element of a disaster recovery strategy. However, all backup and recovery solutions are not equal and a bad backup is worse than no backup because it creates a false sense of security. Companies are rapidly abandoning archaic methods of backing up to physical media and turning to IT managed services such as remote backup solutions.
Better Security Than Traditional Backups
The farther the backup is from the source, the more secure it is. Unfortunately off site is sometimes not far enough. Many businesses have been ruined by large-scale natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, where both the servers and the backup storage site were devastated. Remote backup solutions can easily store backups on servers hundreds of miles away, effectively eliminating the chance that a single event will wipe out both the data center and the backup location.
The most reliable remote backups are stored at professionally managed data facilities. These IT managed services deploy an array of redundant systems to ensure 100% access at any time even in the event of natural disaster, power failure or network traffic. These facilities provide better protection of the data than tape vault services can.
No Hardware Maintenance
Tape backup systems have come a long way, but they are still mechanical systems prone to failure. Regular maintenance is necessary to keep the equipment in top condition. Driver and software compatibility issues can interfere with the operation of these critical devices. Backups to external hard drives or optical media have the same problems, and the time and expense of keeping these systems operating drives up the cost of IT operations.
Remote backup solutions involve no hardware. The client software is installed on the system to be backed up which makes a secure connection over the internet to the IT managed services site. The software is simple and robust, designed to operate on a variety of platforms. There is no physical piece to break down or require replacement.
No Unreliable Media
Data loss is frustrating, but backup loss is even more so. Turning to your backups only to discover an error in the media has corrupted the media is a devastating blow to a company. Tapes stretch and wear with repeated use and need to be replaced regularly. However even a new tape can have an undetected flaw, leading to data corruption. Optical media is more reliable, but still subject to flaws. Contrary to what even many IT professionals believe, information written optical media is not permanent and is subject to corruption simply sitting on a shelf.
When customers use remote backup solutions they don't have to deal with media. Information is backed up over encrypted internet connections and verified as it is written. The data is stored on redundant hardware so no single flaw can corrupt the data.
Immediate Restore
Assume the worst happens and information on a server has to be restored. Using traditional tape backups means the tape vault will need to be contacted and a courier arranged to deliver the backup tapes to the client. This process could take hours or days depending on how far away the storage site is. This is time the information is inaccessible and may be time the client company can't do business.
Remote backup solutions are available instantly. If a server fails or a file is corrupted, a backup can be initiated from IT managed services immediately. This allows the system to come back up far more quickly than would be possible while waiting for backup tapes to be delivered.
Free Up IT Resources
Traditional backup is a labor-intensive process. Many IT departments have night shifts with the sole job of watching tapes turn and changing media every once in a while. Then the tapes must be packaged and sent to off site storage. This is a waste of company resources and talented IT personnel.
Remote backup solutions are completely automated. No supervision is necessary as the software starts up whenever it is scheduled to. Nightly backups occur without intervention, freeing technical staff for more important tasks. Remote backups can also be processed manually, triggered as desired either outside of or instead of a traditional scheduled nightly backup.
Backing up to magnetic or optical media is simply an outdated and inefficient method of protecting information in a modern data center. Conversion to remote backup solutions is inexpensive and easy. Protect critical data by employing more IT managed services rather than sinking more resources into an archaic technology.
By Steve R. Bulmer
