RPO and RTO
We agree with you how much data each system can afford to lose and how long it can be down. The backup design follows from that.
Security & Recovery
Business backup and disaster recovery planning
A backup you have never restored from is an assumption. We design business backups so at least one copy stays out of an attacker's reach, then test the disaster recovery plan with a real restore, so you know how long it takes to get back to work.
Tools & technology
backup-disaster-recovery
- Veeam Backup & Replication
- Proxmox Backup Server
- restic
- BorgBackup
- MinIO
- Synology
- Windows Server Backup
- rsync
6work areas
4deliverables
4steps
What is Backup & Disaster Recovery?
Business backup and disaster recovery is the combination of regular, protected backups and a written, tested plan for getting systems running again after a server failure or data loss. It is needed when backups sit on the same server they protect, nobody knows how many days the company would be down if the main server died, or ransomware news has raised doubts about the backups. PikoSystem agrees RPO and RTO for each system, designs a 3-2-1 scheme with an offsite and, where possible, immutable copy, deploys Veeam Backup & Replication, Proxmox Backup Server or restic, and sets up VM replication to a DR site where needed. The plan is proven with a real restore. You receive a backup policy, a disaster recovery plan with owners per scenario and a restore test report with actual recovery time.
When you need Backup & Disaster Recovery
- Our backups are stored on the same server they back up.
- We don't know how many days we'd be down if the main server died.
- Veeam reports errors every night and nobody looks at them.
- After hearing about a ransomware attack on another company, we started worrying about our backups.
What Backup & Disaster Recovery includes
3-2-1 design
Three copies of your data on two types of media, one offsite, and where possible one immutable or air-gapped copy.
Backup software
Veeam Backup & Replication, Proxmox Backup Server, or restic and BorgBackup for Linux servers, with encryption and scheduling.
Database backups
Consistent backups of MySQL, PostgreSQL and SQL Server using native tools, with transaction log backups where needed.
DR site
VM replication to a second site or data center, with documented failover and failback steps.
Scheduled restore tests
Regular test restores into an isolated environment, with the time and result of each test recorded.
What you get from Backup & Disaster Recovery
- A backup policy: what, how often, where and for how long
- A disaster recovery plan with owners and steps for each scenario
- A report on the first restore test with the actual recovery time
- Access to the backup console and failure alerts
Backup & Disaster Recovery: a practical guide
Veeam or Proxmox Backup Server?
The choice starts with your hypervisor. For VMware and Hyper-V, Veeam Backup & Replication is the common pick, and since version 12.2 it also supports Proxmox VE. Veeam Agent covers physical Windows and Linux servers, and a Hardened Linux Repository on XFS gives you immutable copies without special hardware.
If you run Proxmox, Proxmox Backup Server integrates natively, offers incremental backups with deduplication, and is open source and usable without a subscription. Linux hosts outside Proxmox can use proxmox-backup-client. License availability, local support and your team's experience matter as much as the feature list.
Cold, warm or hot disaster recovery site?
A cold DR site has space and hardware ready, and machines are restored from backup after an incident. It costs least and has the longest RTO. A warm site receives regular VM replication, so services return once replicas are powered on. A hot site serves traffic continuously and needs databases and applications designed to run across two sites.
Check two things before choosing. Daily data change rate sets the bandwidth needed between sites. And addressing: if the second site uses a different IP range, DNS, firewall rules and application settings must change during failover, and those steps belong in the written plan.
Business backup mistakes we see
Copying live database files produces backups that may never open. Backing up SQL Server or Exchange VMs without application-aware processing and VSS carries the same risk. Short retention is another trap: attackers often sit in a network for weeks before encrypting, and with only seven daily restore points every copy may already be compromised.
Firewall, switch and control panel configurations are routinely left out. An encryption key stored only on the backup server is lost with that server. And reverting a domain controller to an old snapshot the wrong way can cause USN rollback and break Active Directory replication.
What affects the cost of backup and a DR site?
Total data volume and daily change rate set storage size and bandwidth. RPO and RTO per system decide whether hourly backups are enough or replication is needed, and that choice has the largest effect on hardware and licensing.
Other factors: number of copies and retention length, the media used for offsite or immutable copies, whether a second site exists, the backup software's licensing model, usually per workload, and how many databases need consistent backups with their own native tools.
How Backup & Disaster Recovery works
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01
System inventory
We list and prioritise your systems and data with you and assess your current backups.
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02
Design and storage
We define the backup architecture, where each copy lives and how much storage is needed.
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03
Implementation
We install the backup software, configure jobs and take the first full backup.
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04
Restore test and handover
We run a real restore, record how long it takes and hand over the documentation.
Backup & Disaster Recovery: frequently asked questions
Does a small company need disaster recovery?
You don't necessarily need a full second site. For most small companies, an offsite copy and a written restore plan are enough. What matters is knowing in advance who restores what, in which order, and from where.
Where should offsite backups be kept?
Options include a server or NAS at another branch, S3-compatible cloud storage from a local provider, or a detached disk rotated on a schedule. The right choice depends on data volume, internet speed and confidentiality requirements.
Are our backups safe from ransomware?
If the backup server is joined to the domain or shares the admin password, probably not. Attackers usually go after backups before encrypting anything. Immutable copies, separate accounts and one offline copy reduce that risk.
Related searches
- backup services
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- DR site setup
- Veeam Backup setup
- business data backup
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Quote
Tell us what you need, we'll come back with a plan and a price
A few lines on where things stand and what you want is enough. An engineer calls you back, not a sales rep.
- 01We read your request and call if anything is unclear.
- 02If needed, we do a quick remote review or a site visit.
- 03You get a written proposal with scope, timeline and cost.