup is made on Monday, a file is infected with a virus on Tuesday, and when that file is backed up later on Tuesday, the copy made on Monday is overwritten.

• This means that there is no good means of restoring the uninfected file.

in the long term, what may data need to be stored to meet/comply with?

In the long term, data may need to be stored to meet legal requirements or to comply with company policies or industry standards.

what may regulations require from backed up data?

Conversely, regulations might require that data not be kept for longer than necessary.

what must the requirements for backup frequency and retention be managed against ?

The requirements for backup frequency and retention must be managed against the capacity of the backup media and the time it takes to complete a backup job.

what is used to manage the backup frequency and retention requirements?

These requirements are managed by using different types of jobs in a backup chain.

what are the three main types of backups?

The main types of backups are full only, full with incremental, and full with differential:

• "Full only"

• "Full with incremental"

• "Full with differential backup"

what is full only back up?

"Full only" means that the backup job produces a file that contains all the data from the source.

what does full back up require?

This means that the backup file is nominally the same size as the source, though it can be reduced via compression

what does the full backup have the highest requirements of ?

A full backup has the highest storage and time requirements but has the least recovery complexity as only a single file is required.

what is full with incremental back up?

"Full with incremental" means that the chain starts with a full backup and then runs incremental jobs that select only new files and files modified since the previous job.

what does the incremental backup have the lowest of?

An incremental job has the lowest time and storage requirement.

why does incremental back up have the most recovery complexity ?

However, this type of chain has the most recovery complexity as it can involve two or more jobs, each of which might be stored on different media.

what is "Full with differential backup?

"Full with differential backup" means that the chain starts with a full backup and then runs differential jobs that select new files and files modified since the original full job

what are time and storage requirements like for A differential chain? and what is the recovery complexity like for differential back up?

A differential chain has moderate time and storage requirements and slightly less recovery complexity than incremental as it requires a maximum of two jobs (the full backup plus the differential job).

what is the full back up type data selection like?

All selected data regardless of when it was previously backed up

what is the back up job time and storage requirement like for a full back up type?

it is high

what is the recovery like for full back up type?

Low (single job)

what is the archive attribute for full back up?

Cleared

what is the incremental back up type data selection like?

New files and files modified since last backup job

what is the back up job time and storage requirement like for a incremental back up type?

low

what is the recovery like for incremental back up type?

High (multiple jobs)

what is the archive attribute for incremental back up?

Cleared

what is the differential back up type data selection like?

New files and files modified since last full backup job

what is the back up job time and storage requirement like for a differential back up type?

moderate

what is the Recovery Complexity like for a differential back up type?

Moderate (two jobs)

what is the archive attribute for differential back up?

not cleared

what does Windows use to determine the backup status? and does linux support this?

Windows uses an archive attribute to determine the backup status. Linux doesn't support a file archive attribute.

what does linux use to determine the backup status?

Instead, a date stamp is used to determine whether the file has changed.

what can most software do in terms of back up?

Most software can also do copy backups.

how are copy backups made?

These are made outside the chain system (ad hoc) and do not affect the archive attribute.

what is a A synthetic full backup?

A synthetic full backup is similar to a Full backup, but instead of scanning the system again to create the full backup, the system will use the original full backup and then add in the data from the incremental backups to create a new full up-to-date backup

is A synthetic full backup quick and does it require much storage?

This backup type is typically quicker to create and requires less storage, but if any of the incremental backups are corrupted, the synthetic full backup will be affected.

is restoring data from synthetic full back up quicker than doing it from a full backup and incremental back up?

Restoring data from a synthetic full backup is quicker than restoring from incremental backups, but might take longer than restoring from a full backup.

why is it longer to recover data backup from full back up compared to restoring data from synthetic full back up

This is because the backup software needs to assemble the synthetic full backup from its components before the data can be restored.

what does a backup rotation scheme do?

A backup rotation scheme allows some media to be reused once the retention period of the job stored on it has expired.

what is Rotation most closely associated with?

Rotation is most closely associated with the use of tape media but can be applied to disk devices too.

what is the most widely used backup rotation schemes?

There are many backup rotation schemes, but the most widely used is grandfather-father-son (GFS.)

what does the GFS scheme label backups as?

The GFS scheme labels the backup tapes in generations.

what do son tapes do?

Son tapes store the most recent data and have the shortest retention period (one week, for example).

what are grandfather tapes?

Grandfather tapes are the oldest and have the longest retention period (one year, for example).

Assuming a single tape has sufficient capacity for each job and no weekend backups, how would a GFS scheme be implemented ?

Assuming a single tape has sufficient capacity for each job and no weekend backups, a GFS scheme could be implemented as follows:

1. A full backup is performed each week on Friday night to one of the tapes marked "Father." As some months will have five Fridays, this requires five tapes labeled and dedicated to the father role.

2. Incremental Backups are made each day to a tape marked "Son," using whatever frequency is required (every 15 minutes or every hour, for instance). The five son tapes are reused each week in the same order.

3. A full backup is performed at the end of the last working day of the month on a tape marked "Grandfather." Twelve grandfather tapes are required.

4. The father tapes are then reused for the next month in the same order, and the cycle continues. At the end of the year, the first grandfather tape is overwritten.

how can a longer version-control window could be achieved?

A longer version-control window could be achieved by doubling the number of son tapes and reusing them on a bi-weekly schedule. Note that the father tapes could use synthetic backups.

what is On site backup storage?

On site backup storage means that the production system and backup media are in the same location.

how can an onsite back up help if a disaster strikes the facility?

This means that if a disaster strikes the facility, there is the risk of losing both the production and backup copies of the data

what is a media rotation scheme?

A media rotation scheme such as GFS means that at least some of the backup media can be taken for storage off site once the backup job has run.

example of a media rotation scheme?

For example, in the GFS scheme outlined above, four of the father tapes could be kept off site at any one time

can grandfather tapes be kept off site?

Grandfather tapes can all routinely be kept off site with only one needing to be brought on site at the time of the backup job.

is Transporting media off site an onerous task?

Transporting media off site is an onerous task, however.

what have High-bandwidth Internet and high-capacity cloud storage providers made easy in terms of back up?

High-bandwidth Internet and high-capacity cloud storage providers have made off-site backup solutions more affordable and easier to implement.

does cloud back up come with risks?

While cloud backup is convenient, there are still substantial risks from the failure of the cloud provider.

what is it essential to do in addition to cloud backups?

It is prudent to perform local backups in addition to cloud backups.

what is the The 3-2-1 backup rule?

The 3-2-1 backup rule is a best-practice maxim that you can apply to your backup procedures to verify that you are implementing a solution that can mitigate the widest possible range of disaster scenarios.

how many copies does the 3-2-1 backup rule state you should have?

The 3-2-1 backup rule- It states that you should have three copies of your data (including the production copy), across two media types, with one copy held offline and off site.

what should you do when you design a backup scheme?

When you design a backup scheme, test it to make sure it's reliable.

3 ways to test a backup?

To test the backup:

• Try restoring some of the backed-up data into a test directory, making sure you don't overwrite any data when doing so. Alternatively, use a virtual machine to test recovery procedures without affecting the production host.

• Configure the backup software to verify after it is written. Most backup software can use hashing to verify that each job is a valid copy of the source data. It is also important to verify media integrity regularly, such as by running chkdsk on hard drives used for backup.

• Verify that the backup contains all the required files.

how can you use a test directory to test a back up?

Try restoring some of the backed-up data into a test directory, making sure you don't overwrite any data when doing so.

how can you use a virtual machine to test a back up?

Alternatively, use a virtual machine to test recovery procedures without affecting the production host.

what can you do to a backup to verify it after it is written?

Configure the backup software to verify after it is written

what can most backup software use to verify that each job is a valid copy of the source data?

Most backup software can use hashing to verify that each job is a valid copy of the source data

give an example of how you can verify media integrity regularly such as on a hard drive?

It is also important to verify media integrity regularly, such as by running chkdsk on hard drives used for backup

what do you need to verify that the backup contains?

Verify that the backup contains all the required files.

what should you do whenever there is a change to a back up?

You should re-test recovery procedures whenever there is a change to the backup schedule or requirements.

how often should you perform routine checks on back ups?

It is also best practice to perform routine tests periodically - every week or every month, depending on criticality.

what two things does frequent testing mitigates risks from?

Frequent testing mitigates risks from media failure and configuration oversights.

when performing a recovery, what two types of recovery can you choose between?

When performing a recovery, you can choose to either perform an in-place (overwrite) recovery or recover to an alternate location.

what is an in-place recovery ?

An in-place recovery restores the data to the original system and location which overwrites the current system.

when will An in-place recovery be used?

An in-place recovery - This method is commonly used when recovering from minor issues such as a corrupted file.

what does An in-place recovery require while the restoration process takes place?

An in-place recovery - This method will most likely require downtime while the restoration process takes place.

what does Restoring to an alternate location do to the data?

Restoring to an alternate location restores the data to a different computer or even to an off-site cloud environment.

when will Restoring to an alternate location method be preferred?

If the data loss was due to a catastrophic hardware failure or major cyberattack leaving the original hardware inaccessible, this method is preferred.

does Restoring to an alternate location require a lot of planning?

This method does require more planning but can lead to reduced disruption of business operations if the backup system is ready to go and the data can be quickly restored.

what is Regulated data?

Regulated data is information that must be collected, processed, and stored in compliance with federal and/or state legislation.

If a company processes regulated data collected from customers who reside in different countries, what must it comply with?

If a company processes regulated data collected from customers who reside in different countries, it must comply with the relevant legislation for each country.

what is a breach when it comes to data?

A breach is where confidential or regulated data is read, copied, modified, or deleted without authorization.

what two ways can a data breach come in?

Data breaches can be accidental or intentional and malicious.