Microsoft Teams is one of the most widely-used tools across various organizations as it allows for collaborative work. It’s no surprise that Microsoft Teams is a very data-rich platform, filled with various types of data. It is essential to secure this data from theft or accidental loss. Backing up your Microsoft Teams data is what this post is all about, and we look at some of the leading options out there.
There are 3 main categories of data found in Teams:
1. Messages and attachments:
a. Channel messages and attachments
b. Private channel messages and attachments
c. 1-1 messages and attachments
2. Files and pages:
a. Wiki pages
b. Private and public channel files
3. Miscellaneous:
a. Shared mailboxes
b. Shared calendars and tasks
Because of the quantity and the various kinds of data used in Teams, it has become imperative to back up this data in order to quickly recover it, in instances of ransomware attacks or data loss. There are two options to protect data on Teams:
1) by using the native features of Teams to retain some kinds of data and restore them within a limited time frame.
2) by using third-party services to back up data.
Native retention features available in Microsoft Teams
Since there are different types of data in Teams, it should be noted that they are all stored differently:
- 1-1 and group messages are stored in the Teams application.
- 1-1 attachments are stored in the senders' OneDrive
- Files, attachments, notebooks, and web pages of private channels are stored in the channel SharePoint site
- Files, attachments, notebooks, and webpages of public channels are stored in the Teams SharePoint site
- Team mailbox and calendars are stored in the Team’s Microsoft Group (Exchange).
All types of data stored in SharePoint or OneDrive can be restored when lost if done within this time frame of 93 days and the data stored in Microsoft Group (Exchange) can be restored within 60 days. These retention features can go a long way in preventing the permanent loss of most types of data seen in Teams.
The main disadvantages here are the limited recovery time of 93/60 days and the lack of a recovery option for messages, not to mention the lack of any backup. A workaround to these limits is to have a Compliance Retention Policy which is only available for Microsoft E3 and E5 plans which cost $32 and $57/user/month respectively.
Source: Freepik
Third-party services to backup Teams data
Why you should consider using the services of a third party to backup Teams:
- To overcome the limited recovery time of 93 days for data stored in SharePoint and OneDrive and the 60 days limit on data stored in Microsoft Groups.
- To save on Licensing cost that comes with choosing the E3 and E5 plans of Microsoft which would allow the option of Compliance Retention Policy.
- To save on subscription costs for SharePoint. A majority of data types in Teams are stored on SharePoint, the storage limit on Sharepoint has to be taken into account, which is 1TB, in addition to 10GB per MS 365 license purchased, for data beyond this limit, charges will be applicable.
Here are 5 third party services that can be used to backup Microsoft Teams
1. Nakivo
Nakivo’s backup and replication solution provides backup of all data types in Microsoft Teams with physical backups to virtual environments like Backblaze B2, Amazon S3, and Azure blob where the data can be stored as immutable, assuring protection and guaranteed recovery. Microsoft change tracking tracks any modification to data and allows for fast backups. With the new v10.7, some enhanced features are more cloud storage options, extended protection of data, and stronger
Ransomware resilience. Nakivo is trusted by Leading brands like Coca-Cola, Siemens, Honda, and Cisco to name a few.
All these features come at a 3-year subscription at $0.80/user/month with a minimum of 10 users making this a very cost-effective solution to meet all your Microsoft 365 backup needs. The offer for a 30-day free trial should help in deciding if this solution suits all your needs.
2. Avepoint
The AvePoint backup solution for Microsoft teams allows for the backup of all data types that are stored in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft groups. With AvePoint’s virtual assistant bot, backing up can be done with ease and can be done by the end-user, freeing up other resources in the IT department of the organization, Backing up can be automated too. They offer different packages based on the number of years of retention required.
Some drawbacks to consider are that restoration can take a few hours depending on the amount of data being restored and that while backup schedules are easy to set and change, there is no on-demand backup option.
You can try this service for free for a month before deciding if this is the right choice to make.
Source: Freepik
3. CodeTwo
CodeTwo’s backup solution allows the backup of all data types that are stored in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Microsoft groups. Granular backup and recovery are available along with automated archiving of old data. This service also provides unlimited data retention.
It also has the feature of securing the localized data backup with the option for offline support for Exchange and SharePoint if required. While the interface is seldom used it is reported to be slow.
This service comes in at $10.18/user/year, and of course, the free trial for a month is available.
4. Afi Teams backup
With the Afi Microsoft teams backup, all data types being used in Teams can be protected, it also has a backup search to help find the specific data needing restoration. Granular restorations to full profile restorations are supported and it also features a regular updates system that is directly sent to the administrators via mail. It allows for high-frequency updates which would come in handy in the case of a ransomware attack, updates can be automated.
While some issues with UI seem to have risen for a few customers, their support team seems to resolve them quickly.
All these features can be availed at $3/user/month, and the option of a free trial for a month is available.
5. Veeam
With the Veeam Microsoft 365 backup, you can backup data stored in Microsoft Groups, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams data. It uses the Teams APIs to provide backup and supports quick search and granular recovery options. In the V6 product, the option of saving a backup copy on Amazon Ss Glacier and its contemporaries is available. Setting up all your Microsoft 365 tenants may take a while, the support documents given can help this process.
Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 is available as a 1-5 years annual subscription with discounts depending on how long a subscription is chosen. Licenses are sold per user with a minimum of 10 users.
Backing up Teams data is essential for restoring lost data due to Ransomware attacks or data loss due to errors of different kinds, while the limited retention features on Teams are helpful, many third-party solutions have been developed to combat these limits. The responsibility of choosing the best option to back up and protect data falls to the organization. I hope the list of backup solutions in this article helps you make an informed decision about which one is the best option for your organization.