Backups for Office 365 – This one topic is still very ambiguous and there is no clear answers. Microsoft MVPs think either there is no requirement for backups for Office 365 or strongly believe there is no proper backup solution available to properly backup Office 365.
Let’s try to understand what they mean
- There is no requirement for back up – Microsoft Exchange for that matter has DAG concept which provides back up in case of mailbox failure. In the case of whole server failure/site failure, there is DR site.
“Exchange Online uses the same technologies found in Exchange 2013. For example, Exchange Online uses the Exchange 2013 feature known as Database Availability Groups to replicate Exchange Online mailboxes to multiple databases in separate Microsoft datacenters.
As a result, you can readily access up-to-date mailbox data in the event of a failure that affects one of the database copies. In addition to having multiple copies of each mailbox database, the different datacenters back up data for one another. If one fails, the affected data are transferred to another datacenter with limited service interruption and users experience seamless connectivity.”
From <https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn440734(v=exchg.150).aspx>
- There is no proper backup solution available to properly backup Office 365 – Now with Team, Office 365 Groups which use Planner, Sharepoint, OneDrive, Exchange together to create a single Group. There is no backup software that is available that can give you holistic backing of all components of an Office 365 Tenant so not only the exact item inside an Office 365 group can be restored, but the actually group itself should be able to be restored. Few companies are working towards it, but we are not there yet.
What Microsoft MVPs think about Office 365 backup?
No Good Answers for Office 365 Backups
From <https://www.itunity.com/article/no-good-answers-office-365-backups-3513>
Still No Good Option for Office 365 Backups
From <https://www.petri.com/no-good-option-office-365-backups>
Backing Up Office 365 Mailboxes
From <https://practical365.com/exchange-server/backing-up-office-365-mailboxes-2/>
Do Exchange Online backups make sense?
From <http://windowsitpro.com/blog/do-exchange-online-backups-make-sense>
Post reading the above articles you would be thinking that there would be no backup options as they are not able to provide the proper backup solution. If the solution is not correct then there would no customer, if there is no customer then the company won’t be selling it ! Correct ?
Actually in contrary there are plenty of back up options most of this fueled from the requirement that companies want to be compliant and do not want to take a risk.
The top backups options that are available for Office 365 are
Barracuda Essentials for Office 365
From <https://www.barracuda.com/products/essentials>
Insentra – Office 365 Backup as a Service
From <http://www.insentra.com.au/office-365-backup-as-a-service/>
SkyKick – CLOUD BACKUP for Office 365
From <https://www.skykick.com/backup>
Veeam Backup for Microsoft Office 365
From <https://www.veeam.com/backup-microsoft-office-365.html>
Keepit – OFFICE 365 BACKUP
From <https://www.keepit.com/backup-microsoft-office-365/>
Avepoint – OFFICE 365 BACKUP AND RECOVERY
From <https://www.avepoint.com/products/office-365-services/office-365-backup/>
From <https://www.codetwo.com/backup-for-office-365/>
StorageCraft Cloud Backupfor Office 365
From <https://www.storagecraft.com/products/cloud-backup-office-365>
Cloudally – Office 365 Exchange Backup
From <https://www.cloudally.com/office-365-backup/>
Managecast – Backup All Office 365 Data!
From <https://www.managecast.com/office-365-backup/>
SPANNING BACKUP FOR OFFICE 365
From <https://spanning.com/products/office365-backup/>
Modern 365 