Managed cloud backup and disaster recovery for Scottish organisations
Stratiis protects Microsoft 365, servers, virtual machines, applications and critical business data with monitored backups, tested recovery and practical disaster recovery planning.
What are cloud backup and disaster recovery services?
Cloud backup creates protected copies of business data in a separate cloud environment. Disaster recovery defines how systems, data and essential services will be restored after disruption. Together, they help an organisation recover from accidental deletion, ransomware, hardware failure, data corruption and other incidents while reducing downtime and data loss.
A backup is valuable only when it can support recovery
Stratiis manages backup as an operational service rather than a one-off software installation.
Protected information
Critical files, email, systems, databases and cloud data are covered according to agreed priorities.
Reduced downtime
Recovery priorities and procedures help the business restore the most important services first.
Clearer assurance
Monitoring, reporting and recovery tests provide evidence that protection is working as intended.
Stronger resilience
Separated and immutable recovery options reduce the risk that one incident destroys every copy.
What can a managed backup and recovery service include?
The right scope is based on the information, applications and services your organisation needs to operate.
Microsoft 365 backup
Protection for Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and relevant Teams data, with retention and recovery options.
Server and virtual-machine backup
System-level protection for physical servers, virtual machines, shared data and business applications.
Cloud workload protection
Backup for cloud-hosted servers, databases, configurations and workloads that remain the customer's responsibility.
Endpoint and specialist data
Protection for appropriate laptop, desktop, database and industry-specific application data.
Immutable backup options
Protected copies designed to resist alteration or deletion during a defined retention period.
Monitoring and reporting
Backup-job oversight, failure alerts, capacity checks, coverage reviews and clear service reporting.
Recovery testing
Planned restore tests confirm that data can be retrieved and expose gaps before a real incident.
Disaster recovery planning
Priorities, objectives, responsibilities, communication and technical recovery procedures documented together.
What is the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
The two are closely connected, but they solve different parts of the recovery problem.
| Area | Primary purpose | Typical questions answered |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud backup | Creates recoverable copies of files, email, systems, databases and configurations. | What is protected? How often? For how long? Can an earlier version be restored? |
| Disaster recovery | Restores technology and critical services following a serious disruption. | What is restored first? Who acts? How long will recovery take? What dependencies are required? |
| Business continuity | Helps the wider organisation continue essential activity while disruption and recovery are managed. | How will people communicate, work and serve customers if normal systems or locations are unavailable? |
What are RPO and RTO?
Recovery objectives turn a general wish to “get back online quickly” into measurable priorities for solution design and testing.
Recovery Point Objective
RPO is the maximum amount of recent data the organisation can tolerate losing. A four-hour RPO means protection should allow recovery to a point no more than four hours before the disruption, subject to the agreed design.
Recovery Time Objective
RTO is the target time for restoring a system or service after disruption. More demanding recovery targets normally require additional automation, infrastructure and investment.
What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?
The 3-2-1 rule is a widely used starting point for reducing the risk of losing every copy of data in the same incident.
Three copies
Keep the working data plus at least two additional protected copies.
Two systems or media
Avoid relying on one platform, storage system or failure point.
One separate copy
Maintain an off-site, isolated, offline or immutable copy appropriate to the risk.
Cloud resilience does not remove your responsibility for recovery
Does Microsoft 365 include backup?
Microsoft 365 includes availability, retention, recycle-bin and recovery features, and Microsoft also offers dedicated backup capabilities. The right approach still depends on required retention, recovery speed, data coverage, independence, compliance and management. Stratiis can assess Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams requirements.
Can backup protect against ransomware?
Backup cannot prevent an attack, but separated, monitored and tested recovery copies can reduce its impact. Protection should be combined with identity, endpoint, email and network controls plus a clear incident response plan.
A five-stage managed backup and recovery process
The service starts with business priorities and remains under review as systems, data and risks change.
Assess
Understand systems, information, current protection, dependencies, risk and compliance requirements.
Prioritise
Identify critical services and agree suitable RPO, RTO, retention and recovery order.
Protect
Implement secure backup coverage, separation, encryption and access controls.
Monitor and test
Investigate failures, review coverage and prove recovery through planned restore testing.
Improve
Update the design and recovery plan as technology, suppliers and business priorities evolve.
What should you look for in a backup and disaster recovery provider?
A well-managed service should provide
Connected to your wider IT strategy
Backup decisions should reflect cybersecurity, infrastructure, Microsoft 365, business continuity and future technology planning. Stratiis can provide the service as part of fully managed IT or alongside an internal team.
How much do cloud backup and disaster recovery services cost?
Pricing depends on the amount and type of data, protected systems, retention, recovery speed, resilience and level of management required. A review allows Stratiis to recommend proportionate protection rather than a generic storage allowance.
Get a recovery assessment
Review current coverage, identify gaps and establish the right scope for your organisation.
Cloud backup and disaster recovery explained
Is OneDrive a backup?
OneDrive synchronises and stores files and provides versioning and recycle-bin features, but it should not automatically be treated as a complete independent backup strategy.
Do businesses need to back up Microsoft 365?
They should assess the risk. Required retention, recovery speed, coverage, compliance and the need for an independent copy determine whether additional backup is appropriate.
What Microsoft 365 data can be protected?
Depending on the selected service, protection can cover Exchange Online, OneDrive, SharePoint and relevant Teams data, including emails, files, sites and shared information.
How often should data be backed up?
Frequency should follow the agreed RPO: how much recent data the organisation could tolerate losing. Critical, frequently changing systems normally require more frequent protection.
What happens when a backup fails?
A managed service should detect the failure, investigate its cause, restore coverage and escalate any period of increased risk rather than leaving the problem unnoticed.
How often should backups be tested?
Restore tests should follow a documented schedule based on risk and criticality, and should also occur after major system or backup-design changes.
Can one deleted file be restored?
Usually, yes, if that file was included in the protected data and a suitable recovery point remains within the agreed retention period.
Can a complete server be recovered?
It can be when the service protects the full server or virtual machine and the required recovery infrastructure, credentials, applications and dependencies are available.
What is an immutable backup?
It is a backup that cannot easily be altered or deleted during a protected retention period, helping defend recovery data from ransomware or compromised administrator access.
How is disaster recovery different from business continuity?
Disaster recovery focuses on restoring technology and data. Business continuity covers how the wider organisation will continue essential operations during disruption.
Can Stratiis test an existing backup service?
Yes. Stratiis can review coverage, monitoring, retention, security and recovery processes, then carry out agreed restoration tests and document any gaps.
How quickly can systems be recovered?
Recovery time depends on the agreed RTO, incident type, data volume, technical dependencies and selected solution. Targets should be designed and tested before an incident.
Build a backup and recovery plan around what the organisation needs to keep running
Stratiis can review existing protection, identify gaps and recommend monitored cloud backup, recovery testing and disaster recovery arrangements based on real business priorities.
Arrange a backup reviewExplore managed IT
Call 0141 348 7960 or email sales@stratiis.com.
