 Data Backup Purchase Considerations
There are many factors that make the the process of selecting
a data backup
solution difficult. Disaster recovery. Backup windows. Recovery time and
point objectives. Cost. Resource management. The integration of
information lifecycle management (ILM) and data archiving.
To
determine the most beneficial and practical solution, businesses
must weigh needs and resources – then counterbalance total cost
of ownership.
In this whitepaper, we hope to make the decision a little
easier by discussing each major purchase consideration and the characteristics
of an ideal backup
solution.
Recovery Objectives
Two of the most fundamental considerations when sourcing a
backup solution are the recovery time objective (RTO) and
recovery point objective (RPO).
Recovery time is the amount of time needed to completely
recover systems in the event of a disaster, corruption, or
outage. A company’s RTO, then, is a goal for recovery time
established by the demands on the company to support customers,
suppliers, stakeholders, and employees.
A company’s RPO is a goal for acceptable data loss tracing
back to the point of the most current data copy and therefore is
a maximum span of transacted data a company is willing to lose.
The RPO is contingent upon the value of lost data and other
risks such as reputation and competitive standing.
An ideal backup solution would provide the fastest
recoveries, translating into RPOs and RTOs approaching 0 minutes
(or as close as possible).
Ease & Reliability of Restores
Any backup method is useless unless the data recovery is
speedy and reliable. When considering backup options, the
restoration process should be scrutinized as thoroughly as the
backup process itself. If the data required for a restore isn’t
easily searchable or if it takes a long time to restore because
of the medium, your recovery time suffers – and it isn’t an
ideal solution.
Disaster Recovery
Disaster recovery is the process of restoring a site (the
systems and data of an entire facility) in the case of a
disaster. Storing backups offsite is the cornerstone of any
successful disaster recovery plan. Aggressive disaster recovery
plans may also incorporate replicated hardware, software, and
applications hosted in a secure, offsite facility.
Labor / Maintenance / Simplicity of Process
The labor and maintenance required for a backup process are
often overlooked at the time of purchase. If cost is a primary
concern, the time required for backups, restores, and recoveries
must be included when considering the total cost of ownership
for any backup solution.
The simplicity of processes in general must also be taken
into consideration. Since human error is commonly cited as a top
reason for failure; the more complicated, the more problematic
the backup method.
Hardware Utilization / Backup Windows
With corporate data volumes typically growing 50% or more
each year, backup windows are growing faster than many IT
professionals can handle. An ideal backup solution must complete
the backup process during business downtime or be able to
support backups during production hours. Obviously, the shorter
the backup window, the better.
Security / Encryption
Protecting your data via backups is pointless if the backup
copy is lost, stolen, or destroyed. The ideal backup solution
ensures data is in a secure, encrypted state at all times. All
storage and transportation methods must protect the data while
ensuring its integrity – with as few potential points of failure
as possible.
Hardware & Software Interoperability
For internal solutions in particular, IT professionals must
ensure compatibility between servers, backup hardware, and
software. For tape-based backup solutions, there may also be
“read” issues from one tape drive to the next.
Scalability
Very few of us would say their corporate data is going to
decrease next year. Any good backup solution offers scalability.
And the easier it is to scale, the better.
Compliance
Sarbanes-Oxley, Gramm Leach Bliley, HIPAA, and other
regulations imposed in recent years mandate backup and recovery
safeguards with the threat of penalties if these controls are
overlooked. The trickle-down effect has conditioned auditors to
look for documented controls even with non-regulated businesses
that may supply or interact with regulated companies.
Nearly all disciplined backup solutions will satisfy the data
protection provisions set forth by compliance regulations.
However, to comply with any disaster recovery or business
contingency mandates, backup data must be stored securely
offsite and be recoverable within a reasonable time.
Cost
Though it probably shouldn’t be, hardware cost is often the
bottom line for most companies. If cost is going to play a big
part in your decision, make sure you consider the total cost of
ownership – including labor, maintenance, and support alongside
hardware and software costs.
Once you’ve determined your needs and analyzed how the
available backup solutions satisfy each requirement, there is
still the remaining question of whether to use an in-house
solution or an out-tasked service.
Learn the pro's and con's of in-house and out-tasked
solutions by reading Chapter 1 of AmeriVault's
Backup Essential
Guide today!
Want to learn more? Check out the following whitepapers:
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