Skip to main content
SearchEnquiry basket

Resilience

Backups that have actually been restored

Backup design, offsite replication, recovery testing and documented recovery procedures.

Discuss this serviceRequest a quotation

The problem

Almost every organisation has backups. A much smaller number have restored from them recently, and a smaller number still know how long a full recovery would take. The gap between having a backup and having a recovery capability is where the damage happens.

How we approach it

We start from the recovery requirement rather than the backup schedule: how much data can this business afford to lose, and how long can it be without this system? Those two answers determine the design, and they are business decisions rather than technical ones.

We then build to meet them, document the recovery procedure, and test it — including a restore that someone other than the person who built it can perform.

What you get

  • Recovery point and recovery time objectives agreed per system
  • Backup design built to meet those objectives, not a default schedule
  • Offsite and immutable copies protecting against ransomware
  • Microsoft 365 data backed up, which the platform does not do for you
  • Documented recovery procedures anyone qualified can follow
  • Scheduled restore testing with results reported

How the engagement runs

The sequence, and why each stage comes where it does.

  1. Requirement setting

    Recovery point and recovery time objectives agreed per system with the business, not assumed by IT.

  2. Current state review

    Existing backup coverage, retention, offsite copies and any untested assumptions.

  3. Design

    Backup topology, retention, immutability and offsite replication designed against the agreed objectives.

  4. Implementation

    Backup infrastructure deployed and initial seeding completed.

  5. Recovery documentation

    Written recovery procedures for each system, in enough detail to be followed under pressure.

  6. Restore testing

    Scheduled tests with documented results, performed by someone who did not build the system.

Technology we work with

Named so you can check the fit against your existing estate.

  • Veeam
  • Azure Backup
  • Microsoft 365 Backup
  • Azure Site Recovery
  • Immutable object storage

Frequently asked questions

Does Microsoft back up our Microsoft 365 data?
Not in the way most organisations assume. Microsoft protects the service and provides limited retention and recycle bin recovery, but it is explicitly your responsibility to protect your data against accidental deletion, malicious action or a retention gap. A third-party backup is a genuine requirement, not an upsell.
How often should restores be tested?
At least annually for a full recovery scenario, and quarterly for file-level restores. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption. The first restore should not happen during an incident.

Talk to us about backup & disaster recovery

Tell us where you are now and what you are trying to reach. We will scope it honestly, including whether this is the engagement you actually need.

Start a conversationRequest a quotation