Once your SQL Server database is up and running it is tempting to think that the worries are over. However, it is vital to consider backups and disaster recovery from the outset, as the consequences of even a few hours of lost data could be catastrophic.

There are 2 factors to consider here. Firstly, there is the loss of data itself. You need to decide what is an acceptable loss for your organisation - an hour, a day or even longer? Protection against this will be provided by backups and transaction logging.

Secondly, you need to consider the loss of access to the database itself. What would happen if your users could not access data for an extended time? In this situation the use of failover clustering to provide High Availability (HA) needs to be considered.

When you understand exactly what level of acceptable loss your business is willing to absorb, it is much easier to create a strategy to that will minimise the impact of an unplanned event on your database

What we offer

SQL Server Consulting are able to provide advice and solutions to enable you to build a comprehensive disaster recovery and HA solution for your database. Microsoft SQL Server provides a range of backup-oriented tools, so planning for disaster and recovery means that you will have to make a number of choices.  These include:

• Preferred recovery model - understand the benefits and choose between Bulk-logged, Full and Simple recovery models
• Backup frequency - your ability to perform point-in-time restoration will depend on the type and frequency of your backups
• Backup media and location - choose the most reliable storage options for your backups.

Whatever your requirement, we can help you to make informed decisions based on an understanding of the nature and size of your data and the needs of your users.