How to Test Your Business Backups (Before You Need Them)

Most businesses have some kind of backup. Fewer have tested whether they can actually get their data back. A backup that has never been restored is a guess, not a plan. The time to find out it's incomplete, out of date or unreadable is during a calm test, not after a failed drive or a ransomware attack.

Here's how to test your business backups in a practical way.

Know what you're protecting

Start with a list of the data and systems your business can't run without. For many small businesses, that includes:

• Accounting and payroll data
• Customer records and contact lists
• Shared files and documents
• Email
• Line-of-business applications and their databases
• Website files, if you host them yourself

For each item, note where it lives: a local computer, a server, a network storage device or a cloud service.

Check what's actually being backed up

Next, compare that list to your backup system. It's common to find gaps:

• A database that isn't included because it's stored in an unusual folder
• A computer that was added after the backup was set up
• Cloud data that you assumed the service backs up for you

Many cloud services keep your data available but don't necessarily protect you from accidental deletion or ransomware. Review each service's retention and recovery options, and consider a separate backup for critical cloud data.

Follow the basic rules of good backups

A widely used guideline is the 3-2-1 approach:

• Keep three copies of important data.
• Store them on at least two different types of storage.
• Keep at least one copy offsite or in the cloud.

Also, keep at least one copy that ransomware can't easily reach, such as an offline or immutable backup.

Run a simple restore test

A restore test doesn't have to be complicated. Start small:

1. Restore a single file. Pick a recent document and restore it to a different location. Open it and confirm it's the right version.
2. Restore a folder. Choose a shared folder and restore it to a test location. Check that files open and permissions make sense.
3. Restore an application's data. If you can, restore your accounting or line-of-business database to a test machine and confirm the application can read it.
4. Test a full system recovery. For critical servers or computers, test a full system restore to spare hardware or a virtual machine.

Time each step. Knowing how long recovery takes is just as important as knowing it works.

Measure two numbers

When you test, write down:

• How much data you could lose: the time between your most recent backup and the moment of failure. If backups run nightly, you could lose up to a day of work.
• How long recovery takes: from the start of the restore to people being back at work.

If either number is more than your business can handle, adjust your backup schedule or recovery plan.

Document the plan

Write down how to restore your critical systems, step by step. Include:

• Where the backups are and how to access them
• Who has the passwords or keys needed to restore
• The order to restore systems in
• Who to call for help

Store a copy of this document somewhere you can reach it if your main systems are down.

Test on a schedule

Backups change as your business changes. Set a regular testing schedule, such as quarterly file and folder restores and an annual full system recovery test. Test again after any major change, like a new server, new software or a move to a cloud service.

Watch the backup reports

Most backup systems send success and failure reports. Make sure someone reads them. A backup that's been failing quietly for weeks is one of the most common surprises during a recovery.

Don't forget laptops and remote staff

Backups often cover the office server but miss the laptops people take home. If staff save files to their desktops or work from home, make sure those devices are included, or move their files to a backed-up cloud location. Test a restore from at least one laptop as part of your schedule.

Get help with backups and recovery

Computer Service Now helps businesses set up, monitor and test their backups. Learn more about our data backup and recovery services and managed IT services, then request a quote to review your backup plan.