Forum Discussion
Back-up tools for Office 365
Started this question a while back on Yammer. What tools do you use to back-up mail and files stored in Office 365?
The fact that your files are back-upped inside and outside the datacenters of...
Yes, the exchange online export tool covers mailboxes, public folders, contacts, tasks etc. The Sharepoint online archive tool covers almost all content level backup.
Right, but where do you back stuff up to and how can it be recovered?
Not to put too fine a point on this topic, I continue to search for the "perfect" (or at least, near-perfect) backup tool for Office 365 tenants. Right now, I can find:
- Tools that deal with the two basic Office 365 workloads - Exchange Online and SharePoint Online
- Tools that backup to on-premises systems or cloud datacenters
- Tools that can handle some aspect of the integrated Office 365 apps, but not all
I think that the industry as a whole is still limited by the on-premises roots of the majority of backup tools. These tools work well in an on-premises environment but struggle in the cloud when they have to deal with issues such as:
- Greater data volumes (like Exchange Online 100 GB mailboxes)
- New ways of storing data (like Exchange expandable archives)
- New applications (like Teams, Planner, and Groups)
- New infrastructure challenges (like moving masses of backup data across the internet)
- New requirements (like data soverignity and GDPR)
- New technical challenges (like handling the wider use of encryption technologies inside Office 365 because IRM is much easier to deploy and use in the cloud, or the lack of a suitable backup API for most of the Office 365 data sources)
No backup vendor that I have spoken with in the last few years has good answers to these questions. Some, like AvePoint, have made a start to move from their on-premises roots to support the new applications. Most remain focused on the basic workloads and ignore the new challenges. Hence the reason why I challenge any backup vendor who posts here to proclaim the wonders of their tool. All have nice marketing material, few have good answers to the questions that I pose.
Tony, do you have enough evidence from you customers that a complex backup/restore solution for Office 365 applications (such as Groups, Teams, Planner, StaffHub) is really needed?
Or it is pure theoretical exercise in capabilities of various commercial backup solutions?
Thank you
Oleg
I think there are three aspects to consider here.
First, Office 365 is a more complex environment and I don't think ISVs who market backup products for Office 365 can claim that their products handle Office 365 when they really only handle a defined subset, such as Exchange Online or SharePoint Online.
Second, there is a trend inside Office 365 to move some work to new apps (for example, from email to Teams). The new apps are relatively recent, but don't they deserve as much attention as the traditional apps, especially in an era when compliance and data governance has become more important.
Third, Microsoft says that a tenant's data is theirs... but unless you can extract and move that data, can that claim ever be tested?
Hey Tony and Oleg Melnikov,
since more an more companies are using Groups and Teams, this becomes more and more important for an cloud backup solution. Hence, with Exchange only you don't have a comprehensive solution. I haven't heard the requirement for Planner, StuffHub or Project Online backup not that often - so far - but this can change in the future.
TonyRedmond, I have to disagree with you point 3. Microsoft clearly states, it does NOT own your data. Microsoft is only data processor, but not data owner. This is also very important to know in regards to GDPR. However, this also makes clear, why customers need additional backup solutions, because Microsoft is not responsible for that. Please see the Office 365 Trust center if you've doubts:
https://products.office.com/en-us/business/office-365-trust-center-welcome
"With Office 365, it’s your data. You own it. You control it. And it is yours to take with you if you decide to leave the service."
- Tony - how did you get on with the vendors at ignite? Have any of the o365 backup solutions moved on..?
Hey TonyRedmond and Sie Harris,
have you looked into the latest release from the AP Cloud Backup? It finally covers all the points and questions you mentioned. Feel free to ping me, if there's still a question and you need more info.
Rob
I have never heard of "AP Cloud Backup."
As to "finally covers," you'll forgive me if I retain some disbelief until I see a backup service that can deal with the complexities of Groups, Teams, and Planner as well as the basic workloads (Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive) and can handle the volume of data generated by a moderately large and busy tenant.
Nope. Things remainded pretty well as they were. I talked about the topic in my "Ten critical areas for those moving from Exchange on-premises to Office 365" session, but no vendor rose to the bait to tell me that they had a better solution!
