Pros and Cons On-site Backup and Cloud Backup

Every organization has crucial data that it cannot afford to lose. As more information passes through cloud business networks and data center environments, data security is becoming more critical than ever for organizations who need to be able to respond to disruptions within minutes of an outage. 

Organizations need to have backups in place to ensure the security of their data and prevent data loss. Generally, the main objective of data backups is have a copy of data that can be recovered should a failure occur.

Failures are usually a result of software or hardware crashes, accidental deletion of data, malicious attacks, and data corruption. Moreover, backups domore than storing files, it also provides an organization with business continuity by keeping operations running. More often than not, these data backups are performed either on-site or on the cloud, depending on the requirements and preferences of the business.

Why On-Premise Backups?

On-premise data backup involves the storage of backup data files locally on hard drives and servers at your organization’s offices. The process of on-premise backup is often considered safe since it is easy to execute, readily accessible, and requires low latency in the distribution of information over network avenues. 

Perhaps the most significant upsides to on-premise backups are that it does not require users to have an internet connection to access information. Although the majority of organizations depend on the internet to conduct business, there is always a fear that the loss of connection could harm the validity of the backup. In addition, on-premise backups may be less vulnerable to third parties attackes, thus, providing, what may be considered a more secure solution. 

On the flip side, choosing on-premise backups may be costly, especially since it may require extra IT support to maintain servers. Along with the initial maintenance costs, on-premise backups may also need a more significant capital investment as the organization itself will have to buy the hardware required to perform the backups. 

Why Cloud Backups?

On the other hand, cloud backups help reduce the responsibilities of your IT staff. As your data will be managed in the cloud, your IT staff will no longer have to take the time to install new software patches or updates or maintain the hardware, therefore, enabling them to concentrate on other strategic tasks. 

Cloud backups are also well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses since it does not need on-site hardware or capital expenses. They are scalable and the pay as you need model will provide organizations the ability to pay for what they need. 

However, cloud backups may have a few drawbacks. Unlike on-premise backups, data storage on the cloud may also be limited due to costs and the need for adequate bandwidth.

Conclusion

The loss of critical data can happen to any business. This is why it is important for organizations to come up with a robust backup strategy that aligns with service-level demands to prevent long downtimes.

Part of having a strong backup strategy plan is understanding the key differences between each cloud and on-premise backup solutions. While every solution has a it’s advantages, it does not come without some disadvantages. Organizations must consider their needs as the primary indicator in selecting the best backup and data recovery option for their business and in some cases it may be a combination of both on-premise and cloud solutions.

Contact one of our MicroAge locations to learn more about the right backup strategy and solutions for your business needs!