Step 3: Ensuring a Successful Backup took place
Now that we have invested the time to create a proper backup strategy, with 3 copies of our data on our extended network or physical media, how do we determine this process takes place each night?
The idea behind automating this type of process is that your IT team can create it and move on. Most people do not have the time to verify these processes on a regular basis. A simple network account password change can render the most carefully scripted logic useless.
The worst time to find out a backup script has been failing (for weeks, months?) is in an emergency when a recovery is required.
This is where the monitoring services of a company such as System Lifeline come into play.
Here the solution is simple. Remember the “Company Storage” server we now have in place on the network? This storage server now has a directory structure that mimics the server names on the network (with a directory for each server).
System Lifeline can now be engaged to set up monitors on this server, watching the contents of each directory for changes.
For example, if the MS SQL database backup files are being backed up nightly, the System Lifeline monitoring service can throw an alert to the 24-hour monitoring staff if the backup file(s) in the MS SQL server directory on your Company Storage server have not been updated in a 24 hour period. Now a potentially disastrous scenario can be rectified before the next backup cycle takes place.
Backup Monitor Process