Backups & Monitoring
A stable bespoke system is built on reliable backups and sensible monitoring. I design backup and alerting strategies for .NET web apps, APIs, SQL Server databases and Android-connected systems that match your risk tolerance and budget — without unnecessary complexity.
Especially useful for SMEs running Windows servers, hybrid hosting (on-prem + cloud), or business-critical apps where “we’ll notice if it breaks” isn’t a plan.
Verified backups
Backups are only valuable if they restore cleanly when you need them.
Off-site copies
Protects against server loss, account issues and ransomware.
Actionable alerts
Alerts that tell you what matters, without drowning you in noise.
Clear escalation
A simple “who does what” plan when something looks wrong.
Backup strategy (practical, not theoretical)
The aim is to meet your recovery needs with minimal fuss: correct backup types, sensible retention, and at least one off-site copy that survives a bad day.
SQL Server backups
- Full, differential and log backups configured appropriately
- Schedules aligned to your RPO (how much data you can afford to lose)
- Backup integrity checks and visible failure alerting
- Encryption of backup files where appropriate
- Clear retention rules (short-term fast restores + longer-term archive)
App files & configuration
- Backups of uploaded documents/images and other file storage used by the app
- Capture key configuration (without storing secrets insecurely)
- Notes on environment setup: DNS, certificates, scheduled jobs, background services
- Versioned deployments so rollback is possible after a bad release
Restore testing (the part most teams skip)
A backup you’ve never restored is a hope, not a plan. I recommend lightweight restore tests on a schedule, especially after server moves, upgrades, or major system changes.
- Periodic test restores to a separate environment
- Confirm the app actually runs and key workflows work
- Measure how long it takes (realistic recovery time)
Monitoring & alerting (so problems are found early)
- Basic server health (CPU, memory, disk space, services running)
- Uptime checks and “smoke tests” that hit key endpoints
- Certificate expiry reminders (a classic avoidable outage)
- Backup job success/failure alerts (not just “we think it ran”)
- Blocking/locks and unusually long-running queries
- Disk growth and database size trends
- Capacity signals: storage pressure and IO constraints
- “Known pain” checks for your system (the queries/tables that matter most)
- Structured error logging and exception alerts
- Tracking spikes in 500s/timeouts (often a symptom before an outage)
- Background job monitoring (queues, scheduled tasks, email/SMS sending)
- Audit-friendly logging for sensitive actions (without leaking personal data)
Android & field app monitoring (where it matters)
If you have an Android app used by staff in the field, monitoring isn’t just “server up/down”. You also want to spot API failures, sync problems, and rollout issues before they impact operations.
Mobile-to-API reliability
- Monitor API error rates and response times
- Detect “sync queue” problems and repeated retries
- Version awareness (which app versions are calling the API)
Operational signals
- Alerts when key workflows fail (e.g. job completion, uploads, signatures)
- Simple dashboards for “is today working?”
- Escalation paths that match your working hours and on-call reality
Outcomes you should expect
Reduced operational risk
- Backups you can rely on, with off-site protection
- Early warning when something degrades
- Less downtime and fewer “surprise” failures
Clear response process
- Alerts that go to the right person at the right time
- Fewer false alarms and less alert fatigue
- Better support conversations because you have evidence
Not sure if your backups are working?
I can review your current backup and monitoring setup, highlight gaps, and implement simple improvements that significantly reduce operational risk — including restore testing and “actionable” alerting.