Learn how to handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps using six steps and best practices. Protect your data, applications, and services from disasters.

In DevOps, an effective approach to server backup and disaster recovery involves integrating automation, version control, and continuous testing. Start with a comprehensive backup strategy, including regular snapshots, incremental backups, and off-site storage. Leverage tools like Ansible, Terraform, or Puppet for automation and consistency. Develop a disaster recovery plan outlining procedures for data restoration, failover, and communication. Regularly test backup and recovery processes to ensure reliability, and document procedures meticulously for reference. If on AWS; leverage S3 for storage, AWS Backup, and AWS Disaster Recovery to aid in this process.

How do you handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps?

Server backup and disaster recovery are essential aspects of server security and compliance in DevOps. They help you protect your data, applications, and services from unexpected events, such as hardware failures, cyberattacks, natural disasters, or human errors. In this article, you will learn how to handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps using best practices and tools.

1 Backup strategy

When handling server backup in DevOps, the first step is to define a backup strategy that meets your business needs and goals. This strategy should include what data and resources to backup (e.g. databases, files, configurations, logs), how often to backup (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly), where to store the backups (e.g. local disks, cloud storage, tape drives), how to secure the backups (e.g. encryption, authentication, access control), and how to verify the backups (e.g. checksums, test restores, audits).

Add your perspective

Sagar Navroop

✅ Architect | 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 | Technologist
Report contribution
In DevOps, an effective approach to server backup and disaster recovery involves integrating automation, version control, and continuous testing. Start with a comprehensive backup strategy, including regular snapshots, incremental backups, and off-site storage. Leverage tools like Ansible, Terraform, or Puppet for automation and consistency. Develop a disaster recovery plan outlining procedures for data restoration, failover, and communication. Regularly test backup and recovery processes to ensure reliability, and document procedures meticulously for reference. If on AWS; leverage S3 for storage, AWS Backup, and AWS Disaster Recovery to aid in this process.

Like
Andre Noenchen
Report contribution
Agreed on the "offsite" statement. In Cloud, that might mean copies in a different Availability Zone, Region, or even off platform (copy in another CSP, for example if you are an Azure shop, have some copies on AWS, GSP or even on-premises). With Ransomware today, this could mean existential level decisioning for many organizations.

Like
João S.

Technical Team Lead @ Jonas Metals Software | AWS, ITIL, Cloud
Report contribution
One crucial factor to consider is to keep at least one offsite copy of data immutable to prevent tampering or damage by malicious threat actors, or even simple human error.

Like

2 Backup tools

The second step to handle server backup in DevOps is to choose and implement backup tools that automate and streamline the process. Such tools should integrate with your DevOps pipeline and tools, such as version control, continuous integration, continuous delivery, monitoring, etc. Examples of backup tools include rsync, a command-line tool that synchronizes files and directories across different locations; Borg, a deduplicating backup program that supports encryption, compression, and remote repositories; Duplicity, a backup software with GnuPG encryption and signing capabilities; and Restic, a fast and secure backup program that supports deduplication and multiple storage backends.

Add your perspective

3 Disaster recovery plan

When handling server disaster recovery in DevOps, the third step is to create a disaster recovery plan that details how to restore server operations in the event of a major disruption or outage. This plan should include what scenarios to prepare for, such as power outage, network failure, fire, flood, and ransomware. Additionally, it should list what recovery objectives to achieve, such as the maximum acceptable amount of data loss and downtime. Furthermore, it should outline what recovery procedures to follow, such as where to restore backups and how to test them. Finally, it should specify what recovery resources to use, such as backup servers and cloud services.

Add your perspective

Andre Noenchen
Report contribution
For true disaster scenarios (not just single server or app level outages) tools and techniques need to address "at scale" recovery to meet RTO / RPO requirements. That can mean hundreds or even thousands of systems (VMs, containers, servers, etc.) in scope. Traditional recovery plans / techniques will likely not cut it. Automation, orchestration and advanced tools and techniques will be needed - which translates into high levels of skill and maturity. These recovery capabilities are not "automatic" or "included" in cloud - it is the responsibility of each cloud tenant to implement / manage their own DR strategies and capabilities.

Like

4 Disaster recovery tools

The fourth step to handle server disaster recovery in DevOps is to use disaster recovery tools that help you execute and monitor the recovery plan. These tools should integrate with your backup tools and DevOps pipeline and tools, such as version control, continuous integration, continuous delivery, monitoring, etc. Examples of these tools include Terraform, an infrastructure as code tool that allows you to define and provision your server infrastructure using declarative configuration files; Ansible, a configuration management and orchestration tool that allows you to automate and standardize your server setup and deployment using YAML scripts; Packer, a tool that allows you to create and manage server images for multiple platforms; and Prometheus, a monitoring and alerting system that collects and analyzes metrics from your server infrastructure and applications.

Add your perspective

5 Backup and recovery testing

The fifth step to handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps is to test your backup and recovery procedures regularly and thoroughly. Testing these procedures helps ensure that backups are valid and complete, recovery objectives are met, and recovery resources are functional and sufficient. This should include performing test restores of your backups to verify their integrity and usability, simulating different disaster scenarios, executing your recovery plan to measure its effectiveness and efficiency, evaluating the results of the tests, and updating your backup strategy, tools, plan, and tools based on the feedback.

Add your perspective

6 Backup and recovery documentation

The sixth and final step to handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps is to document your backup and recovery processes and policies. This documentation is essential for communicating and sharing best practices and standards with team members, stakeholders, and auditors. It also helps maintain and improve backup and recovery processes over time. Documenting should include the backup strategy, tools, disaster recovery plan, procedures for different data and resources, testing activities, roles and responsibilities assigned to team members, as well as the metrics and indicators that are monitored and reported.

Add your perspective

Andre Noenchen
(edited)
Report contribution
Question: Does Azure DevOps facilitate the storing, organization, and management of the many documents that would traditionally be part of an organizations DR Posture? Can Azure DevOps Test Plans be used as a modern approach to create, house, run DR Plans and DR Testing motions? Anyone have any experience with this?

Like

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you handle server backup and disaster recovery in DevOps?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Backup strategy

2 Backup tools

3 Disaster recovery plan

4 Disaster recovery tools

5 Backup and recovery testing

6 Backup and recovery documentation

7 Here’s what else to consider

Server Architecture

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Server Architecture

More relevant reading