Backup schedule and retention strategy
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The DBA wants to ensure that backups are available in case of a loss of data, in case of a disaster, and for regulatory reasons. This requires a carefully thought out retention policy for the various databases.
For the production payroll database, the DBA adheres to the following TechCo retention strategy:
| Backup frequency | Retention duration | Backup time | Type of storage |
|---|---|---|---|
Once daily |
10 days |
7 p.m. |
Primary (local) |
Once daily |
10 days |
7 p.m. |
Secondary (archive) |
Once weekly |
52 weeks |
Saturdays 1 a.m. |
Secondary (archive) |
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Local backup advantages
Daily local backup provides database protection, which is instantaneous, uses zero network bandwidth, uses a minimum of additional storage space, provides instantaneous restore, and provides finely-grained backup and restore capability.
Because the final weekly backups of the payroll database are retained for a minimum 52 weeks at a secondary storage site, there is no need to retain the daily backups any longer than 10 days.
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Protected backup advantages
Daily and weekly backups to secondary storage at a remote location guarantee that if the data at the primary storage site is damaged, the target database is still protected and can be restored from secondary storage.
The daily backups to secondary storage are made to protect against primary storage system damage. Because the final weekly backups of the payroll database are retained for a minimum 52 weeks, there is no need to retain the daily backups any longer than 10 days.