A
system backup and restore is a process which includes the creation of a complete copy of a machine's system data, usually in the form of a
disk image, and a recovery of that data following an event which results in the loss of that data or the hardware containing it.
Some data
backup and restore services give backup users the ability to schedule automatic system backups on a daily or more frequent basis, storing a recovery point for each scheduled backup. Each of these recovery points gives backup users a "snapshot" of the complete system and its configuration at that point in time.
Most organizations with computer networks of any size typically invest in some sort of
data protection service as part of a
disaster recovery strategy, and these services usually include a system backup and restore feature. Providers like CRC DataProtection offer bare metal restore (BMR), a feature that guarantees recoverability of a system on new hardware using a data from a complete system backup. A BMR operation is required when a natural disaster or catastrophic hardware failure results in the loss of a machine. System backup and restore is also a valuable feature when viruses or malware corrupt a system containing important data.
