Technical Glossary: Backup and Restore
Overview
Backup and restore are critical processes for protecting and recovering Salesforce data and metadata. Backup refers to creating copies of Salesforce data and metadata, while restore involves recovering that information from backups in the event of data loss or corruption. Understanding these processes is essential for Salesforce administrators to ensure business continuity and data integrity.
Intended Purpose
The primary purposes of Salesforce backup and restore are:
- Protect against accidental or malicious data loss
- Recover from system failures or outages
- Maintain historical snapshots of org data
- Enable rollback of changes or migrations
- Meet compliance and regulatory requirements
- Facilitate org cloning and sandbox refreshes
Key Concepts
Backup Types
Full backup: A complete copy of all Salesforce data and metadata at a point in time.
Incremental backup: Only backs up data that has changed since the last backup, reducing storage requirements.
Differential backup: Backs up all changes since the last full backup.
Backup Components
Data backup: Includes all standard and custom object records, files, and attachments.
Metadata backup: Covers customizations, configurations, code, and other metadata components.
Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time. For example, an RPO of 24 hours means you can lose up to one day of data.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
The maximum acceptable downtime for restoring data and services after an incident.
Backup Methods
Native Salesforce Tools
Data Export Service: Allows manual or scheduled exports of data to CSV files.
Metadata API: Enables programmatic retrieval of metadata components.
Sandbox refresh: Creates a copy of production metadata in a sandbox environment.
Third-Party Solutions
Dedicated backup and restore applications offer more comprehensive and automated solutions, often with features like:
- Automated daily backups
- Point-in-time recovery
- Granular restore options
- Data and metadata comparison
- Compliance and audit trails
Restore Processes
Full Org Restore
Recovering an entire Salesforce org, typically used in catastrophic data loss scenarios.
Partial Restore
Restoring specific objects, records, or metadata components without affecting the entire org.
Point-in-Time Recovery
Restoring data to a specific moment in the past, useful for undoing recent changes or recovering from data corruption.
Use Cases
Data Recovery
- Accidental mass deletion of records
- Data corruption from faulty integrations
- Recovery after ransomware attacks
Org Management
- Creating full or partial sandbox copies
- Migrating changes between orgs
- Rolling back unsuccessful deployments
Compliance and Auditing
- Maintaining historical data for regulatory requirements
- Investigating data changes for security audits
Best Practices for Salesforce Administrators
Backup Strategy
- Implement automated daily backups
- Use a combination of full and incremental backups
- Store backups in secure, off-platform locations
- Encrypt backup data at rest and in transit
- Retain backups for an appropriate duration based on business needs and compliance requirements
Testing and Validation
- Regularly test backup and restore processes
- Validate restored data for completeness and accuracy
- Simulate various recovery scenarios to ensure preparedness
Documentation and Training
- Maintain detailed documentation of backup and restore procedures
- Train multiple team members on backup and restore processes
- Keep stakeholders informed about backup policies and capabilities
Monitoring and Alerting
- Set up alerts for backup failures or anomalies
- Regularly review backup logs and reports
- Monitor storage usage and adjust backup retention as needed
Org Management Solutions
While not specifically focused on backup and restore, org management tools like Metazoa Snapshot can complement these processes by providing:
- Org comparison and change tracking
- Metadata deployment and version control
- Data dictionary and relationship visualization
- Compliance reporting and documentation
These capabilities can aid in identifying what needs to be backed up, tracking changes between backups, and facilitating smoother restore processes.
Conclusion
Backup and restore are fundamental to maintaining the integrity and availability of Salesforce data and customizations. By implementing robust backup strategies, regularly testing restore processes, and leveraging appropriate tools, Salesforce administrators can ensure their orgs are protected against data loss and prepared for rapid recovery when needed. As Salesforce environments grow more complex, investing in comprehensive backup and restore solutions becomes increasingly critical for safeguarding business operations and meeting compliance requirements.