What is the real future of online data backup
I have been dabbling in the offsite tape storage game for a few
months...and I have been increasingly interested in the online data backup scenario. One of the questions i would like to throw at this forum is......Why are Web hosters NOT really promoting any data hosting solutions AS there is some technical viability in this? If a company does manage to organise an online backup procedure - what is the upload cost AND what suitable programs are out there that can really compress the data in such a way as to allow a more affordable transfer of data??? AND What do you do about getting a snapshot of your server in the first place so that you can do a server rebuild in the even of a disaster....?....AND where do you keep a copy of this snapshot....On a USB on the IT managers keychain??? Any thoughts...cheers Glenn http://www.datastoragesolutions.com.au |
What is the real future of online data backup
wrote in message
ups.com... I have been dabbling in the offsite tape storage game for a few months...and I have been increasingly interested in the online data backup scenario. One of the questions i would like to throw at this forum is......Why are Web hosters NOT really promoting any data hosting solutions AS there is some technical viability in this? The first thing that comes to mind is that the web companies would have to hire and maintain a staff of qualified technicians who know more than just how to connect a PC to the internet. With the broad range of PC/Server combinations, operating systems on the market there can be no real ready to sell cookie cutter solution. Every solution for more than the smallest company would require quite a bit of advanced research and support on a continuing basis in order to maintain a viable remote backup system. If a company does manage to organize an online backup procedure - what is the upload cost AND what suitable programs are out there that can really compress the data in such a way as to allow a more affordable transfer of data??? Again, the programs and hardware needed to support a remote backup system are totally dependent on what the customer is using for it's primary system. AND What do you do about getting a snapshot of your server in the first place so that you can do a server rebuild in the even of a disaster....?....AND where do you keep a copy of this snapshot....On a USB on the IT managers keychain??? Any thoughts...cheers Glenn I used to work in an IT department for a company that provided network support for other companies. Out data center and staff had to be available on a 7/24 basis. To provide that kind support on a contracted basis we built and maintained a backup operations center in another city that was ready to staff and activate in around 8 hours or less. There was a backup power system with a onsite 30 day fuel supply the generator. Enough food and other supplies to keep the facility operating for a couple of weeks were stored there as well. The food supply was kept updated (expiration dates were checked). Food close to it's expiration date was donated to a charity and replaced. A dedicated T1 connection between the host site and the recovery site for transferring server data and other remote testing of the restoral site. We also had Telco connections to multiple phone/data carriers for redundancy with pre-scripted and tested rerouting of phone numbers by the Telco's from our primary site to the backup. Most companies would find this to be major overkill but I have seen other backup sites that were much larger than ours and a few stored in semi trailers, complete with Generators, PC's equipped for wireless and wired network, wireless routers, and boxes of Ethernet cable and switches for a total mobile restoral service. The first 1 day test activation of our dedicated restoral site identified we had coffee, equipment to make coffee, but no coffee cups... and I don't want to think about a vital paper product that was found to be missing... ;) Subsequent testing ironed out the rest of the bugs, especially after the boss authorized moving all operations to the backup facility for a complete week, later done annually. We had many visitors during our annual activation, some of them by other company managers wanting to build a site similar to ours. While working for a smaller outfit (prior to network solutions available now) we were able to get by with making encrypted backups of the servers to tape. These tapes were then sent to a secure warehouse by courier every morning. The same currier would return a set of old tapes that were more than 30 days old which would be erased and used at a later time. A second set of encrypted tapes were sent home with an employee who was paid to store them in a large gun locker, provided by the company. Do not plan on keeping your only copies of the server information in the same building, or even the same business park. A tornado or major fire could wipe out your site along with the backup copies. It all depends on how long a company can get by with out the use of the servers. As for the servers themselves, I won't tell you how many companies have stored backup copies of their data off site only to find out that it could take weeks, if ever, to locate, purchase, and activate server hardware capable of loading and using backed up data. Having a software backup it pretty much useless unless you invest in the hardware needed to actually load and run the backup data in advance of something like a computer room fire or major roof leak. For smaller companies using one of the existing network backup services might be a viable idea. You still need to identify and locate, purchase, or lease the hardware needed to use the stored data should your original hardware become unusable. Make sure it is not stored in the same facility as the existing servers, and it is tested at lease once with live data. Remotely stored data is useless unless you have something able to read it. Backup software if great as long as someone remembers to install the same version on the backup server. Finding out the wrong memory was installed or a wrong server array setup is not something you want to run into when your boss is looking over your shoulder asking when YOU can get the company can get back in business. Oh well, returning to the background clutter... |
What is the real future of online data backup
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What is the real future of online data backup
On Apr 12, 2:02 am, "GlowingBlueMist" wrote:
wrote in message ups.com... I have been dabbling in the offsite tape storage game for a few months...and I have been increasingly interested in the online data backup scenario. One of the questions i would like to throw at this forum is......Why are Web hosters NOT really promoting any data hosting solutions AS there is some technical viability in this? The first thing that comes to mind is that the web companies would have to hire and maintain a staff of qualified technicians who know more than just how to connect a PC to the internet. With the broad range of PC/Server combinations, operating systems on the market there can be no real ready to sell cookie cutter solution. Every solution for more than the smallest company would require quite a bit of advanced research and support on a continuing basis in order to maintain a viable remote backup system. If a company does manage to organize an online backup procedure - what is the upload cost AND what suitable programs are out there that can really compress the data in such a way as to allow a more affordable transfer of data??? Again, the programs and hardware needed to support a remote backup system are totally dependent on what the customer is using for it's primary system. AND What do you do about getting a snapshot of your server in the first place so that you can do a server rebuild in the even of a disaster....?....AND where do you keep a copy of this snapshot....On a USB on the IT managers keychain??? Any thoughts...cheers Glenn I used to work in an IT department for a company that provided network support for other companies. Out data center and staff had to be available on a 7/24 basis. To provide that kind support on a contracted basis we built and maintained a backup operations center in another city that was ready to staff and activate in around 8 hours or less. There was a backup power system with a onsite 30 day fuel supply the generator. Enough food and other supplies to keep the facility operating for a couple of weeks were stored there as well. The food supply was kept updated (expiration dates were checked). Food close to it's expiration date was donated to a charity and replaced. A dedicated T1 connection between the host site and the recovery site for transferring server data and other remote testing of the restoral site. We also had Telco connections to multiple phone/data carriers for redundancy with pre-scripted and tested rerouting of phone numbers by the Telco's from our primary site to the backup. Most companies would find this to be major overkill but I have seen other backup sites that were much larger than ours and a few stored in semi trailers, complete with Generators, PC's equipped for wireless and wired network, wireless routers, and boxes of Ethernet cable and switches for a total mobile restoral service. The first 1 day test activation of our dedicated restoral site identified we had coffee, equipment to make coffee, but no coffee cups... and I don't want to think about a vital paper product that was found to be missing... ;) Subsequent testing ironed out the rest of the bugs, especially after the boss authorized moving all operations to the backup facility for a complete week, later done annually. We had many visitors during our annual activation, some of them by other company managers wanting to build a site similar to ours. While working for a smaller outfit (prior to network solutions available now) we were able to get by with making encrypted backups of the servers to tape. These tapes were then sent to a secure warehouse by courier every morning. The same currier would return a set of old tapes that were more than 30 days old which would be erased and used at a later time. A second set of encrypted tapes were sent home with an employee who was paid to store them in a large gun locker, provided by the company. Do not plan on keeping your only copies of the server information in the same building, or even the same business park. A tornado or major fire could wipe out your site along with the backup copies. It all depends on how long a company can get by with out the use of the servers. As for the servers themselves, I won't tell you how many companies have stored backup copies of their data off site only to find out that it could take weeks, if ever, to locate, purchase, and activate server hardware capable of loading and using backed up data. Having a software backup it pretty much useless unless you invest in the hardware needed to actually load and run the backup data in advance of something like a computer room fire or major roof leak. For smaller companies using one of the existing network backup services might be a viable idea. You still need to identify and locate, purchase, or lease the hardware needed to use the stored data should your original hardware become unusable. Make sure it is not stored in the same facility as the existing servers, and it is tested at lease once with live data. Remotely stored data is useless unless you have something able to read it. Backup software if great as long as someone remembers to install the same version on the backup server. Finding out the wrong memory was installed or a wrong server array setup is not something you want to run into when your boss is looking over your shoulder asking when YOU can get the company can get back in business. Oh well, returning to the background clutter... MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! I hope the company made money.. I still think that yes...test run the System on a server that is set up for your backup data...Keep the lot off site with a provider that can securely store the stuff...make sure you can rebuild in a hurry and can rig it up to be have users. I hope coffe wasn't just instant Thanks for the feedback |
What is the real future of online data backup
On Apr 12, 9:03 am, Alex Harrington wrote:
wrote: I have been dabbling in the offsite tape storage game for a few months...and I have been increasingly interested in the online data backup scenario. Such systems have existed for some time now. At the consumer level, you're most likely to be resold a rebadged version of Attix5 Backup Professional. It is written in Java and runs on Windows/Mac/Linux/*nix etc Initially it copies all the data you select, compresses it, encrypts it with SSL and sends it over the internet to a datacentre. Once there, your data is further encrypted with a ~500 bit key. Future backups are all incrementals from your previous successful backup - aka incremental for ever. Attix differs here from most in that it does "binary patching" - that is a 1K change to a 1GB file generates a patch just slightly bigger than 1K to be transmitted. In the UK, Centrastor are amongst the leaders:http://www.centrastor.co.uk/ Alternatives are available - eg CommVault Galaxy - but they're more geared to the corporate sector. HTH Alex Thanks all...for your feedback Glenn |
What is the real future of online data backup
snip
MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!! I hope the company made money.. I still think that yes...test run the System on a server that is set up for your backup data...Keep the lot off site with a provider that can securely store the stuff...make sure you can rebuild in a hurry and can rig it up to be have users. I hope coffe wasn't just instant Thanks for the feedback The coffee most definitely was not instant. :) Yes they made money. Last I heard they were still remotely monitoring/managing over 120 company data networks nation wide, both large and small. One network alone had over 4500 routers along with the devices attached to them, all being remotely monitored and managed. They also collected and stored router configurations to the tune of over 20000 routers weekly for those same customers. Upgrading remote router software to keep up with security fixes as well as customer requested configuration changes also helped to keep people busy. |
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