Disaster recovery plans are typically well-structured until an individual attempts to test their restoration process. If there has been no backup or if it was incomplete or corrupt, we can typically still recover your data from the original failed hardware, and that is the work we do.
The focus of this web page is on the second part of the disaster recovery plan, i.e., “What happens when restoring does not function? And how do we get your lost data back from the failed hardware?” Our business model is focused solely on recovering lost data from failed hardware. We are not a managed backup service provider.
Most backups that fail do so quietly. For example, a job which has run successfully every month (and never reported failure) was failing because a mapped drive was excluded; a NAS unit and the NAS unit it replicated to, located in the same cabinet, were both damaged by the same power outage. Another common occurrence is when database backups are made with the database open, resulting in a bad snapshot of the database being created. All these failures do not become apparent until a restore attempt is made under time pressure, at which point the damage is already done. The other common gap is in scope. Virtual machines and mail stores may be backed up but the shared directory where people really do their work is not.
We recover lost data from failed hardware. This includes: servers; RAID arrays; NAS devices; virtual machine storage files; databases; as well as individual hard disk drives. Each device is then read-only-imaged prior to any form of rebuild or recovery. Arrays are rebuilt virtually from the read-only-images of each device in place of going through the array controller. No writes occur on the original media during this process. Our pricing structure begins at £500 +VAT for RAID/NAS/server system work, and once you have received a complimentary 48-hour diagnosis and written quotation, in most cases you only pay if we recover your data. If our customers require drive level physical repair, we collect a 50% deposit and the remaining amount is only collected should we successfully recover your data.
We will not provide a backup solution for your data. There are many other companies who specialise in this area of service, so we would prefer to tell you clearly where our service begins and ends.
Separation: a duplicate (backup) in the same location with the same electrical connections, or connected to the same local area network (LAN), is subject to the same potential attack vector, such as the spread of ransomware across a LAN. Testing: restore something from storage on a scheduled basis, and randomly. If a backup has never been restored, then it is just an assumption. Immutable/offline: this is the one item a ransomware infection cannot encrypt when running.
We serve local businesses within Oxfordshire & the nearby areas such as Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot & Abingdon through to Swindon, Reading, Aylesbury & Northampton. When you receive your quote, the kit can then be dropped off at John Eccles House on the Oxford Science Park or simply sent in using an insured postal service; both methods will provide the same diagnostic and terms.
Shut the system down immediately and leave it off. Do not attempt to rebuild or re-initialise the server and do not use restore from backup to write over the original volume prior to verifying that all critical data is safely backed up elsewhere. One of the most common methods used to lose recoverable data after a primary failure is a failed restore operation that writes back to the failed source.
Usually, yes. Generally speaking, a failed backup does not modify the status quo of the original hardware and typically data remains recoverable on a failed server, RAID or NAS device so long as no new data has been overwritten onto said drive. Our complimentary 48-hour diagnostic provides you with some indication of what can reasonably be recovered prior to making any decisions or commitments.
No, we’re a data recovery lab. Data recovery from failed hardware is what we do best, and we will be able to give you an honest assessment of potential weak points in your backup strategy, however we are not a vendor of backup software, managed services or cloud storage solutions. This helps keep our recommendations unbiased.
Our server, RAID & NAS recovery pricing begins at £500 + VAT. However each case has a price that will be agreed upon in advance in writing once the free initial 48-hour diagnostic is completed. Individual hard drives are priced starting at £300 + VAT. In most cases you only pay if we recover your data. Physical disk level repairs require a 50% deposit when initiated. Payment of the remaining amount is due only after successful completion of the recovery.
A free diagnostic should normally result in a response within 48 hours. Most simple array rebuilds take a few working days from quote approval to complete. Extensive image requirements, replacement parts required etc. can extend this time frame and we will indicate these items clearly at the time of quoting instead of waiting until after.