Managed backups offload scheduling, storage, and retention to the provider. Check retention periods and restore SLAs. Ensure backups are encrypted and stored off-site or in another region.
What you get
- Scheduling: Backups run on a schedule (daily, weekly) without you configuring cron or scripts.
- Storage: Provider stores backup data; you do not manage disk or off-site copy yourself.
- Retention: Policy for how long backups are kept (e.g. 7 daily, 4 weekly). Verify it matches your RPO.
What to verify
- Restore SLA: How quickly can you get a restore? Is it self-service or ticket-based?
- Encryption: Backups should be encrypted at rest and in transit. Ask where keys are held.
- Off-site or region: Backups should not sit only on the same storage as the server; prefer another region for DR.
Integration and testing
- Application-consistent: For DBs, ensure backups are consistent (e.g. snapshot after flush) or use DB-native backup.
- Test restores: Periodically restore to a test system to verify backups work and you know the procedure.
Summary
Managed backups reduce ops; confirm retention, restore process, and encryption. Prefer off-site or cross-region storage and test restores regularly.
