Flat backup is a method of using snapshots to protect data. After taking backup, storage snapshots are copied to another location.
Flat backup is a data protection methodology in which the snapshots of the data are taken. These snapshots are then moved to new location as a backup. In simple words, it is all about capturing your data’s snapshots rather them storing them in “actual”. And it doesn’t need a backup server or a media server.
These snapshots are very useful in case of data loss. If data is lost, the data can be quickly retrieved from a snapshot. However, a big data loss event can damage or destroy the snapshots, and then those snapshots can be retrieved from backup. Nowadays, snapshots can be taken at even shorter intervals, dramatically improving recovery process.
In this way, flat backup is a simple and cost effective than most of traditional backup systems. Flat backup also streamlines the backup process, minimizes license fees and enhances recovery point objectives and recovery time objectives. No wonder that it has been emerging as popular data backup option.
However, a flat backup has its own limitations. For example, it may not work with all types of snapshots like hypervisor snapshot. Then, it can’t protect all of your business’s resources. It will protect those resources for which storage snapshots are taken. Sadly, it is not supported by all vendors. You also require a storage snapshot to protect the workload otherwise flat backup won’t be able to protect it. Bandwidth can be problematic if snapshots are copied to a remote data center over a wide area network connection. Make sure your flat backup mechanisms keep pace with snapshots.