Illustrative scenario. A small professional office in Olbia keeps quotations and projects on a NAS, a shared network storage device. Its dashboard reports healthy disks, and documents synchronise to the cloud. Then someone changes a folder by mistake. The useful question is: which version can the office recover, and how long will it take?
Establish what each tool protects
RAID, synchronisation and backup serve different purposes. A redundant RAID configuration can keep data available through certain disk failures; it does not create a recoverable history on its own. Synchronisation can propagate changes or deletions. Previous versions and recycle bins may help, but their limits and retention need checking. Synology distinguishes these tools in its backup guide.
In this example, the office needs to recover both a project deleted yesterday and an earlier document version. It also needs to understand what happens if the entire NAS becomes unusable. These are three different tests: simply seeing a copy of the files does not answer all three.
Set two understandable objectives
- How much work can we afford to lose? The answer determines how frequently a usable copy is needed. Last night's backup may be insufficient for a folder that changes throughout the day.
- How long can work stop? Recovery time includes obtaining credentials, finding replacement hardware if needed, transferring data and reopening it in the applications.
These are objectives to agree with the office, not performance already guaranteed. A few document folders and a management application with a database need different procedures. For the latter, confirm with its supplier how to create a consistent backup and restore it.
A separate copy and a named owner
The CISA ransomware guide recommends offline, encrypted backups and regular availability and integrity checks. A practical design might include a disconnected copy or a solution with specific protections against modification. The word “cloud” does not, by itself, establish those properties.
Assign an owner and a deputy for the checks. Document where recovery keys are kept, who can access them and how error notifications are received. Do not put credentials in a test report shared with everyone in the office.
Test a restore to a separate folder
- Choose a small representative set of test files, including an earlier version.
- Restore it to a destination separate from working documents, without overwriting them.
- Open the files in the intended applications and check their contents, versions and permissions.
- Record start and finish times, manual steps and problems. A completed export does not yet establish that work can resume.
- Plan a larger test for the unavailable-NAS scenario, agreeing the resources and downtime required.
The handover should be a repeatable procedure with evidence from the latest test and any corrective actions. To develop one for your office, see our IT support service and prepare a list of applications, storage locations and current copies.
