Introducing what the 3-2-1 rule is
The 3-2-1 rule for backup is a reliable methodology to protect your data against a variety of things, including the following:
- Ransomware: Deleting or infecting backup files
- Corrupted media: Unable to read or restore from backups like tape media or disk
- Data center loss: When one copy is sent offsite elsewhere
The following diagram illustrates the 3-2-1 rule with backups to primary storage and secondary storage, and tape stored offsite, meeting the requirements:
Figure 2.1 – Diagram of the 3-2-1 rule
As shown, following the 3-2-1 rule is easy when using different means of storage, which is further explained in the following section, covering the importance of the rule.
The importance of the 3-2-1 rule
The 3-2-1 backup strategy has been around for decades, but the principle remains the same. This backup strategy is recognized as best practice by Veeam and other information security professionals...
