Backup OneDrive for Business - The How and the Why's

OneDrive for Business is the lifeline for companies that have a large mobile workforce. OneDrive will allow users to sync files and access them from anywhere. As with any cloud service, it is not safe from human error or malicious deletes, and the retention policy has its limitations. The system will only save files for a limited time, this is why it is not a good option for a file backup.

OneDrive for Business Retention Policy

OneDrive comprises of a SharePoint document library for uploading data and a local folder that can synchronise the data in your cloud account to your machine. It also has a very convenient client for mobile devices such as tablets and mobile - so you can reply to your emails on vacation, if you like (anyone still doing this? I sure am). But what if you've lost or deleted a OneDrive file? Cloud files are notorious for being prone to accidental deletion or sync issues. It's good to know the following, about OneDrive retention policy:

• You can recover items in the OneDrive Recycle Bin. But Items in the Recycle Bin will be automatically deleted after 30 days.
• If your Recycle Bin is full, the oldest items will be automatically deleted after three days.
• Items from OneDrive are removed from the recycle bin(s) after 90 days, starting from the original delete date. This regardless of the recycle bin in which they were saved (first or second level).

On Using OneDrive as a Backup

OneDrive is not a good option for endpoint protection, even if some make the mistake of using it as a backup. Given that data is only saved for 30 days, users will be caught off guard if they need to recover anything beyond that timeframe. In a business setting, this sort of situation can occur quite often - such as when accessing files of a former employee (if he removed them), or accessing important documents in a litigation issue.

The Need for Cloud Backup Applications

Office 365 covers the basics when it comes to backup and recovery, but nothing can replace a reliable SaaS data protection solution. Apps like the StorageCraft Cloud Backup for Office 365 will save data for an unlimited period and allow you to recover anytime, no matter the incident. Once set up, backups happen automatically and you can recover data in a few seconds, through an easy-to-use web interface. You don't ever need to worry about storage space, software upgrades, or the possibility of an onsite backup server failing. Give it a try!