A backup is only a backup if it can be restored when it counts. That is why your backup is not just set up, but monitored continuously and regularly tested to make sure it works.
A backup is the only insurance that really counts in an emergency, and yet often nobody checks whether it works until the day it is needed.
That is why an hourly backup doesn't automatically mean an RPO of one hour, only if it can actually be restored reliably when it counts.
Immutable storage that not even an administrator can delete, plus a copy with no network connection.
Separate domain, dedicated firewall, hardened hardware: the backup survives even a compromised domain admin.
Full or incremental, for virtual and physical servers as well as individual databases, with offsite replication to a second site.
Versioning that lets you go back weeks or months, not just to last night.
A reliable backup strategy follows the 3-2-1-1-0 rule of thumb: three copies of your data on two different media, one of them offsite and one immutable or offline, and zero untested restores. The following building blocks implement exactly that:
The foundation is suitable backup software, usually Veeam or Commvault. The backup runs automatically and captures the right systems at the right time, as a full or incremental backup. It fits cleanly into your existing infrastructure, whether virtual servers, physical systems or individual databases need to be backed up.
If a backup only sits at the same site as the original data, it doesn't protect you from an incident that hits both, such as a fire, a hardware failure or a ransomware attack. That is why your backups are additionally replicated to a second, physically separate site.
Modern ransomware deliberately targets backup systems as well in order to prevent recovery, and often a single small gap is enough. Two complementary controls help against this. With WORM storage (Write Once Read Many), the data is immutable for a defined period, so nobody can change or delete it, not even an administrator with full access. With an air gap, an additional copy is kept physically or logically separated from the network, offline or via a dedicated one-way connection, so an attacker cannot reach it over the network at all. Real protection, however, only comes when the systems themselves are hardened as well. If an attacker has made it to domain admin, the backup system still has to hold up, which is why it runs in its own domain separated from the production network, behind dedicated firewalls and on hardened hardware.
A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, not reliable protection. That is why restores are tested regularly, from individual files to complete systems, measuring how long a full restore actually takes. That way there are no surprises in an emergency, and your RTO isn't just on paper.
How long data has to be kept depends on the system and your requirements, often also for legal or industry-specific reasons. Retention periods and versioning therefore follow the grandfather-father-son principle, so you can go back to states from weeks or months ago, not just last night.
For backup, too, managed doesn't just mean set up, but continuously maintained. This includes:
Your backup jobs are monitored continuously. If a backup fails or completes only partially, this is usually known and fixed before you would notice it in an emergency.
Backup storage fills up over time, especially when data volumes grow or retention periods change. Utilization is therefore kept in view, and extensions are planned in good time, before space runs short and backups fail.
Because backup software is itself a popular target, it needs ongoing updates and security patches. Every update is checked beforehand so running backups are not put at risk.
When data is lost, every minute counts. That is why you can reach someone who already knows your environment directly through the support portal, by phone or by email.
The following two situations show what Managed Backup can look like in practice:
A company falls victim to a ransomware attack in which the attackers make it to domain admin and deliberately try to delete the backups as well. Because the backup system ran in its own hardened domain with a dedicated firewall and the backups were stored on WORM storage, they remained untouched. As a result, the environment could be restored from a clean state within a short time, without ransom and without permanent data loss.
Over the years, several backup solutions have grown up side by side, and nobody knows exactly what is backed up and what isn't. In this case, it starts with an honest inventory, and then the backups are consolidated into a single, transparent solution.
When data is lost, you don't want to explain how your environment is built first. Through the support portal, by phone or by email, you reach someone who knows your backup environment.
No company has the same requirements for retention, recovery time or budget. That is why your backup solution is built to fit your business, not from a standard template.
Where it makes sense, your backups are stored redundantly at sites in Switzerland and Germany, so that a single incident such as a hardware failure, a fire or a ransomware attack doesn't endanger your only copy.
A backup alone isn't enough, because it is only worth something if the restore works in an emergency. That is why this is checked regularly instead of relying on a green checkmark in the backup log.
You don't need your own backup system that you have to procure, size and extend as your data grows. The infrastructure is already in place and grows with your data.
Here, too, there are no flat-rate packages that give every system the same retention and recovery time, but a solution that fits your needs, with costs that follow from it.
Because every backup strategy is different, there is no off-the-shelf price list. Send a short note about what you need, and you'll receive a tailored proposal.