Itmendo

Insights · Backup · 6 min read

Backups that actually restore

A green tick in the backup console tells you that data was copied somewhere. It does not tell you whether you can get it back, how long that takes, or whether the copy is complete.

Three ways backups quietly fail

Scope drift. The backup was configured two years ago. Since then the company added a new shared drive, a second Microsoft 365 tenant and a cloud database. None of them are in the job.

Same blast radius. The backup lives on a NAS in the same office, joined to the same domain, reachable with the same admin password. Ransomware that encrypts the file server encrypts the backup too.

Untested restores. Nobody has ever restored a whole server. When it is needed, the team discovers that the restore takes three days over the office internet connection.

The 3-2-1 rule, updated

Keep at least three copies of important data, on two different types of storage, with one copy off-site. Today we add two more conditions:

  • at least one copy is immutable — it cannot be changed or deleted for a set period, even by an administrator;
  • restores are tested on a schedule, and the results are written down.

A restore-testing routine for small companies

You do not need a disaster-recovery department. A quarterly routine like this one catches almost every problem:

  1. Pick three items at random: one file, one mailbox folder and one full system or database.
  2. Restore them to a separate location, never over the original.
  3. Open what you restored. A document should open, a database should start, a mailbox should show recent mail.
  4. Measure the time from "we need it" to "it works". Compare it with how long the business can be without that system.
  5. Write a short note with the date, what was tested, how long it took and what went wrong.
If the restore of your most important system takes longer than the business can wait, that is the finding — not a reason to skip the test.

What to back up that people forget

  • Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data. The provider keeps the service running; protecting your data against deletion or ransomware is your responsibility.
  • Configuration: firewall settings, DNS zones, cloud infrastructure definitions.
  • Password vaults and the recovery keys for disk encryption.
  • SaaS tools with business data, such as CRM or accounting systems that offer exports.

Where we can help

Restore testing is part of every managed IT plan. If you need off-site, immutable storage for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, servers or laptops, have a look at Itmendo Cloud Backup.