Backup and recovery represents a critical component of any robust application infrastructure. It involves regularly copying data, databases, configurations, and application code to separate storage locations. In the event of data corruption, hardware failure, cyberattack, or accidental deletion, organisations can restore their systems to a known good state. For mobile and web applications, backup and recovery strategies protect business operations and user trust.
Backup Strategies
There are several backup methodologies that developers and DevOps engineers employ. Full backups copy all data and configurations, providing complete restoration capability but requiring significant storage. Incremental backups only copy changes since the last backup, reducing storage requirements and backup time. Differential backups capture changes since the last full backup, offering a middle ground. The frequency of backups depends on how much data loss your organisation can tolerate - often expressed as the Recovery Point Objective (RPO).
Recovery Processes
Recovery procedures must be well-documented and regularly tested. The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) defines how quickly systems must be operational after a failure. Automated recovery systems can reduce RTO significantly, whilst manual recovery processes take longer but may be necessary for complex scenarios. Testing recovery procedures through disaster recovery drills ensures that teams understand the process and can execute it effectively under pressure.
Cloud-Based Solutions
Modern applications increasingly use cloud services for backup and recovery. Services like AWS S3, Azure Backup, and Google Cloud Storage provide scalable, geographically distributed backup solutions. These services offer automatic backup scheduling, versioning, and cross-region replication. Many developers implement hybrid strategies, maintaining both local backups for fast recovery and cloud-based backups for disaster scenarios.