Backup
A backup is a copy of your website or software files and database, taken at regular intervals and stored somewhere separate. When a server fails, a bug corrupts data or the site is attacked, the system is restored from that copy. A backup that has never been test-restored does not really count.
What is a website backup?
A backup is a copy of your data kept apart from the live system. For a website, two things are backed up: the files (code, uploaded images, documents) and the database (orders, members, content). Backups run automatically on a schedule.
Here is an everyday case. An update on your online store breaks the product prices, or the server's disk fails. With last night's backup, the site goes back to that point and you lose a few hours of data at most. If the backup sat on the same server, it is gone with the disk. With no backup at all, orders, members and content cannot be rebuilt.
How should it be done?
A common yardstick is the 3-2-1 rule: three copies of the data, on two different kinds of storage, with at least one off-site. In practice, ask: how often is a backup taken, how many days are kept, is it stored away from the server, and when was a restore last tested? The last question matters most. You only find out a backup is broken when you need it.
Backups contain customer data too, so they should be encrypted and access kept tight. Setting up backups and testing restores is part of our maintenance and support service. We also cover it in website maintenance.
Frequently asked questions
Is my hosting company's backup enough?
Not always. Ask where it is stored, how many days are kept and who performs a restore. If the hosting account closes, access to those backups may close with it.
How often should I back up?
It depends on how often the data changes. A store taking orders every day needs at least a daily database backup. A corporate site that rarely changes can often manage with weekly backups.
How do I know a backup works?
Restore it to a separate environment and check that the site opens and the data is complete. Repeat that test at regular intervals.