Data restoration and data recovery both aim to restore lost or corrupted data, but they are actually different processes. Data restoration involves retrieving data from backup archives or snapshots, while data recovery extracts data directly from storage media like hard drives or SSDs. Though their names sound alike, restoration relies on existing backups, while recovery attempts to salvage data even without backups.
This article will examine the key differences between data restoration and data recovery in more detail. We’ll look at their goals, when to use each process, how they work, their success rates, costs, turnaround times, and security considerations.
Definitions
Data restoration is the process of retrieving backup data from secondary storage and copying it back to its original location or to a new location where it can be accessed and used (https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatabackup/definition/restore). The goal of data restoration is to restore data that has been lost or corrupted so it can be accessed again.
Data recovery refers to the process of salvaging data from damaged, failed, corrupted, or inaccessible primary storage media when it cannot be accessed normally (https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/data-recovery). The goal of data recovery is to rescue data and restore access when storage devices fail or data is accidentally deleted or corrupted.
In summary, data restoration relies on backup data copies, while data recovery extracts data directly from failed or corrupted storage devices when backups are unavailable.
Goals
Data restoration and data recovery have different main goals. Data restoration aims to restore data to a previous state, before changes or corruption occurred. This is done by accessing backup copies of the data from an earlier point in time. The goal is to revert the data back to a working, accessible, intact version (Frankiewicz, 2021).
In contrast, data recovery aims to recover data that has been lost or corrupted, when usable backups are not available. The goal is to salvage data using specialized techniques that repair damage or reconstruct lost data. Since pristine backup copies don’t exist in this case, recovered data may be incomplete (TechTarget, 2022).
In summary, data restoration relies on backups to roll back to an earlier pristine version, while data recovery works to recover data without reliable backups.
Sources:
Frankiewicz, R. (2021, March 29). Data Restoration vs. Data Recovery: Key Differences. Digital Guardian. https://digitalguardian.com/blog/data-restoration-vs-data-recovery-key-differences
Data recovery. TechTarget. (2022). https://www.techtarget.com/searchdisasterrecovery/definition/data-recovery
When to Use
Data restoration and data recovery fulfill different purposes and have distinct use cases.
Data restoration refers to reverting data back to a previous state, often by retrieving information from backups. It is commonly used when data has been corrupted, accidentally overwritten, or maliciously changed. Data restoration allows you to roll back to an earlier, known good point in time. This can help recover from unwanted changes, software failures, or human errors. Restoration is only possible if backups or archives exist.
In contrast, data recovery focuses on rescuing data that has been accidentally deleted or is otherwise inaccessible. It involves salvaging data from storage media like hard drives and SSDs when the normal access methods fail. For example, data recovery software can scan a drive that will not mount properly and reconstruct files that have been deleted. It is used when no backups exist or when the backups themselves are corrupted or unavailable. Data recovery is the only option when data is lost unexpectedly with no good restore points available.
In summary, data restoration relies on reverting to known good backup states, while data recovery is needed when recovering raw data itself from failed or corrupted hardware and storage media.
Process
The process for data restoration typically involves restoring data from a backup. This may involve restoring files and folders from a backup image taken earlier, or accessing backups stored on external media or in the cloud. The steps usually include identifying the backup location, mounting the backup, locating the needed files/folders within the backup, and restoring those items to their original or new location.
In contrast, the data recovery process is more complex, as it aims to recover data even when no backups are available. The specific steps can vary based on the type of data loss, but typically involve identifying the device on which data was lost, determining the cause of data loss, selecting an appropriate recovery method, scanning the device to find recoverable data, and attempting to reconstruct files and folders from remnants found. This may utilize data recovery software to rebuild directory structures, repair corrupted data, and extract information from damaged components. Compared to restoration, data recovery involves more diagnostics and data reconstruction rather than simply accessing a backup copy.
Overall, restoration relies on backup availability while recovery must dig deeper to salvage data from the raw storage device, often without an intact file system or directory tree to reference. Recovery success depends on the recovery method used and the extent of data loss or device damage.
Success Rates
Data restoration has a higher success rate compared to data recovery. This is because data restoration relies on backups and is able to fully restore data in most cases provided a proper backup exists. According to ADRC, data restoration success rates can exceed 95% given an intact backup [1]. On the other hand, data recovery success rates are much lower since it involves reconstructing lost or corrupted data without backups. A recent poll by Data Recovery Professionals found an average success rate of about 70% for data recovery across all devices [2]. So while data recovery can still recover data without backups, the success rate is significantly lower compared to using backups and data restoration.
Cost
Data restoration is generally less expensive than data recovery. For data restoration using backup files, the main costs are storage fees and labor fees for the IT specialist doing the restoration work. Storage costs vary widely based on the amount of data, but labor fees often range from $100-$150 per hour. Some companies charge flat fees like $300-$500 for basic data restorations.
Data recovery is more complex and invasive, requiring disassembly of drives, forensic tools, and clean room facilities. Costs scale rapidly with the drive size. For a basic hard drive recovery, costs often start around $300 for drives under 500GB. 1TB drives average around $500, 2TB around $700, and 3TB around $900. Advanced recoveries of mechanically damaged drives can cost $1500 or more. Some companies charge per GB rates, which quickly escalate costs for larger drives. Rates of $500-$3000 or more are common for advanced recovery of modern multi-TB hard drives.
In summary, data restoration leverages existing backup files for a relatively low cost, while data recovery involves invasive techniques on failed drives and much higher fees. Recovery costs rise rapidly for larger drives with more advanced failures. Backing up data is crucial for avoiding high recovery costs when drives fail unexpectedly.
Turnaround Time
Data restoration is generally much faster than data recovery. For data restoration using backup software, the process is typically very quick, allowing access to files within minutes or hours. Restoration relies on intact backup files, so the speed is mostly dependent on transferring data from the backup to the target drive.
In contrast, data recovery involves rebuilding lost or corrupted files from scratch. This requires carefully scanning the drive, extracting raw data, and reconstructing files. According to sources like Minitool, recovering 1TB can take around 5 hours on average. For larger drives or more extensive corruption, data recovery may take days or longer. The exact time depends on factors like drive size, damage level, file types, and recovery methods used.
Overall, data restoration through backups provides much faster access to lost files, while complex data recovery operations take significantly more time and effort to attempt to rebuild corrupted or deleted data.
Security
Both data restoration and data recovery involve accessing sensitive data, so security is a major concern. When choosing a service, it’s important to ensure they follow best practices.
For data restoration, security risks include the possibility of data leakage or unauthorized access during the process. Reputable providers use encryption and access controls to protect data (cite urls sparingly). Many also offer security certifications like SOC 2 demonstrating their security posture.
With data recovery, deleted data may still exist on storage media until overwritten. Secure deletion is advised before disposing drives. During recovery, providers should only access agreed-upon data. Data should be restored to a new device with strong encryption enabled (cite urls sparingly).
Overall, it’s critical to vet providers thoroughly, read reviews, and understand their security protocols. Both services involve sensitive data so using a trustworthy, experienced provider is vital.
Summary
To briefly recap, data restoration and data recovery are two different processes used to retrieve lost or deleted data.
Data restoration involves restoring data from backups that were created prior to data loss. It is typically used when entire systems or storage devices fail. Data restoration can recover large amounts of data relatively quickly since backups are readily available. However, it is limited to the point in time the backup was created, so any changes after that are not restored.
Data recovery involves salvaging data directly from failed storage media using specialized tools and techniques. It is used when no backups are available and the storage media itself needs to be repaired in order to extract data. Data recovery can target specific lost or deleted files and has the potential to recover data right up until the failure occurred. However, it is a much slower process than restoration and success rates can vary greatly depending on the type of failure and recovery method used.
In summary, restoration relies on backups created before failure, while recovery extracts data directly from the failed media after the failure occurs. The choice between the two depends on the specifics of the data loss situation.