Backup-as-a-Service is a cloud computing service that makes it possible to perform data backups over network connections to private, public, or hybrid cloud storage and restore these backups when required. The service is offered, operated, and managed by a cloud provider. With BaaS, customers save on investments in their own infrastructure for data backups and the effort involved in operating them.
BaaS is the acronym for Backup-as-a-Service. It is a cloud computing service that allows data backups to be performed and restored over network connections such as Internet connections to public, private, or hybrid cloud storage. Sometimes referred to as cloud backup or online backup, BaaS falls under the everything-as-a-service or anything-as-a-service (EaaS or XaaS) concept. Everything-as-a-Service names many more besides the established cloud computing service models Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). Services offered as part of cloud computing. In addition to backup-as-a-service, this includes services such as disaster recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS), Artificial-Intelligence-as-a-Service (AIaaS), Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS), Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) and many more. In principle, all these services are services of the classic service models IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS or combinations thereof. The services are often given their own names for marketing reasons.
Backup-as-a-Service is offered by a cloud provider and operated on its cloud platform. He provides, manages, and is responsible for all hardware and software components required for data backups. BaaS customers save their own investments in hardware and software and the effort to operate them. Depending on the characteristics of the product and the range of services offered, various backup types and scenarios are offered, such as backing up complete hard disk images or complete, incremental, and differential backups of directories and files. The BaaS services can often be expanded into a complete Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS). In the event of severe disruptions, complete failures, and natural disasters, DRaaS enables
Depending on the amount of data to be backed up, BaaS requires a network connection to the cloud with correspondingly high bandwidth. The performance features and quality criteria to be met are agreed upon in so-called Service Level Agreements (SLAs) between the provider and the customer. Backup-as-a-Service is billed based on usage, for example, based on the required storage space, the frequency of backups, or the number of systems to be backed up. There is now a large number of small or large cloud providers who offer BaaS services on the market. The exact design and scope of services can differ significantly from provider to provider.
Typical Backup-as-a-Service features and functionality
Typical BaaS services include image backups of complete hard drives, complete, incremental, and differential backups of files and file directories, provision of the software required for the systems to be backed up, and provision of a web-based user interface for configuring, managing, and controlling data backups and restores. To protect the backed-up data from unauthorized access, it is common practice to encrypt backup data. Data compression can be used to reduce the storage space required for data backups. If very large amounts of data have to be backed up, some providers offer the option of transferring an initial data backup using offline storage media.
Pros and cons of BaaS
Data backup as a service from the cloud offers numerous advantages such as:
- no investment in your own backup infrastructure
- no effort for operating and managing your own backup solution
- Backup service is available immediately after booking the service and can be used directly
- Service can be flexibly scaled and adapted to your own needs
- the transparent, usage-based pricing model
- advanced data protection through geo-redundancy and off-site backup
- high level of security can be achieved through end-to-end encryption
The disadvantages of Backup-as-a-Service are:
- there is a certain dependency on the BaaS provider, the services it offers, its prices, its availability, and its quality and security standards
- the speed and quality of the backup and restore of the data depends on the bandwidth and the stability of the network connection (large amounts of time are required for large amounts of data)
- Legal requirements for data protection or compliance guidelines may be violated by the external storage of data (possibly even outside of Europe).