Backup Web for Business Continuity and Data Safety

Having a reliable backup web in place is essential for business continuity and data safety. A single data loss event can cost a business up to $1.6 million in lost revenue and productivity.

Regular backups can prevent such losses by ensuring that critical data is always available. This is particularly important for businesses that rely heavily on digital data, such as e-commerce websites and online services.

A backup web strategy involves creating multiple copies of data and storing them in different locations. This way, if one copy is lost or corrupted, others can be accessed to restore data quickly.

Businesses can implement a backup web strategy by designating a team to oversee data backup and recovery processes.

For most businesses, a combination of onsite and offsite storage, also known as hybrid storage, provides the best solution, offering the benefits of both types of storage and a higher level of data protection.

You can back up your website every week, but if you frequently update your site or are involved in e-commerce, consider daily backups for added protection.

Automated backup and recovery solutions, like FluentPro Backup, can protect your Project for the Web data with automated backup and recovery.

Restoring your site is often as simple as reversing the backup process, typically found in your website's control panel or WordPress plugin options.

To create a custom backup, navigate to your app management page in the Azure portal and select Backups from the left menu. Then, select Configure custom backups at the top of the Backups page.

You can choose an existing storage account or create a new one, and do the same for the Container. To back up linked databases, select Next: Advanced and choose the databases to backup. Note that in-app MySQL databases are always backed up without configuration.

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating a custom backup:

The custom backup is displayed in the list with a progress indicator, and if it fails, you can select the line item to see the error message.

To create a custom backup, you'll need to navigate to your app management page in the Azure portal and select Backups from the left menu. This will take you to the Backups page.

From the Backups page, select Configure custom backups at the top. This will open a new page where you can configure the storage account and container for your backup.

To back up linked databases, select Next: Advanced and then Include database. Select the databases you want to back up from the list.

If you're using in-app MySQL databases, note that they are always backed up without any configuration. However, if you make manual settings for in-app MySQL databases, the backups might not work correctly.

To initiate an on-demand backup, select Backup Now at the top of the Backups page. This will start the backup process, which will be displayed in the list with a progress indicator.

Here's a quick summary of the steps to create your first backup:

Remember, on-demand backups are retained indefinitely, so you can access them at any time.

Restoring a backup is a crucial step in the backup process, and it's essential to have a solid restore process in place.

To restore a backup, you can use the Azure portal or the Azure CLI. In the Azure portal, select the Backups page, choose the backup to restore, and select the Restore link.

The restore destination is a critical decision, and you have two options: restore to a new app or restore to an existing deployment slot. If you choose an existing slot, all existing data in its file system will be erased and overwritten.

Restoring to a new app is a good option if you want to start fresh, while restoring to an existing slot is better suited for rolling back changes.

You can also restore your site configuration under Advanced options.

Here are the steps to restore a backup using the Azure CLI:

Remember to choose the right restore destination and options to minimize downtime and ensure a smooth recovery.

Restoring a backup is a critical step in disaster recovery, and having a solid restore process in place will give you peace of mind knowing that you can recover your data quickly and easily.

Azure Backup is a crucial aspect of maintaining your website's integrity. Custom backups allow you to back up your app's files and configuration data to a firewall-protected storage account, but only if your app is integrated with a virtual network or you're using a v3 App Service Environment.

To take advantage of this feature, you need to select Backup/restore over virtual network integration when configuring custom backups, and save your settings by selecting Configure. If you don't see the checkbox, or if it's disabled, verify that your resources fulfill the requirements.

Automatic backups are also available for Azure Functions in dedicated (App Service) Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers, but not in the Consumption or Elastic Premium pricing tiers. This means you have more control over your backups in certain tiers, but be aware of the limitations.

To back up your app over Azure Virtual Network, your app must be integrated with a virtual network, or be in a v3 App Service Environment. The storage account also needs to allow access from the virtual network.

The storage account must be configured to allow access from the virtual network. If the storage account doesn't meet these requirements, you won't see the checkbox to select Backup/restore over virtual network integration.

To back up and restore over Azure Virtual Network, select Backup/restore over virtual network integration when configuring custom backups. Save your settings by selecting Configure.

If you don't see the checkbox, or if it's disabled, verify that your resources meet the requirements. Once configured, any manual backup, scheduled backup, or restore is made through the virtual network.

Here are the requirements to back up over Azure Virtual Network:

Automatic backups are available for Azure Functions in dedicated (App Service) Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers.

Azure Functions in the Consumption or Elastic Premium pricing tiers do not support automatic backups.

You can back up to a firewall-protected storage account if it's part of the same virtual network topology as your app.

Choosing the right storage for your backup is crucial, and it depends on factors such as data volume, budget, and desired recovery time. Onsite storage, like hard drives or tapes, provides quick recovery but is vulnerable to physical damage.

For most businesses, a combination of onsite and offsite storage, or hybrid storage, provides the best solution, offering both quick recovery and protection against physical damage.

Your backups are stored as .zip files in your storage account, along with an accompanying .xml file that contains a manifest of the .zip file contents.

These .zip files are visible on the Containers page of your storage account and your app, and can be unzipped and browsed through if you want to access your backups without actually performing an app restore.

The database backup for your app is stored in the root of the .zip file, specifically as a BACPAC file (no file extension) for SQL Database, which can be imported to create a new database.

Altering any of the files in your websitebackups container can cause the backup to become invalid and therefore non-restorable.

You can back up to a firewall-protected storage account if it's part of the same virtual network topology as your app.

Choosing the right storage account is crucial for a secure backup strategy. The choice of storage account depends on factors such as the volume of data, budget, and desired recovery time.

Onsite storage, such as hard drives or tapes, provides quick recovery but is vulnerable to physical damage. This makes it essential to consider offsite storage options, such as cloud storage or remote data centers, which offer protection against physical damage but may have slower recovery times.

Maintaining backup security is another important aspect of a backup strategy. Backups contain sensitive data and should be protected from unauthorized access, which includes physical security for onsite storage and encryption for both onsite and offsite storage.