10 things to keep in mind when performing a Windows Server backup
Tags: windowsserver, vmbackup, databackup
Published: 2019-09-20 09:37:34

---
title: 10 things to keep in mind when performing a Windows Server backup
published: true
description: Here's what you need to know when backing up your Windows Server VMs
tags: windows server, VM backup, data backup
---

Backups are extremely important for any business. Virtual machines are commonly used by various businesses. VMs usually host important applications and contain important data that can be lost due to numerous reasons. In this case, having a backup can be a lifesaver. A pretty common environment used by a number of enterprises is Windows Server. Windows Server provides enterprise-grade data storage, management, and communication with applications such as SQL Server, Sharepoint, Exchange, and Oracle among others. Windows server does come with a built-in backup option. Let’s just take a look at things that should be considered while backing up Windows Server. 

![Alt Text](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/a96t72ftnze2j6kq84r4.jpg)
source: [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/photos/server-cloud-development-business-1235959/)

## 1) Storage 

Windows Server Backup only allows certain storage technologies to be used to store the backup data. Due to fixed storage, users won’t have the automated backup option and won’t have a great experience either as these fixed backups are not efficient. Therefore, enterprises should look for a backup solution that allows users to have their backups stored at any location of their choice and at the same time allows for efficient automation. An ideal backup solution will offer great performance and will allow for network acceleration to perform backup jobs over busy networks irrespective of location.

## 2) Limited Backup Copies

Windows Server Backup only allows a single copy of the backup to be maintained, which gets  replaced when a new backup activates. This may not be ideal for enterprises that need to have an archive of previous backups available at all times to recover data from a particular period in the past. Hence, enterprises should rely on backups that help save storage, but at the same time allow for multiple backup copies to be maintained. An ideal solution will allow incremental backups which ensure that only the changes are recorded and not run the entire backup which allows for less storage.

## 3) Encryption

Windows Server Backups are not encrypted by default. To have encrypted backups, BitLocker is needed. The backup will also fail if the required drive isn’t encrypted which makes for an inefficient backup solution. Businesses should look for backup solutions that secure backups by encrypting them and allowing them to be easily decrypted and restored when the need arises. This will help avoid the need for additional tools.

  
![Alt Text](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/0qfk5uaw4mrspqf0gw3a.png)
Source: [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/illustrations/cyber-security-security-lock-1915626/)

## 4) Recovery

WSB only allows for complete backups to be restored. This means that users can’t simply recover a specific file, a specific table, or a specific mailbox from the past. They will have to recover the entire server making it a time consuming process. Therefore businesses should rely on solutions that allow for recovery of certain, specific files instead of the entire server. An ideal backup solution will allow users to recover particular application objects quickly and efficiently.

## 5) Bandwidth Management

An ideal backup solution should allow users to be able to control the bandwidth usage for performing certain backup tasks. Users can have control over what bandwidth they want to set for a particular backup job thereby saving bandwidth for mission-critical applications. 

## 6) Backup Scheduling

Enterprises should invest in backup solutions that allow them to schedule Windows server backup jobs because the entire process can be pretty time consuming. By scheduling the backup process for after work hours, businesses can make sure no overlap ensuring more efficient backups. The chosen backup solution should also provide a bird’s eye view of all the backup tasks that are running to ensure simplifie management.

## 7) Backup size-reduction

Windows Server backups can be quite hefty in size. However, there are solutions available in the market that provide features like data deduplication and compression to reduce the backup size considerably. Once the backup reaches the specified backup repository, these solutions deduplicate the backup which means the exclusion of duplicate data, saving only unique blocks. Once that is done, an ideal solution will further compress the backup to ensure that the backup data occupies the least amount of space possible. Apart from this, the backup solution should also skip swap files which tend to occupy a lot of space in the windows OS and it’s crucial that they don’t get backed up.

  
![Alt Text](https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/0zvgunfx4c5vl1w70d1m.png)
Source: [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/vectors/computer-database-network-server-156948/)

## 8) Multiple Copies of backup

A backup solution that allows users to have multiple copies of a Windows Server backup is ideal. These copies can then be stored in a number of different locations including the cloud and a remote location to eliminate a single point of failure. Having multiple copies helps ensure there is always a backup even if the primary backup is affected by data corruption, accidental deletion, and hardware failure among other threats.

## 9) Application-aware backups

A good backup solution will offer features like application-aware windows server backups. This means that the data from applications and databases running on the Windows Server will be backed up in a transactionally consistent state. This is extremely important for specific high priority backups that need to be up and running in no time if required.

## 10) Physical to virtual backups

A good backup solution will also allow users to recover physical server machines to virtual environments. You can simply migrate your physical workloads to a virtual environment and recover them easily without having to have a separate, secondary physical infrastructure. 

## In conclusion

Windows Server backups are important for various organizations that rely on them for their various workloads. Therefore it is important that enterprises research and find the best possible backup solution that eases the backup process but also makes it easy to maintain and store these backups. One such solution is [Nakivo Backup and Replication](https://www.nakivo.com/resources/releases/v9.0/) that recently came out with its version 9.0 that has all the features mentioned above. Any enterprise looking to perform efficient backups can easily rely on Nakivo for all its needs. With features including incremental, application-aware backups, backup scheduling, network acceleration, deduplication and compression to save storage, bandwidth management, and physical to virtual, Nakivo brings a more personalized and fine-tuned backup approach to the table. Also, with Nakivo’s AES 256‑bit encryption, backups can be protected from unauthorized access during and after the backup process.