Story · Disaster recovery · Assessment
The backup drives were too small. Nobody had checked in years.
The backup job reported success every night. It had been quietly skipping the newest files for months, because the drives it wrote to had filled up and nobody had looked.
The situation
The firm's data had grown. The backup hardware had not. Success emails kept arriving, so nobody worried, and the gap between what the business had and what was backed up widened every week.
What we did
Jamie ran a disaster recovery assessment: what data exists, what is protected, what a restore would actually produce. The answer was ugly and specific. He sized new drives with room to grow, replaced them, re-ran the full backup, and then did the thing that matters: restored a random folder from a random day and showed the owner the files.
Backup alerts now go to the helpdesk queue, not an inbox, and capacity is checked as part of the monthly review.
"A backup that says success is not the same as a backup that works. You find out the difference by restoring something."
How the service team puts itWhat changed
ResolvedA complete backup, restores tested on a schedule, and a capacity number the firm's owner has seen with his own eyes.
The guide behind this story
GuideBackup and disaster recovery for a small business: what to actually test
The difference between a backup and a recovery, the three questions that expose a broken one, and a testing schedule that fits a small company.
Read the guideOrder the internet circuit the week the lease is signed. Carriers take six to twelve weeks. Nothing else on a move fails as often.
The relocation checklist Did you knowA backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Ask for the date of the last tested restore.
What to actually testQuestions people ask about this
How often should a backup be tested?
Restores should be rehearsed on a schedule, and any failure notice should reach a person whose job is to act on it. We do both as part of the plan.
The full answer
"It was great to have a conference call between Midwest IT and our software vendor to resolve this issue. Draven was persistent, resourceful and patient to solve the problem, and he did! I felt confident this issue would be resolved so I could have a successful event."
Ann, Geneva Lakes YMCAMeet Draven- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Thanks for the hard work. I was kept informed with regular updates until the concern was resolved."
Jeff, insurance brokerageWhen did someone last restore a file for you?
If you cannot remember, we should talk.
Talk to a partnerTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.