In IT operations and data protection, what does a well-designed backup procedure primarily help with when failures or corruption occur?

Introduction / Context:
Backups are a cornerstone of business continuity and disaster recovery. When hardware fails, data becomes corrupt, or systems crash, organizations rely on backup and restore procedures to return to a known good state quickly and safely, minimizing downtime and data loss (RTO/RPO objectives).

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Backups include system images, application binaries/configurations, and data files.
• Failure modes considered: disk failure, corruption, and system crashes.
• Recovery playbooks specify steps to restore service (operations) and integrity.

Concept / Approach:

A comprehensive backup strategy covers multiple layers: data (databases, files), application (binaries/configs), and system (OS, boot images). It supports restoration after various incidents, not just one. Therefore, a robust procedure enables recovery of operations, software environments, and business data across scenarios.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

DR runbooks and audit requirements (e.g., ISO 27001) expect periodic restores at each layer to validate readiness.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Choosing just one restoration ignores the layered nature of failures and recovery.

“None” conflicts with the purpose of backups.

Common Pitfalls:

Having backups but no tested restore process; the only successful backup is one that can be restored in practice within RTO/RPO.

Final Answer:

All of the above