Becoming a Backup Nerd

“Hello, my name is Eric, and I am a Backup Nerd.” When spoken during an introduction, that statement might easily be mistaken as insulting or demeaning to myself and others. In some circles, it could easily be interpreted as a call for help or as my acknowledgement (or “first step”) to admitting that I might have a problem. Head Nerd, specifically the backup variety, has been my professional title for the past few years and I fully embrace it. Yet, if I’m really being honest with myself, I’ve been a Backup Nerd for the better part of the past quarter century. As a call to action, and to honor World Backup Day on March 31, I want to share my journey and help you take others down the path to becoming your own Backup Nerd (or Backup Guru if you prefer).

Data Loss in a digital world

Backup goes beyond digital data protection—it means having redundancy, a plan, or a spare in place to reduce the impact of loss or failure. I was taught from an early age that if you found a pair of shoes that you liked and that were comfortable you should probably buy two pairs. Assuming you can afford it, you now have a second pair for special occasions or for when the first wears out. That redundancy is why I still carry a debit card and a house key even though my mobile device has apps for that. Being digital, it can be wiped out in a second, so I want a backup plan just in case my phone gets lost, stolen, or just runs out of juice. Being prepared and having a backup or spare are principles on which I was raised.

My first recollection of a digital data loss would be viewed today as a minor inconvenience, but at the time it was a pivotal moment for me on my path to becoming a Backup Nerd. It goes back to the early 80s and me entering my first computer game into a Commodore® VIC-20 personal computer. The program was published in the popular Compute!® magazine of the day and all I had to do was transcribe the hundreds of lines of published machine code into the VIC-20 to run the program. Sadly, being only eight years old, I had no understanding of, or access to, external storage devices. So, after a power fluctuation rebooted my system, I was left with just a blue screen and flashing cursor. While I never did take the time reenter the code for the game, I did manage to get access to a tape drive and later a floppy drive so that I could backup my programs and reduce my chances of permanent loss. The game was simple, and the loss negligible by “adult” standards, but I believe the experience helped set me on my current technology career path.

The Emotions of Data Loss

Many of you are regularly trying to sell or promote the value of backup to your clients. I acknowledge that it can sometimes be a difficult task, especially when the client only sees an expense and has not previously experienced lost data. For some, they must experience data loss firsthand before their eyes are opened and they truly appreciate the value of backup. For others that are more open, you can take them on a journey and get them to the same result.

I normally get laughs when I make the statement, “Backup isn’t fast, shiny, or sexy”. But I don’t always get a chance to explain what I really mean by that statement. Let us assume that most everyone reading this is familiar with the sensation of found money. You know, the feeling of exhilaration you experience when you slide your hand into a winter coat or pants pocket and come out with a nicely folded twenty dollar bill (Euro, pound, etc.). Well, if you are looking for that “found money” sensation, I’m sorry, it isn’t one that you will experience with backup—it’s not even close.

Keeping with a similar context, a data loss event is the emotional equivalent to finding out that you have lost your wallet, bank card, or smartphone. That panic moment that raises your pulse and makes you perspire just when you go to pay for your purchases and you realize that you can’t. Having backups in place won’t immediately prevent the adrenaline spike that accompanies the data loss—for example the dread and fear once you realize that you tossed out the VHS tape containing your wedding video. But just knowing that a family member has a backup DVD copy will most definitely go a long way toward lowering stress and keeping a happy home. Backup can best be equated to a calm and reassuring emotion. Backup won’t stop or prevent the initial data loss but it can help repair or reduce the overall long-term damage caused by the loss. Financially speaking, backup is much more like an insurance policy, a savings account, or a retirement fund than “found money” because it sits quietly in the background until the day you need it.

Backup and Keep Everything

Please don’t confuse being a Backup Nerd with being a data hoarder. While being a Backup Nerd is most definitely not a minimalistic lifestyle, you can’t realistically be expected to keep everything forever. You will need to continue to evaluate the recovery value of your backups while balancing short-term retention and long-term archival. You should also be regularly retiring some backups as newer and redundant copies are created or as the recovery value of a specific system or recovery point starts to drop. Having backups alone doesn’t ensure that you are protected from loss, you must also make time to build and test your recovery plans. It’s this periodic testing and validation of recoverability that is the action that will ensure that calm emotions prevail as future data loss events present themselves.

Eric Harless is the Head Backup Nerd at N‑able. Eric has worked with N‑able Backup since 2013 and has 25+ years of data protection industry experience in sales, support, marketing, systems engineering, and product management. You can follow Eric on Twitter at @backup_nerd

If you’re looking for cloud-first backup that offers more for less, allowing you to simplify your approach, scale with your customer growth, and turn backup services into a driver of profitability, then check out N‑able Backup.