How is infrastructure investment sized?
By two numbers: acceptable data loss (RPO) and acceptable downtime (RTO). A backup or replication product bought before those targets are set per system will be either more expensive or weaker than the requirement. We detail the design logic in our [backup and continuity guide](/en/blog/enterprise-infrastructure-guide).
What we do
- Workload inventory and per-system RPO/RTO definition
- Server, storage and virtualisation design with a capacity plan
- Backup architecture including 3-2-1 and an immutable or offline copy
- Disaster recovery scenario and drill plan
- Monitoring, alerting and capacity reporting
- Authorisation model, administrator action logging and retention policy
A snapshot is not a backup
A virtualisation snapshot sits on the same storage and is lost with it in a storage failure or an encryption attack. We use snapshots only for fast rollback, build backup as a separate layer, and keep at least one copy immutable or offline.
An untested backup does not count
Three restore tests are part of the delivery: a file-level restore, a database restore into a separate environment where it actually opens, and a full scenario drill with the primary system shut down. Until the duration of that third test is measured and written down, the RTO is an assumption.
Relationship with the network
Branch connectivity, backup links and traffic prioritisation are part of the continuity plan; we cover them on the [enterprise network solutions](/en/solutions/enterprise-network) page.
Frequently asked questions
Do we still need backups in the cloud?
Yes. The provider covers infrastructure continuity; accidental deletion, a faulty bulk update or an account takeover usually falls on your side of the shared responsibility model.
On-premise or cloud?
Compare over five years, including subscription increases, server refresh, backup, uninterruptible power, administrator time and disaster recovery. A single-year comparison is misleading.
What is the most effective measure against ransomware?
A copy the attacker cannot reach: an immutable or offline backup. Online backups are the first target.