{"id":516126,"date":"2024-06-05T16:27:12","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T20:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commvault.com\/?post_type=cmv_glossary&p=516126"},"modified":"2024-06-05T16:27:13","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T20:27:13","slug":"database-backup","status":"publish","type":"cmv_glossary","link":"https:\/\/www.commvault.com\/glossary-library\/database-backup","title":{"rendered":"Database Backup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Database backup is the process of creating a copy (backing up) of an organization\u2019s structured data utilized by popular databases such as SAP HANA and Microsoft SQL Server.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The purpose of creating a copy is to reconstruct the original data when the need for data and database workload recovery arises in the face of accidental deletion, corruption or attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In hybrid cloud deployments, structured data can be found on-premises in database workloads running on physical servers, virtual machines, or within containers, or running in virtual machines or containers in the cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Database backup is a data protection solution for structured data that reside in database workloads \u2013 and should optimally cover hybrid environments \u2014 as companies require backup and recovery of their data both on-premises and in cloud environments. Structured data housed in enterprise databases is critical to the businesses who rely on them to store data in a relational manner as a backend for many business-critical applications, including ERP, SCM, CRM , and more. With the cost of downtime ever-increasing, companies must ensure they have secure backups of their data for speedy recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In today\u2019s on-demand, always-on world, a database backup can no longer use older methods the require shutting down the database engine to perform a backup. Database backup solutions today need to perform the backup operation while the database is still running. This type of backup requires a lot more work behind the scenes, because data is still being written to the database workload while it is trying to be copied out for protection.
Database workload protection solutions using an integrated method can perform a backup of all files in the database including table space, partition, Master database, transaction logs and other related files to the instance, without shutting down the database engine. This helps to ensures that database workloads are not corrupted during the backup process. It is best to perform scheduled database backups frequently and periodically to protect continuously changing structured data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A database backup protects all the structured data associated with business-critical database workloads. On-premise or cloud-based database backups can be implemented to various backup storage targets: onsite, offsite, cloud \u2013 or they can follow a hybrid cloud approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regardless of the structured data backup\u2019s designated destination, companies must follow careful steps to ensure proper backup and data protection. The main stages of the database backup process include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Backups are sent to a storage location for recovery in the event of data loss. Solutions can write to local or to cloud storage. It is important to consider storage strategy particularly for large data sets, to weigh cost considerations as well as RPOs and RTOs. 3-2-1 rule of backup dictates that companies need to have 3 copies of their data, in 2 different places, with one offsite. Database backup solutions should give companies the flexibility to have primary storage on premises for quick recovery of large on premises workloads, while sending secondary copies to cloud, as an air gapped offsite storage. In addition, databases running in the cloud will want flexible options to leverage cloud storage for primary and secondary backup copies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, database backup solutions must be architected for fast data restore, so companies leveraging the database backup can get their data back quickly when they need it, to keep the business running smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n