Myth 2: Disk-Based Technologies Are Too Complicated
Late last week, we kicked off a blog post series looking at the common myths that exist around data protection technologies. I tried to convince users that scalability can be realized with the right data protection strategy, thanks to the innovative technologies that exist today.Technological advancement with hard disks has been a tremendous driver for data protection technologies, yet some users think disk-based technologies are too complicated. We don't advocate that users replace tape entirely; in fact, there is a place for tape backups in most IT environments. However, don't shortchange yourself by overlooking today's new disk technologies. Some of them might be intimidating, but in actuality they will help administrators reduce storage capacity and IT overhead.The most compelling driver for disk technologies might be the ability to meet recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs) more easily. Even the smallest organizations must deal with the fact that the tolerance for data loss is dramatically lower than ever before.Disk technologies provide a great platform for software manufacturers to do things that are just not possible with serial-storage media such as tape. A prime example is the ability to use a single backup set of data coupled with granular recovery technology to address today's complex recovery scenarios. Users can gain the ability to recover everything from a single document to an entire system with just one backup. Disk also powers entirely new possibilities for complete system recovery. Bare-metal recovery to dissimilar hardware environments-as well as to virtual environments-is a must-have in every IT organization's toolbox, even those without deep pockets.Data deduplication and continuous data protection (CDP) take disk to the next level for many users. Data deduplication, which can be driven with software or hardware, looks for redundant instances of backup data at a sub-file, or block level, across all backup data.Continuous data protection (CDP), also called continuous backup, refers to the automatic backup of data every time data on a volume, file system, or database system changes. It allows administrators (and in some cases users) to restore data to any point in time, so with today's RTOs and RPOs it makes CDP a very compelling solution. Writing a continuous stream of data demands that disk-based solutions are implemented.A growing number of disk-based backup and recovery tools also provide online backup and restore capabilities via storage-as-a-service (SaaS) technologies. For small businesses or remote offices with limited or no IT staff on site, this service saves time and resources and eliminates the headaches associated with tape-based backup by electronically sending backups to a secure offsite location where they are safe from hardware failure, malicious code and natural disasters. "Last-mile" issues of Internet access bandwidth still plague customers of all sizes. Coupling SaaS with existing in-house data protection tools eliminates the "all-or-nothing" proposition of traditional SaaS offerings. This hybrid approach allows customers to take advantage of SaaS for protecting their most critical data from site disasters but continues to leverage the power of in-house solutions for fast recovery in all but the most disastrous situations.The bottom line is that disk technologies can help IT managers sleep better at night. As the tolerance for data loss dramatically decreases, the role of disk is becoming more critical in any organizations data protection strategy. More data protection myths will be busted throughout the week-stay tuned.
Jason FisherDirector of Product Management, Symantec Backup Exec