Backup and Disaster Recovery for Manufacturing Companies

What manufacturers typically forget to back up

Most manufacturers back up their file server without a second thought, but ERP databases, PDM or engineering file repositories, and quality documentation systems sometimes get missed because they run on a separate server nobody thinks of as part of the backup routine. An audit of what's actually being backed up, versus what people assume is being backed up, is often the first useful step.

• ERP and MRP databases (SYSPRO, Genius ERP, Sage X3, Business Central, Epicor Kinetic, and similar platforms)
• File servers holding job files, quality records, and shared drives
• Engineering and CAD file repositories or PDM systems
• Microsoft 365 mailboxes, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams data
• Configuration for critical network equipment where feasible

Why traditional backup fails against ransomware

Copying a database to a networked drive overnight protects against accidental deletion and hardware failure, but not against ransomware, because that drive sits on the same network the ransomware encrypts along with production. Modern manufacturing backup needs at least one copy that ransomware cannot reach or alter, even with valid administrator credentials.

Immutable, off-network backup copies

Immutable storage locks a backup so it cannot be modified or deleted for a defined retention period, even by someone with full administrative access. Pairing immutable object storage with a modern backup platform means a ransomware event becomes a restore operation instead of a negotiation with criminals.

Nickel City Tech Solutions uses Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud as our current backup platform, typically paired with object-lock storage for the immutable copy, and separate credentials for the backup infrastructure so a compromised domain admin account cannot touch the backups themselves.

Defining recovery objectives per system

Not every system needs the same recovery speed. Losing access to an archived project folder for a day is an inconvenience; losing the ERP database during month-end MRP runs is a production emergency. Define a recovery time objective and recovery point objective for each major system so priorities are clear before an incident, not during one.

Testing restores, not just backup jobs

A backup job that reports success every night tells you the copy was made, not that it can be restored. Full test restores on a fixed schedule, at minimum quarterly for critical systems, catch corruption, misconfiguration, and licensing issues before they matter during a real incident. Our general guide to the 3-2-1 backup rule covers the underlying principles this approach builds on.

Recovering to clean infrastructure

Restoring a ransomware-affected environment onto the same infected servers can let the malware re-establish itself. A tested recovery plan for a manufacturer should include the ability to stand up ERP and file-server workloads on clean, isolated infrastructure first, verify they're clean, and only then reconnect them to the production network.

Connecting backup to business continuity

Backup and disaster recovery is one piece of a broader continuity plan that also covers communication, manual production workarounds, and vendor coordination during an outage. Our article on manufacturing business continuity planning expands on the rest of that plan, and our backup and disaster recovery services page describes our ongoing management approach.

Frequently asked questions