What your backup actually is
Backup is not one product. A mailbox, a server and a virtual machine each fail differently and need a different kind of copy, so your coverage is built in scopes.
Here is your backup and recovery coverage in plain terms: what gets copied, how a restore starts, and what decides how fast you are working again. The full capability list lives on the managed backup and recovery service page, under managed IT services. Which scope covers which of your systems is set when the backup is built. Ask us if you are unsure.
The four scopes
- Servers and disaster recovery: Axcient. Full-system copies of your servers, kept close by for speed and in the cloud for safety, so a failed server comes back whole, not rebuilt from parts.
- Virtual machines: Altaro (Hornetsecurity). Host-level copies of your virtual machines, Hyper-V included, so one guest can be restored on its own without disturbing the host.
- Microsoft 365: Dropsuite. A second copy of your mail and tenant data, held outside Microsoft, so a mailbox or site stays recoverable after Microsoft’s retention lapses. Included on Advanced plans and up.
- Storage: Wasabi. One of the cloud storage targets these copies land in, away from the systems they protect.
What a restore looks like
Ask us. That is the whole first step: a ticket or a call telling us what you lost, where it lived, and when it was last right. Restores are mostly not self-service on purpose: writing an older copy over good data is worse than the problem you called about. The exception is Microsoft 365 — where we have turned on Dropsuite self-service restore for your team, you can recover your own mail and files there without waiting on us.
After that it depends on size: a deleted file is a small job, a whole server is a sequence. We will tell you which you are in before anything starts.
The two questions behind your recovery
How much recent work can you afford to redo? That sets how often a copy gets taken. Nightly copies can cost you a day of work; more frequent copies cost more.
How long can a system be down before it hurts? That sets what kind of recovery it gets. A file server people can wait on is a different build from the app that stops your billing.
If you hear us say RPO and RTO, those are the two questions we mean, answered per system.
Why we run it this way
One product covering everything sounds simpler, and usually means one scope is covered badly. Each tool is good at its own scope, and the arrangement follows the 3-2-1 model: three copies of your data at minimum, two close by for restore speed, one in a secure, remote location.
The Microsoft 365 copy is the one piece that depends on your plan: included on Advanced plans and up. Not sure which plan you are on? Ask your account manager.
Related articles
- OneDrive & SharePoint: where your files should live, and why a synced folder is not a backup.
- Your Managed Work Device & Company Portal: what is managed on your computer and what belongs in Microsoft 365.
- Support Requests and Tickets: how to reach the helpdesk, which is how a restore starts.
The services behind this article
For the service-level view, managed backup and recovery lists the full capability set; incident response and disaster recovery planning covers what comes back first when several things break.
Common questions
Is OneDrive a backup?
Not on its own. Sync copies your current version everywhere you are signed in, deletions included. The separate Microsoft 365 copy above is the protection, on Advanced plans and up.
How far back can you go?
Retention is set per system when the backup is built. Ask about a specific one and we will read it back.
How do I ask for a restore?
Send a ticket to support@umbrellaitgroup.com or call the helpdesk, with the details above.
Is anything on my computer not covered?
Yes. Anything that lives only on your computer, outside Microsoft 365, is not backed up by the scopes above. Keep your work in OneDrive or SharePoint instead, where the Microsoft 365 copy can protect it. If something has to stay local, tell us.
