7 Parameters to Choose the Right Cloud Backup Solution

Cloud solutions have gained exponential momentum in the past few years. The attractive features of cloud solutions, like low cost, more reliability, and scalability, make them a perfect choice for all enterprises. Whether it is cloud storage or cloud computing, every service of the cloud benefits several industries.

Cloud Backup solution is one such service that organizations rely upon heavily.

However, when selecting a cloud backup solution, it’s crucial to consider several key factors to ensure your data is protected, accessible, and secure.

Here’s an in-depth look at the 7 measures to help you make an informed decision:

1. Storage Capacity

Data drives business and gives strategic insights. But we can use data only if we have a proper and sufficient storage capacity. (Learn more about Cloud Storage here.) So before choosing a cloud service, make sure your provider offers you the following features:

Sufficient storage

The space in your cloud should be enough to meet your business requirements. Make sure you have storage that meets both your current and future needs.

Scalable plans

As the business grows, the resource requirements also increase. Also, there are times when the resource requirements are low during low business seasons. Hence, your cloud provider should have scalable plans to accommodate growing data.

Flexible storage options

Data is stored at different levels, and that is why your cloud must offer flexible storage options like file-level, image-level, and block-level.

2. Data Security

Everyone knows the importance of data in today’s cyber world. Hence, data security has become a supreme concern for businesses. 2023 saw a 72% increase in data breaches since 2021, which held the previous all-time record (Source). These figures are alarming as they reflect the vulnerability of your data. But you do not have to worry. Some methods can enhance your data security. All you have to do is ensure your cloud backup provider offers you the following:

End-to-end encryption

This is necessary so that, no intruder can intercept the data between source and destination. AES 256-bit, used by the US government to store its nuclear codes, is considered to be the best in the encryption domain. You can look up this one or other similar encryptions. Your cloud backup services should also support private keys, also called SSH keys. Learn about SSH commands here.

Secure data centers with robust access controls

One thing you must research is whether your cloud provider has a tie-up with a secure data center or not. Your cloud provider will be able to offer you secure services only if the data center is safe and secure.

Compliance certifications

Many a time, the cloud provider does not have industry-specific compliance certifications like GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, etc. Make sure that your cloud backup provider has the right compliance certificate that is essential for your industry. This will save you and your data from unnecessary legal issues.

3. Backup Frequency

Once you have made sure that your cloud data backup provider is both safe and has enough storage, the next thing you have to look at is the backup frequency at which the data is stored. This is important so that even if your backup is not done for a particular period, you are safe with the last backup. This minimizes the loss of data. Let’s see what the points are you need to keep in mind when you compare backup solutions based on backup frequency:

Automated backups at regular intervals

There’s no need to explain why automated backup is important. They help get data stored without human intervention, leaving no space for human error. Cloud service providers offer different regular intervals on which the data is stored. You have to research for your business how crucial data is for you. If you think that the data of every single day is significant for your business, you must look for cloud service providers that offer daily backups of data. This means the degree of importance of your data makes the work important.

Customizable scheduling to fit your needs

At times, you might need a daily backup, while sometimes you may not require it and may rather go for a weekly or monthly data backup. As the prices for these services vary with the time intervals, it is important to know in advance if your cloud services provider offers customizable scheduling to fit your needs or not.

Real-time backup options for critical data

No matter which cloud data backup solution you choose for businesses, make sure it offers real-time backup options for critical data so that you never lose out on any important data.

4. Data Recovery

So now that you have tackled the backup frequency, it is time to brainstorm data recovery options. A reliable cloud backup solution should offer the following:

Quick and easy data restoration

See, it’s not just about the data backup. Data recovery goes hand in hand. There is no point in backing up data if we do not have an efficient mechanism to restore it. So always go for the cloud service that offers you quick and easy data restoration, along with data backup.

Granular recovery options

As we require data backup at various levels, like the file or the folder level, consider the options that allow you to do data restoration at this granular level. This helps you retrieve all the data in the same structure.

Zebyte Cloud offers the most reliable and secure disaster recovery solutions. Click here to learn more about our disaster recovery services and click here to learn about the role of AI and ML in disaster recovery.

5. User Interface

An intuitive interface simplifies management. Therefore, while comparing the cloud backup solutions, you may take the following pointers:

Easy setup and configuration

Would you like to opt for software that applies thermodynamics and quantum physics to operate?

I am not sure about you, but I cannot handle such software even for a second!

If you are on my side, do not forget to compare the setup and configuration of various cloud backup services. This might get a bit technical, but a little knowledge in the beginning can save you from dealing with technical issues later.

Mobile access and alerts

Over 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices, and 92.3% of internet users access the internet using a mobile phone. (Source) When such a large number of people are available on the mobile, then, why should the management be done alone, on laptops and computers? Look for the options that can offer you mobile access and alerts. This helps in the easy management that saves time and effort.

6. Cost

You may find many cloud service providers that may give you cheap services. However, not everyone gives reliable services, which in the long run may prove to be more expensive. So while evaluating costs, do not consider only the price but think about even the following points:

Transparent pricing models

Pricing models must be transparent, as many cloud service providers do not explicitly talk about hidden charges. Before signing the deal, ensure you read all the terms and conditions carefully and understand all the technical terms thoroughly.

Value-added services

When you find the price of the cloud service is a little higher, look for similar options that may provide data analytics tools, security tools, or other value-added services in the same price range. This not only, helps you save on costs but also keeps you updated with advanced tools.

Discounts for long-term commitments or volume

Some research in the market can help you fetch discounts. Several cloud service providers offer discounts. If you do not get a discount, you may ask them directly based on your long-term commitment.

7. Integration

Now that you are all set to make your backup in the cloud, it is important to verify the compatibility of your new cloud backup solution.

Nothing may work out if it is incompatible with existing systems and applications. There might also be a case where it might not work well with various operating systems and devices. So the crux is to get a technical checkup to see how well the new cloud backup solution integrates with your organization.

If you are using any other cloud services or on-premises infrastructure to get the backup, perform the integration check with the tool to utilize all services efficiently.

Comparing Different Types of Cloud Backup on These Measures

In our previous blog, we discussed cloud backup solutions and their types in detail. (You can read it here) Based on those types, we would compare them to the above measures. But before that, let’s have a quick recap of the various types of cloud backup solutions.

1. Full Cloud Backup: A complete backup of all data, applications, and systems to the cloud.
2. Incremental Cloud Backup: Backs up only the changes made since the last backup.
3. Differential Cloud Backup: Backs up all changes since the last full backup.
4. Mirror Cloud Backup: This creates a replica of the source data in the cloud.

Now have a look at the following table that compares the different cloud backup solutions:

Final Words

So this was it!

We tried to keep you updated about the factors that can help you get the best cloud data backup solution for your business.

By carefully evaluating these 7 measures, you’ll be able to select a cloud backup solution tailored to your specific needs, ensuring your data remains secure, accessible, and protected.

You may also read Zebyte Cloud Backup Solutions which performs the best on all these factors.

Read our blogs here to learn more about our cloud services here.

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