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Find out what most IT consultants do not know or do

not tell you about data backup and disaster

recovery.

Free Guide

Advice for Business people

By Simon Fontaine President of ARS Solutions

simon.fontaine@ars-solutions.ca

T 418 872.4744

12 little-known facts that every business owner and

senior management should know about backup,

security and recovery of their corporate data in case

of disaster.

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Letter from the author

Why we have created this report and who should read it

How important is your critical data to you ?

Working for almost 30 years in the IT sector, mainly with companies where technology plays a

critical role, we’ve often faced difficult situations of data loss and recovery challenges. This

report is based on this experience. I Hope It will help guide you.

Imagine that your network is down for days, and you no longer have access to your data. Now

imagine losing your customer databases , financial records and all important files and projects

that you and your team have worked on for days and weeks , even months.

How harmful would it be to your organization ?

If your files were deleted by mistake, if a virus destroys your data or if your office were

destroyed by fire or theft, do you have a backup and a recovery plan established in which you

have confidence ?

Can you recover your data easily and quickly?

If you can’t answer the above questions satisfactorily, or if the disaster recovery plan in place

isn’t rock solid, you’re seriously putting at risk the sustainability of your business. As you know,

with the growing number of threats of all kind, the question to ask is not if you have a problem or

not, but when.

Even though many people know they should backup their data, we found that most business

leaders are misinformed.

That is why we created this report. We wanted to give business owners and managers an easy

understandable guide that explains what they need to know about backups, security and

business continuity.

In requesting this report, you are ahead of those who often wait until it is too late. For that, I

congratulate you and I hope you will find all the information and encouragement to the

development of appropriate systems now for your peace of mind.

Sincerely,

Simon Fontaine, President, ARS Solutions

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About the author

Founding President of ARS Solutions, Simon Fontaine

has been running the business for nearly 25 years. This

represents up to 400,000 interventions and projects with

organizations of various sector of activities where IT

plays a key role: professional and municipal services,

manufacturing and distribution.

Visionary and strategist, he knows how to ensure that

the information technology and communications (ITC)

brings value to businesses. Guaranteed and

demonstrated results. His tactical approach, his rigor

and methodology are a guarantee of success. Simon is

passionate about the success of businesses and

organizations in Quebec and is proud to support them in

their approach to innovation.

Together with his team, Simon helps leaders really use technology strategically in order to

exploit all the possibilities in terms of increased efficiency, productivity, competitiveness and

profitability.

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There is very little risk that it could happen to me!

Assumptions that lead business owners and their executives to take risks...

Having worked with several SMBs over the last 30 years throughout the province of Quebec

and with partners across Canada and the United States, I can tell you that 80% of business

owners are unsure of having a reliable backup system.

Often, they have their fingers crossed hoping never to have a problem. This ‘’crossing fingers’’ approach is amazing when you consider how businesses are dependent of their

data – whether it’s customer information, accounting records, emails, inventories, plans and

other documents essential to their work operations. Almost all processes rely on the availability

of digital information.

The cost of loss of information (or inaccessibility for a long period of time) varies from one

company to another, because many aspects are affected.

Note that according to statistic, 93 % of companies that lost their data for 10 days or more filed

for bankruptcy within one year of the disaster and 50% went bankrupt immediately (Source:

National Archives & Records Administration in Washington) . Here are some other statistics on

data loss:

Did you know that...

> 69% of Canadian companies are victims of cyber-attacks. These companies are active in

industries as diverse as finance, aviation and shipping, telecommunications, utilities,

aerospace, defense and retail trade are at risk. The study of Ken Taylor, president of the

ICSPA, shows that most of these companies do not know they are being attacked because

they do not even have the right tools to tell them what is happening. Therefore, the

percentage of companies that are under cyber-attack is probably closer to 100%.

(Source: IT in Canada, 15 July 2013)

> Backups on tape fail in 100% of cases at one time or another. This means that all, without

exception, are not able to offer you complete and reliable protection.

> 20% of businesses will experience a major disaster causing loss of critical data every 5

years. (Source: Richmond House Group)

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> Approximately 70% of business people have (or know someone who has) experienced the

loss of data due to accidental deletion, a broken disk or system failure, viruses, fire or

another disaster. (Source: Carbonite)

> The first reaction of employees who lose data is to try to recover themselves by using

recovery software, reboot or unplugging their computer - all measures that can make later

data recovery impossible. (Source: Survey by Minneapolis-based Ontrack Data Recovery)

I already backup my data, you say... Sure, you probably already have a backup system in place, which is a good thing. However,

there is a huge difference in the quality and reliability of systems and backup services.

Moreover, data backup is only one aspect of what is really important is disaster recovery. That

and your ability to quickly and easily recover the same data in a usable format without loss.

In this report, you will find important information on choosing a good backup solution as well as

what you need to know to choose the right company for the installation, configuration and

management of the system you choose.

Why should you stop using tapes?

One of the most common forms of system backup is tape drives. Unfortunately, the average

failure rate for a tape backup is 100% - all tape backups fail at one time or another. Incredible,

isn’t it? Most people invest a lot of time managing the replacement of cassettes and taking them

out of the office day after day and week after week just to realize that, when they need it, their

data is not properly backed up.

That is why we often hear of companies that have lost thousands of dollars in data ...

A lot of attention is needed by your IT staff to verify the state of your backups and if you are

contracting with an external partner, this involves additional costs...

If you have recently purchased a tape backup solution, you probably do not want to replace it

immediately. However, you will be aware of the enhancements now available on the market at

very affordable costs and new developments in this area.

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8 good reasons not to use tapes and other physical device such as external USB drives, which are fragile:

1. Complicated management. The use of tapes is a complex system both on the human

side and the hardware side. It is a process that requires a lot of diligence on the part of

the person responsible for managing the tapes. It can have serious consequences for

the company if the management of the system is not properly done: loss of data,

accidentally deleting and errors in the backups are some examples.

2. They are unreliable for data backup. Malfunctions without warning signs are very

common. In fact, most of the tapes contain data, but will be difficult to recover.

3. The tapes are very sensitive to heat, moisture and dust. Since most people carry

them off-site in a bag or a car, they can be destroyed and the data they contain. In

addition, the use of the tapes in a dusty environment is not recommended. Dust causes

premature wear strips and tape drive. More frequent abnormalities occur, and backup

reliability is affected. In such environments, such as factories or warehouses, the tape

drive must be replaced more frequently.

Note: storing your tapes in a fireproof safe can in no way guarantee their safety. These

storage devices are designed to protect paper, which has a high heat tolerance. Unless

you are in direct contact with a flame, the paper does not burn. While tapes are very

sensitive, heat can melt plastic and moreover, damaging the data therein.

4. Human error. The person responsible forgot to change the tape, accidentally formatted

(erasing all the data at once), didn’t bring it home with him, is on vacation or has

permanently left the company.

5. Tapes are not safe. If data leaves your office, they must be encrypted. This is doubly

important if you store information about your customers. Customers are very susceptible

to theft of information even if it is only email addresses and purchase history. Also, if you

archive financial data, credit card numbers, medical records, or other highly sensitive

information, you are violating the law by using unsecured tape and transporting data

offsite. (Source: Laws and Regulations of Québec, chapter P-39.1, Law on the

Protection of Personal Information)

6. Wear on magnetic tapes. Replacement of tapes must be done frequently. If the tapes

are not renewed, it may at some point, become impossible to read the data stored on

them for several weeks.

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7. Limited space. The cassettes have a fixed space backup. Companies produce more

and more critical data to be saved. The use of tapes for backup forces, one day or other,

the deletion of older data to make room for new data. This type of backup is less flexible

because the whole system is built based on a cassette’s capacity. It then becomes

impossible to back everything up. This requires several cassettes and increases backup

time.

8. Slow to use. When data loss occurs, the software used to recover the data on a tape

needs a lot of time to find the required information. Indeed, the system must search the

whole tape to find what you need. Depending on the amount of information stored, this

process can be very long. And if you must recover the complete system backup, you

must rebuild the index of the tape, which increases the recovery time data (we're talking

several hours or days).

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Back your data up in a Private Cloud what it means and why every business should have it in place

One of the best ways to protect your data is to keep an update in a high security data center

elsewhere than in your office. The generic term that people use to describe this type of backup

is the "backup in the cloud" or "cloud backup", which simply means that your data is hosted in a

remote and secure location and accessible via Internet.

This type of backup is configured to run automatically, or after office hours, when most people

do not use the system, or continuously throughout the day, every time a file is modified or

added. The data is copied on a machine and sent over the Internet to a high security center

where they are stored. Because these backups are automated, you do not have to worry if

someone forgets to perform the backup.

As with any service, you get what you pay for and there are some quality differences in the type

of backup service you choose. By making inappropriate choices for your organization, you will

pay dearly to find out that the recovery of your data - the primary reason you decided to entrust

this task to the external - is neither easy nor quick nor simple...

12 essential characteristics to confirm with your IT service provider before choosing your backup solution

What should you look for when choosing a provider or a service to backup and secure your data

off site? Whom can you trust, not only to keep your data safe, but to be there when you need recovery service?

Unfortunately, this is not an easy choice. Hundreds of companies offer backup devices,

software and services. As can be expected, all service providers are not the same and you want

to make sure you choose a reliable provider that will not hit you with unexpected hidden fees,

difficult and slow recovery of your data not to mention the horrible discovery that your data is not

properly backed up, leaving you unprepared when you need it most.

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Here are 12 essential characteristics we recommend that you validate in your

search for a provider:

1. Where will your data be stored? After all, we're talking about your financial and

customer data as well as other sensitive information about your organization. You

want to be comfortable with your decision. So, two options are available:

The first option is reserved for businesses less sensitive as to the exact place where

their data is hosted, for whom cost is not a criterion of choice and feels more

reassured by the concept.

There are hosting facilities where data is replicated in several places. Some are

certified, some not (NCMC 3416 for Canada and SSAE 16 for the U.S.). These

standards assure you that the data center complies with what it promises in terms of

security and availability.

However...

> It is not always easy to know if a center is certified or not ... Ask for it in writing. Be

careful of what you read if you search the web.

> Also, make sure to get your money’s worth and that they deliver what they

promise. After all, you pay extra for security.

> Make sure you know where to go in case of any issues or problems. Find out who

to go to and make sure that finding common ground will be easy.

The second option, flexible and affordable, is to decide for yourself where you will be

storing your data: one of your satellite offices, your plant, a shareholder’s residence, a

dedicated hosting facility. Your data is closer to you and you know where it is.

2. Bare Metal Dissimilar Hardware. This is important to ensure a quick recovery of

your data and the continuity of your operations. A Bare Metal image is actually a

picture of your data AND your personalized system. The unique feature of Bare Metal

Dissimilar Hardware is that the image can be rebuilt quickly on completely different

environments. Without this type of backup, you’ll have to:

Find all your Software Instaltion CDs and keys (Often, customers can’t find

them!)

Reinstall the operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.).

Reinstall all your applications

Recover your data

Reconfigure all of your settings (customizing your environment)

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This could take days or even weeks of work to get the data and repeat the

customization process built over several years if you do not have your installation disc

and activation key. A Bare Metal image eliminates the tedious delay for business.

3. Bare Metal Imaging. Be careful not to confuse it with the Bare Metal Dissimilar

Hardware. Bare Metal Imaging allows you to have a complete picture of your data and

customization of your system. However, it can be recovered ONLY ON THE SAME

EQUIPMENT, which is far from ideal, because if the system is older, it will be hard to

find.

4. The ability to recover your data QUICKLY. An extremely important question to ask

is: If my servers fail, how long will it take and how do I get my data? You do not want

the Internet to be your only option to recover your data from the cloud, as this could

take days or even weeks. At a minimum, you should be able to get a copy of your

data on the same day or the next day on a physical disk or other device. But ideally,

you should have instant access to a Bare Metal image so a new server can be set up

quickly, allowing you to continue working.

5. Demand support by a qualified technician and live monitoring. Many online

backup services "self-service" and therefore at cheaper prices. However, a backup

process is not a service that can be configured and forget later. If you need to recover

your data, you will want to talk to someone who can help you, especially if the

situation is critical. If you use a inexpensive online backup service, you’ll have to

recover your data by yourself. You’ll lose a lot of time and will not be operational for

days. Do not settle for automated monitoring which no one at the supplier is really

responsible for. Too often, problems arise and need someone to check and fix. If this

is not the case, you’ll simply have an alarm system, but nobody to monitor, and this

will be of no help to you.

6. Continuous backup. Another feature to look for if your budget allows is a continuous

backup as opposed to a nightly backup. This allows you to restore a file on which you

have worked on all morning and recorded before the server crashed in the afternoon.

7. Demand daily status reports of your backup. You should receive an email report

every day confirming that your backup was actually taken. Monitoring with alerting

should also keep you informed of any failures or problems. More than one person (the

controller, the IT manager, you) should receive this email. Thus, in your absence,

someone else in your organization can intervene if a problem occurs

8. Multiple data centers geographically dispersed. One of the best ways to guard

against data loss is to have redundancy. This means that your remote backup service

will archive multiple copies of your data in more than one place. Again, the client must

be comfortable with the idea that their data can be found in several places.

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9. The ability to virtualize your server. This is the term used to put your server online

so that you and your staff can work remotely if necessary. This would be important if

your building is destroyed.

10. INITIAL backup should be a physical device stored localy. Trying to transfer all

your data online could take several days (possibly weeks). In addition, you must limit

the use of your internet connection. If you have a large amount of data to back up,

you create a full backup of a physical device that you keep locally. Only the

differential backup will be transferred to the cloud.

11. Have a spare server and local backup. Most server failures are due to a hardware

failure, not natural disasters. Therefore, you should have a local backup server in

case your primary server should fail. The local server also makes it much easier to

recover a file or folder to try to download it from the Internet.

12. Demand a written recovery plan. It is failing to plan that one fails. A written report

will demonstrate that there is a thought process to getting your systems back up in

case of a problem. It is a guarantee of proper operation. This shows that your provider

has a plan in place to restore your data and it will not be taken aback if there ever is a

real problem.

The most important thing to look for in a remote backup service provider

Although the 12 characteristics are important, the most critical and often neglected one is to find

a service provider that performs regular backup and restore tests to ensure that the data is

recoverable. Nobody wants to wait to lose their data before testing. Yet, this is often what

happens, and the customer pays dearly.

If your data is critical and you cannot afford to lose it, then a monthly recovery test should be

performed. If your situation is less critical, a quarterly test is sufficient. Many factors can cause

corruption of your backups. By performing recovery tests, you'll have peace of mind and be sure

that in case of trouble, you'll have what you need in place.

Want to know with certainty if your data is really secure with your current system?

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Our FREE backup audit will give you the right time of day

If you are worried about your backups and you're wondering whether your process is up to par,

I’m offering a FREE backup audit (worth $ 975) as a way to introduce our services. Why are

we doing this? Just because I know how it can be confusing and difficult to find a good IT

company who is responsible, who is easy to work with and really knows what they’re doing.

Almost anyone can say they’re an "IT expert". And since most business owners and executives

do not have the ability to assess whether or not their current system really suits their

organization, this free and safe audit will bring an external perspective and show you how we

can help your business. Even if you choose not to work with us after.

One of our technical specialists will go onsite at no cost to you and…

Will audit your security and protection systems, including backup and recovery, tapes, and

other peripheral backup devices to validate if all your data is actually stored in a format that

can be quickly restored (we discover data that is often overlooked on disks, laptops or

PCs).

Present a simple and easy to understand chart which details the status of your data,

including the age and type of files you backup. Why bother? Because many businesses

unknowingly lose valuable archiving space to music files, photos and videos they do not

want.

Will discuss how long it would take you to be back up and running in case of a disaster

depending on your current system.

Answer all your questions about the safety and security of your data. We will also give you

two or three different backup options to suit your needs and your budget. We know that

fault tolerance and needs differ from one company to another, and we want to ensure that

the risks you are taking with your data are by choice and not because of communication

issues or accident.

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Based on what we discover, we will issue a statement indicating, if any, gaps in your data

backup. If this is the case, we will provide you with an action plan to further secure your data.

Obviously, I don’t expect that all of you will become clients. You don’t have to buy anything and

will won’t pressure you. Of course, we would love to have you as a customer and help you make

the best decisions. We want to bring to you and other business owners, advice and options to

make sure your organization’s critical data is safe.

« I do not need to have my backups audited since my IT manager takes care of them »…

Maybe in the short term, you do not see the urgency. Perhaps you also think that your data is

completely safe. Many of our current clients felt that their data was safe until we started backup

and restore testing through our monthly outsourcing agreements. Unfortunately, most

organizations do not perform these tests, and this is when they need to recover data that they

get the horrible surprise.

We help companies like yours avoid extremely costly data loss. Here are 3 cases experienced

by companies that have lost important information and with whom we have come to intervene.

The president of an organization (who requested anonymity) thought that their data was

backed up every night and was not interested in looking at any other form of solution. He

said they had spent thousands of dollars for a highly sophisticated tape backup system

which was handled by the IT manager. Of course, the day came when the server

suddenly crashed without being able to be restarted. Three weeks later, the data were

recovered as accurately as possible, but most had been lost. The President told us that

the worst of this experience was the frustration of having put a large amount in order to

avoid this type of disaster and discover that the systems put in place, although they

seemed to work well, did not work.

Here’s one more…

The head of a nonprofit company asked an acquaintance to perform the updates from

Microsoft Windows Update on Exchange mail server on a weeknight. . The later asks if

there are backups and if they are valid. The manager says yes, they are taken every

day, without further verifications, updates are installed. Following the reboot, nothing

works. . Email services cannot restart because the database is corrupted. After several

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manipulations, the server will not start at all. The next morning we are asked to recover

the data as soon as possible using backups.... We discover that... the database and

configuration was not backed up even if the manager was convinced it was. The

customer had lost valuable information about a fundraising campaign and more...

And another

Another client has learned the hard way, which is too often the case. Tape backup

seemed to work, but when he needed it, the recovery failed. He had to recreate almost a

month's worth of data. In the words of the director: «I had my bags packed, I was ready

to get fired. The only reason I still have my job today is because I showed my boss that

all data checks were performed. All audit reports show that the backups were performed

without errors. The tapes just did not work. »

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How to get a free audit of your backup system

To do this, simply follow these steps:

> Contact us at 418-872-4744 and ask to speak to Mr. Gino Guay at extension 239 or Mrs.

Marie-Josée Galarneau at extension 233.

> Send an email to info@ars-solutions.ca

> Communicate directly with me at simon.fontaine@ars-solutions.ca

Once we receive your request we will contact you to schedule a meeting in a timely manner to

audit your backup system. Again, you do not have to do or buy anything. Even if you choose not

to hire us for any additional work, at least you get a free evaluation from a third party of your

backup system.

Why trust us?

Many providers offer remote backup services, but what differentiates us? Why choose us above

dozens of other companies that offer what appear to be the same services?

Here are 10 good reasons to trust us with your data’s security:

1. Full management of your data backup. You no longer have to worry about whether

your data is saved or not. We will support the entire process, right up to file retrieval if

needed.

2. Guaranteed availability and accessibility. We guarantee that our team of experts will

be available to get you back up in the shortest time. If we do not, we will refund the

service fee refund for an entire year. Several backup service providers try to promote

reimbursement, but reading the fine print, we see they only refund one month of service.

We are willing to give you free service fees for an entire year if we fail to get you back

up quickly.

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3. You have the choice of sites for your backup data. They can be on your company’s

site, or in another city, you have the freedom to choose the location. You know where

your data.

4. Bare Metal Dissimilar Hardware type solution. The Bare Metal Restore (BM) is a

computer term designating a technique where the data is stored in a form that can be

restored and up and running without any prior operating system installation (or software)

more easily and quickly.

The current challenge is to enable data recovery on different hardware (ex: a Dell

or HP machine to another machine) and virtual machines (VMware, Microsoft

Virtual Server, etc.) With minimum down time. Typically, the data saved to the BMR

includes customizing the necessary operating system, applications and data

components to rebuild or restore the backup on completely different hardware.

With most solutions on the market, the target machine that receives the

restoration must have exactly the same equipment as the source machine backup.

This is not the case for a Bare Metal Dissimilar hardware solution.

5. 365 days a year monitoring in place for nearly 10 years. At ARS, monitoring the

process of backing up your data by a qualified specialist and is a key priority service.

Every day you will be informed of the status of your backups. When you choose to trust

us with regard to backups and security, know that we take this role very seriously.

6. High availability and highly secure data. This means that your data is encrypted and

better protected against viruses, fire, flood and theft.

7. Free support service for file restoration. Need help to restore an accidentally deleted

file? Contact our support service and we will do the restoration for you. Some companies

will charge you a fee for this service or do not offer it at all.

8. Regular recovery tests and daily report included. We insist that all our customers

receive the results of our tests regularly to ensure that everything is functional. We also

send all of our customers a daily email that allows them to see that their backups have

been performed without error. Of course, in the opposite case, we solve the problem

immediately.

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9. We are in Quebec ! Not only do we have offices in Quebec City and Montreal, but we’ve

been servicing SMBs for nearly 25 years. We will also be happy to meet with you.

10. A unique intelligent business continuity solution developed from 30 years of

experience in IT.

offers Quebec businesses and organizations an advanced insurance

policy against data loss and elevated costs associated with stoppages through the use

of innovative technology that eliminates the management of backups and accelerates

the recovery process.

Based on over 400 hours of research and development for a complete and affordable

solution that meets all needs of companies and organizations that differs from what is

currently on the market.

We want business owners and managers to have access to affordable solid solution,

without any gaps that we see every day with tape backup systems.

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Just look at what our customers have to say…

"We appreciate the time we save by not having to manage problem upon problem"

"Since the beginning , we’ve felt confident with ARS . The staff is knowledgeable

and eager to respond to our needs. Follow-ups are done quickly , efficiently,

professionally and courteously .

Monitoring services help prevent problems both in terms of safeguarding our

data and the proper functioning of our network in general. With 2B.Back, we did

not have to rebuild our backup solution and we have a complete picture of our

servers. Technical issues are much less common and when they do occur, they

are treated effectively and measures are taken so that they do not recur. Now

we are proactive.

We appreciate the peace of mind that this gives us and the time we save by not

having to manage problem upon problem. We really feel that our infrastructure

works as it should and that we are in good hands.

In short, we appreciate the high quality of service received by the whole ARS

team. "

Isabelle Poirier General Manager Réseau Biblio CNCA

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"Availability, accessibility and support"

"For nearly 20 years, our organization has decided to trust ARS Solutions.

Regardless of our projects and requests, the ARS team demonstrated high

availability and accessibility, and this 24 hours/ 7 days a week. We can count on

them at all times. By taking charge and managing our projects and the obtained

results, we sincerely believe that ARS has our interests at heart. In all cases,

they have always given us the truth and showed a maximum of transparency. "

Pierre Pothier Vice-president Information technologies CAA Quebec

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«My data is monitored and safe»

"We needed a robust solution for archiving backups of our critical data over a period of 7 years. 2B.Back offered us the opportunity to choose the retention period of important data for our organization. I have access to a console that allows me to easily recover files if needed and testing of data recovery on a regular basis.

The ARS team is available 24/7 to support me when needed. My data is monitored, as well as all of my network environment. This allows me to work on what is important. There is always someone there to advise me and work with me on the issues that may arise. "

Mathieu Decaix Network administrator South Shore Furniture

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« Through their advice, ARS has often helped us to prevent

making unnecessary expenses and we’ve always maximized

on our investment »

« We’ve been doing business with your company for nearly 20 years. You’ve always

shown us the desire to be present at the right time, available and accessible to

support us at our headquarters and our branches all over province, and this, 24 hours

a day, 7 days a week.

You’ve always been upfront with us, either in terms of network diagnostic or

infrastructure updates. With your advice, we often avoided unnecessary expenses so

that we always maximized our investment. We consider ARS a trusted partner that

we can rely on at all times. »

Daniel Binette,

President of the 70 branches Korvette Stores Ltd.