Expert Managed Backup and Disaster Recovery Services
Most backup setups fail at restore time. We use image-based backups with verified recovery tests, immutable storage, and clear recovery time objectives so you know what you're getting before something goes wrong.
Everything you need, none of the upsell.
Real deliverables, with the boundaries written down. So you know what you're paying for and what counts as extra.
Whole machine, not just files.
Full disk images of every server and critical workstation. Recover an entire machine in minutes, not days of rebuilding.
Ransomware-proof copies.
Backup tier the attackers cannot encrypt even if they get domain admin. Air-gapped, immutable, retention-locked.
Restore tests every month.
Backups that exist mean nothing. We boot test restores monthly so the backup you need next week is the backup that actually works.
Numbers on paper.
Recovery time objective and recovery point objective in writing for every system. So insurers, auditors, and the CFO can see them.
The order we work in.
A clear sequence so you can budget time, money, and risk against the work.
Assess.
Catalog every machine, share, database, and SaaS tenant. Document what would hurt to lose and how fast you need it back.
Design.
Build the backup tier set: local fast-restore, cloud secondary, immutable retention. Sized to your tolerance, not ours.
Deploy.
Roll out and validate. First successful restore test happens during onboarding.
Verify.
Monthly automated restore tests. Quarterly full DR exercise. Annual tabletop with leadership.
Get a quote on backup & dr.
Tell us a bit about your environment and we'll come back with a scoped proposal in two business days. No obligation, no pressure.
Request a Quote Back to Managed ServicesBackup that you have tested, not backup that you hope works.
Most small businesses in BC and Alberta have some form of backup: an external hard drive, a cloud sync, or a backup tool a previous IT person set up years ago. The problem is that almost none of those backups have ever been tested at restore time. The first time you find out whether your backup works is when the server dies, the ransomware hits, or the fire suppression system goes off in the server room. At that point, a backup that cannot restore is worthless. North Star's managed backup and disaster recovery service is built around one principle: every backup is only as good as its last verified restore.
For a Dawson Creek construction company running project files and accounting data on a local server, the question is not whether the backup ran last night. The question is: if that server fails at 7am on a Monday, how long until your staff can work again, and how much data from the weekend is gone? Those two numbers are your Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO). We establish those numbers at the start of the engagement, design the backup architecture to meet them, and test restores monthly so you know those numbers are accurate when you need them.
Backup and DR deliverables.
- Image-based backup: full system image of servers and critical workstations using Veeam or Datto. Not file-level backup. Not cloud sync. Full bootable image.
- Local and off-site copies: 3-2-1-1-0 strategy where applicable: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off-site, 1 immutable, 0 errors verified. Off-site target is a Canadian data centre to satisfy data residency requirements under BC PIPA.
- Immutable backup storage: ransomware cannot encrypt or delete immutable backups. We configure immutability so that even a compromised admin account cannot delete backup data.
- Monthly restore tests: we test a restore to an isolated environment each month and document the result. You receive a restore test report as part of your monthly summary.
- RTO and RPO documentation: written recovery time and recovery point objectives, signed off at the start of the engagement and reviewed quarterly.
- Microsoft 365 backup: Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams are not adequately protected by Microsoft's native retention. We back up M365 data to a separate repository with independent restore.
- Ransomware rollback: in a ransomware event, we can restore to a clean point before encryption occurred, rather than paying a ransom with no guarantee of decryption.
- DR runbook: step-by-step documented recovery procedure so that any qualified technician can execute the restore, not just the one who set it up.
Businesses that cannot afford extended downtime.
If your business runs on data that lives on a server or in the cloud, you need a managed backup strategy. This is not optional for most industries in BC and Alberta. A Prince George law firm holding client files under professional obligations needs to be able to restore those files completely. A Fort St. John oilfield services company with field crew timesheets and job cost data on a Windows server needs a recovery plan that accounts for the fact that the nearest IT supplier might be two hours away. A Kelowna retail business with a point-of-sale system connected to an accounting server needs a short RTO because even half a day of downtime is a significant revenue loss.
Businesses with cyber insurance policies are increasingly required to demonstrate backup controls. Insurers ask specific questions: Are backups immutable? Are they stored off-site? Are restores tested? Are Microsoft 365 mailboxes independently backed up? If you cannot answer those questions with documented evidence, your claim may be disputed after an incident. North Star's backup program produces the documentation you need.
Businesses in regulated sectors, professional services, accounting, legal, engineering, government contractors, also need to satisfy data retention and integrity obligations under PIPEDA, BC PIPA, or AB PIPA. We can align the backup architecture to your regulatory retention requirements.
Flat-rate monthly pricing based on protected data volume.
Managed backup is priced based on the volume of protected data, the number of servers and workstations covered, and whether off-site replication and Microsoft 365 backup are included. It is typically bundled with managed IT services as a line item within the monthly plan. Hardware (NAS, backup appliance) is quoted separately. Contact North Star for a proposal scoped to your environment, including an assessment of your current backup posture and the gaps between it and what your insurance policy requires.
What most clients ask before starting.
Is cloud sync (OneDrive, Dropbox) the same as backup?
No. Cloud sync replicates whatever is on your device to the cloud in real time. If ransomware encrypts your files, it also encrypts the synced copies before you can stop it. A proper backup maintains multiple independent point-in-time copies, including immutable copies that ransomware cannot reach. OneDrive has some version history, but it is not a substitute for managed backup with tested restores.
Does Microsoft back up my Microsoft 365 data?
Microsoft protects the M365 infrastructure but does not guarantee restoration of your specific mailboxes, SharePoint sites, or OneDrive files if you accidentally delete them or an account is compromised. Microsoft's own documentation recommends using a third-party backup for M365 data. North Star backs up Exchange Online, SharePoint, and OneDrive to an independent repository with granular restore capability.
How do restore tests work?
Once a month, we restore a backup image or a representative set of files to an isolated test environment, confirm that the restored system boots and data is readable, and document the result. You receive a restore test report with the date, what was tested, and the outcome. If a restore fails, we find out in the test, not when you actually need to recover. The test report is also documentation you can provide to your cyber insurer.
What is immutable backup and why does it matter?
Immutable backup means the backup data cannot be modified, overwritten, or deleted for a set retention period, even by an administrator. Modern ransomware specifically targets backup systems and attempts to delete or encrypt backup data before triggering the main attack. Immutable storage prevents this. We configure immutability as a default on all managed backup plans, typically using WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage at the off-site target.
We test restores so you don't have to find out the hard way.
North Star is based in Prince George and serves BC, Alberta, and the Yukon, including remote and resource-industry clients where the nearest alternative IT support is hours away and downtime has real operational cost. We use Veeam and Datto for backup infrastructure, store off-site data in Canadian data centres to satisfy BC PIPA data residency requirements, and treat the monthly restore test as a non-negotiable part of the service. When a ransomware event or hardware failure occurs, we want you to already know your RTO down to the hour, because we tested it last month. That is the difference between managed backup and backup-in-name-only.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between backup and disaster recovery?
Backups are copies of your data used for simple file recovery. Disaster recovery is a comprehensive strategy that includes the processes and tools needed to restore your entire IT environment after a major failure. While a backup helps you find a lost document, disaster recovery ensures your business stays operational during a site-wide outage. Northstar IT provides both components to guarantee your Western Canadian business remains resilient against any technical disruption.
How often should my business perform managed backups?
Frequency depends on your specific data needs and industry regulations. Most SMBs in BC and Alberta benefit from daily backups, but for mission-critical applications, we often implement continuous data protection. This approach captures changes in real-time, significantly reducing potential data loss. We work with you to determine the ideal schedule based on your Recovery Point Objectives, ensuring that your most important information is always current and recoverable in an emergency.
Does Northstar IT support cloud backup for Microsoft 365?
Yes, we provide specialised managed backup services for Microsoft 365 environments. Many businesses wrongly assume that Microsoft is responsible for all data retention, but accidental deletion or ransomware can still result in permanent loss. Our solution protects your emails, SharePoint files, and OneDrive data by storing them in a separate, secure location. This ensures you can recover specific mailboxes or documents quickly, maintaining productivity across your remote or office-based teams.
Can you help businesses with backup and disaster recovery in Grande Prairie?
Absolutely. We provide dedicated backup and disaster recovery Grande Prairie services, helping local businesses protect their digital assets. Our team understands the unique needs of Alberta-based firms, offering both cloud-based and hybrid solutions. By combining local expertise with 24/7 monitoring, we ensure that companies in the Grande Prairie region have the same level of data protection and business continuity support as those in major metropolitan centres like Calgary or Edmonton.