white paper the four steps to a tapeless backup

THE FOUR STEPS TO A TAPELESS BACKUP ENVIRONMENT:
YOUR HOW-TO GUIDE FOR DATA MANAGEMENT SUCCESS
WHITE PAPER
INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION
You live in a world of constant data growth. In fact, IDC estimates that data
will continue to double approximately every two years until 2020.1 This puts
tremendous pressure on IT as new resources must be added to manage
your ever expanding storage volumes and, by extension, your data backup,
recovery, and disaster recovery (DR) infrastructure.
2 ASSESSMENT
3 EVALUATION
6 IMPLEMENTATION
7 MANAGEMENT
Yet while your data is growing, your business service level agreements (SLAs)
pertaining to data backup, recovery, DR, and compliance are staying flat,
and in many cases becoming more stringent. Backup hardware, however,
has not remained stagnant, and there is an abundance of new technologies
available whether tape-based, disk-based, or even cloud-centric. Finally,
your applications have also evolved with many new technologies being
implemented including virtualization, cloud computing, backup applications,
and more advanced application functionality.
8 CONCLUSION
DATA GROWTH
SLAs
Applications
Hardware
The collision of these elements has left IT administrators in a bind. Failure to
meet business SLAs is not an option, but it has become progressively harder
to meet requirements as IT complexity continues to increase. As a result, many
companies are looking to technology advancements to address their business
needs with the hope of spending less time, money, and energy on data backup,
recovery, and DR.
IDC. “The Digital Universe In 2020: Big Data, Bigger Digital Shadows, and Biggest Growth inthe Far East.”
December 2012.
1
One of the most common strategies to enhance
your data backup, recovery, and DR suggests moving
your system to a tapeless environment. It’s not the
economics or reliability of the technology that’s causing
organizations to search for alternatives, but rather the
manageability and level of expertise the technology
requires. But how exactly can you do this? What are the
critical considerations and decisions you must make to
effectively and reliably migrate to a new medium? This
white paper addresses these questions and provides a
four-step outline for you to follow to start moving away
from tape technology.
DEFINITIONS
RTO: A recovery time objective
(RTO) is the duration of time
within which a computer, system,
network, or application must
be restored after a failure or
disaster occurs without crippling
consequences.
STEP 1: ASSESSMENT
The first step in migrating to a tapeless strategy is to
assess all of your business and product needs for a data
backup, recovery, and DR solution. After you nail down
your requirements you can begin to compare features
and functions of potential alternatives. Today’s numerous
data backup, recovery, and DR solutions offer varying
combinations of budgetary, recovery time objective
(RTO), and recovery point objective (RPO) options.
RPO: A recovery point objective
(RPO) is the maximum period
that data must be recovered
from backup storage for normal
operations to resume if a
computer, system, or network
goes down.
Copy Data/Continuous Data Protection
Snapshots
Replication
Cost
Disk
Cloud
Tape
Seconds
Minutes
Hours
Days
RTO/RPO
2
Hardware
Share this document
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
However, understanding RTO and RPO alone isn’t enough; you must also look at your environment in the context of the
following considerations.
ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT
Considerations
Questions to Ask Yourself
Why This Matters to You
Backup Windows
Do you have a defined backup window?
What is that today and how will it
change in the future?
Speed is critical for backup windows. You need a solution that can meet
the backup windows you have today and will have in the future.
Growth Expectations
How do you anticipate your
environment growing over the
coming months and years?
Growth is a fact of life. You need to consider how a solution will scale
with your environment. You should think about both performance and
capacity scalability.
Disaster Recovery
What are your DR requirements today?
And what will they look like in the
future?
DR is a critical component of data protection. The problem gets
exponentially more difficult as data grows. Think carefully about your
current and future DR requirements and how a given solution supports
those models.
Retention
Requirements
What are your current retention
requirements? How do you envision
those changing over time?
Retention is typically driven by business SLAs and compliance. Different
protection systems offer varying retention options and some solutions
can limit flexibility.
Application-specific
Needs
What applications (i.e. Oracle, SQL,
Exchange, etc.) and environments
(physical, virtual, or both) are you
operating in your infrastructure?
Do they have different protection
requirements?
Backup solutions vary from point solutions that support certain
environments like VMware, for example, to massively heterogeneous
offerings that support the most complex corporate environments. You
need to ensure that you choose the right offering to align with your
business objectives.
Budget
What monetary considerations do your
business objectives require?
Prices for various backup solutions can vary widely from pennies to
hundreds of dollars per GB and the prices depend on the other criteria
described above.
Regardless of the type of technology you choose, there are multiple delivery and hardware options you must consider as
well. Be it service, hardware, software, or a hybrid configuration, you should keep your business objectives in mind to make
the right selection for you and your organization. Finally, you need to know where and how you’re going to back up your
data. If you’re moving away from tape, will you be backing up to disk, the cloud, or perhaps a combination of the two?
STEP 2: EVALUATION
Once you understand your business objectives, you can start evaluating all of your technology options. As you consider
these options, remember that you don’t have to choose just one and, in fact, you may choose to operate multiple
technologies simultaneously to address various RTO, RPO, and business requirements.
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
Share this document
3
TECHNOLOGIES TO CONSIDER
Technology
What It Is
Why It’s Worth Considering
Drawbacks
Disk-based
backup with
deduplication
Backing up data to a disk target
instead of a tape solution.
Disk systems provide strong performance,
reliability, and efficiency. Deduplication extends
this benefit by delivering a reduced dollar per
gigabyte cost.
Companies often need to retain data for extended periods of time.
With a typical five-year span, deduplication systems will need to be
updated frequently. Additionally, the cost per GB of these solutions,
while better than non-deduplicated disk, is typically 5–10x more than
tape. This is amplified as data is stored for extended periods of time.
Cloud backup
With cloud backup, core data is
backed up over the Internet to a
remote data center using advanced
bandwidth reduction technologies
like deduplication and compression.
Since data is protected and is located
at a remote site, the resulting
solution provides both an effective
data backup and DR solution.
It can help simplify the backup process by
automating both data backup and DR. Additionally,
since the remote storage and servers are managed
by the cloud provider, the process of managing
backup and retention is dramatically simplified.
These services are typically charged on a monthly
basis and so capital costs are minimized.
Cloud backup depends on the availability of sufficient bandwidth for
data backup and, more importantly, recovery. A lack of sufficient
bandwidth can significantly impact RTOs. These solutions can also
get expensive as data volumes grow and typically offer limited
retention options.
Snapshots
A snapshot is a copy of your data
at any particular point in time that
is typically created on your primary
storage array. A snapshot can be
used to return your storage to a
previous state after a failure.
It offers zero impact backup with minimal or
no application downtime, frequent backups for
reduced recovery time, efficient backup of large
data volumes, and reduced exposure to data loss.
Snapshots are typically created on primary storage and often use
expensive disk capacity. Additionally, storage system performance
can be impacted by the number of snapshots retained on a system;
therefore long-term snapshot storage can impact storage operations
and drive up costs.
Copy Data
Management
A system that centralizes redundant
copies of corporate data created
by the various point tools, and is
used to protect, share, and analyze
information.
Copy data solutions provide a number of advanced
features including snapshots, replication,
and compression that are independent of the
underlying storage infrastructure.
Since copy data systems are independent of the existing
infrastructure, you will typically have to purchase and manage these
systems separately from existing hardware and software.
Continuous
Data Protection
(CDP)
CDP is a technology that
automatically backs up selected data
whenever any change is made. A
record is kept each time data changes
and is stored on a disk system.
Since it preserves a record of every transaction
that takes place in your enterprise, CDP allows for
extremely granular RPOs.
Since CDP systems store large quantities of transactions, they
often need significant storage capacity. This requirement grows
exponentially as data retention increases. Additionally, CDP
technologies are often specialized for certain applications and
environments.
Replication
Replication duplicates stored or
archived data in real time across
a network to a duplicate system
typically in a remote location. The
technology enhances data reliability
and accessibility.
Replication provides redundancy that can be
invaluable if the main storage backup system fails.
It can minimize downtime and streamline disaster
recovery processes by generating duplicate copies
of all backed-up files on a continuous basis. It can
also speed up and simplify recovery in the wake of
a disaster.
Replication systems typically require two storage systems of the
same type, thus doubling the potential cost. Additionally, by instantly
replicating data changes between sites, a data corruption event in
one site could be instantly duplicated to the second, therefore data
protection cannot be guaranteed.
General-purpose
Backup
Applications
General-purpose backup applications
were built to perform most common
These applications fulfill the core requirements
of any data backup, recovery, and DR strategy.
Traditional backup applications are mature and robust, but the
same maturity can lead to applications that lack the flexibility and
backup tasks including, copying,
archiving, and restoring data in the
event of data loss.
They are typically highly mature and support
heterogeneous environments. They also natively
support current technologies such as disk, tape,
and cloud.
advanced functionality of the newest technologies.
Specialized
Backup
Applications
Specialized backup applications are
more focused adaptations of their
general-purpose predecessors and
are generally focused on specific
operating environments, such as
VMware or Hyper-V.
The specialized nature of these solutions means
that they integrate tightly with their supported
environments. For example, VMware solutions will
typically leverage the newest VMware APIs and
management tools.
Many organizations have a range of technologies including multiple
applications and physical and virtual servers. These specialized
applications, while powerful for protecting specific environments,
offer limited breadth. Therefore, users will typically have to
purchase alternate, redundant heterogeneous backup solutions to
protect those servers that are not supported by these specialized
applications.
Applicationspecific
Backups
Application-specific backups were
designed to work with specific
applications. A classic example would
be Oracle RMAN, which is commonly
used to protect Oracle databases.
By tightly integrating with production applications,
these backup solutions often provide the most
consistent, robust, reliable, and application-aware
protection model.
The application-specific nature of this technology is its biggest
weakness because you would need multiple of these to protect a
typical heterogeneous environment. The breadth of these solutions
could rapidly become complex and unmanageable.
4
Share this document
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
After you have evaluated all of your data backup, recovery, and DR options,
you can narrow those down to a select few that align with your organization
and business objectives. The next step in moving away from a tape strategy is
to test your new alternatives. When it comes to data backup and recovery, it’s
the recovery that really matters. Therefore, when considering a new backup
solution, it’s critical to test it, but what processes do you need to go through
when evaluating and testing these various solutions to ensure you can truly
recover all of your data?
The following practices can and should be used to evaluate your potential new
solution(s). It’s also essential to note that you should use as much real-world
data as possible throughout this process. The best way to test a solution is to
simulate real-world data loss scenarios to see how you can react to them in
real-time. These practices include:
BEST PRACTICES FOR TESTING A NEW SOLUTION
Best Practice
Why You Should Test It
Test data backup,
recovery, and DR
You need to understand how the solution meets your basic
data backup, recovery, and DR requirements. Remember, you
should test these same functions across the range of servers
you have, including both physical and virtual and OS options
such as Windows®, Linux®, or Unix®. Not all solutions handle
these challenges equally, so it’s critical to know the strength
and weakness of each chosen option.
Test applicationspecific functionality
Your environment likely has multiple applications. You
should test how the selected options support your databases,
Virtual Machines, and email. Some solutions can support all
of these applications in a robust and consistent fashion, and
others are more limited.
Test system and
physical reliability
You will be running this environment for years to come and
could be storing data for decades or more, so it’s critical
that your system is reliable and consistent. You should test
the system by purposefully introducing hardware and/or
software faults to see how the system responds.
Test system
expansion
Growth is a common challenge because your backup system
must grow with your production storage. As part of your
evaluation, you must understand how the selected systems
will grow and test those systems to ensure they can be
completed consistently and reliably.
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
Share this document
When it comes to
data backup and
recovery, it’s the
recovery that really
matters. Therefore,
when considering
a new backup
solution, it’s critical
to test it.
5
It’s essential to
allow enough
time to effectively
initiate your
migration. In
addition to the
migration itself,
you should also
take into account
time to test and be
prepared to wait
for problems to
be resolved.
STEP 3: IMPLEMENTATION
Now that you’ve chosen and tested your new data backup, recovery, and DR
solution, the next logical step is implementation. And in order to effectively
and compliantly implement this new solution, there are critical steps you
should take to ensure success. Therefore, before jumping right in, you need
to develop a plan for the migration to your new solution. You must also take
today’s increasingly stringent government regulations and constantly evolving
security concerns into account when building this plan.
With this plan you should take the following steps:
STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
Steps
Tips for Success
Prioritize
applications you
want to migrate
Deciding which applications you’re going to migrate is a
crucial step. Make sure to determine which applications
are mission-critical to your business before beginning your
migration to save time, money, and resources. You might
want to start by migrating less critical applications since the
initial migrations could be more complex and disruptive. You
can move to the more critical applications once you have the
migration process refined and documented.
Budget enough
time for the initial
migration
It’s essential to allow enough time to effectively initiate your
migration. In addition to the migration itself, you should also
take into account time to test and be prepared to wait for
problems to be resolved.
Create a repeatable
migration process
It’s important to simplify your migration as much as
possible to create consistent migration documentation.
Consistency will enable you to implement an easily
repeatable process that can lead to enhanced efficiency and
minimize the risk of data loss.
Decide what you
will do with retained
information
Before you finalize your migration plan, take some time to
think about what you’ll do with your retained information.
Will you include it in your migration? Or will you keep it on
your existing media?
When your plan is solid, you can finally begin to execute your migration away
from tape technology. Be sure to run your existing system and your new
solution in parallel throughout the process to ensure recovery from either
system in case problems should arise. Also, verify that your migration was
successful by testing your data backup, recovery, and DR again after the
process has been completed.
6
Share this document
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
STEP 4: MANAGEMENT
You’ve done it. You’ve migrated from your legacy tape system.
So what’s next? What’s the final piece to this puzzle? It’s time
to think about how you will manage your new infrastructure.
But what about the data that’s still retained on legacy
hardware and is managed by your legacy systems? How can
you maintain and operate your legacy processes while you’re
simultaneously looking to innovate with your new technology?
Your core challenge then becomes balancing your needs
of today while planning, testing, and implementing new
innovations for the future. In reality, these competing
initiatives can be difficult to balance and many
organizations spend far too much time and money
on maintaining older systems that are rarely, if ever,
accessed. However, when thinking about your legacy
hardware and software, you have two options to maintain
the information stored on this older media. You can
either manage your legacy media in-house or leverage
a third-party partner to do it for you. Regardless of the
method you choose, it’s important to carefully consider
both of these options.
IN-HOUSE VS. THIRD-PARTY MANAGEMENT OF LEGACY DATA
Manage Legacy Media In-house
Leverage a Third-Party Partner
Pros
Choosing to maintain your own legacy systems
gives you control of and instant visibility into your
infrastructure. It allows you to ensure secure and
proper management of your legacy backup systems.
Additionally, by keeping your system management
in-house, you can maintain consistent and compliant
processes throughout your infrastructure.
Outsourcing the management of your legacy media to a third-party
partner helps you balance all of your competing initiatives by enabling
you to accelerate innovation by focusing more time on your new
technology and less on traditional operational matters. It also allows
you to store and retrieve your information securely and removes your
burden of license, hardware, and software cost. Operational complexity
is also simplified by enabling you to either automate or outsource
traditional time consuming operational activities such as data backup,
recovery, and DR.
Cons
Maintaining legacy infrastructures can be extremely
complex and costly. Not only must you maintain
the expertise and knowledge of your retired
environments, but you also must pay a premium
for hardware and software maintenance on your
older systems to ensure access to support in case of a
recovery failure. Finally, your infrastructure will
also have to bear the burden of required power,
cooling, and data center space for these infrequently
accessed systems.
With this model, you give up your control and are reliant on a third
party for access to your data. Additionally, the challenges that are
created with outsourcing services can possibly put unnecessary strain
on your organization and ultimately your infrastructure.
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com
Share this document
7
CONCLUSION
There’s no doubt data backup, recovery, and DR are three critical components of today’s IT infrastructure. These
technologies serve to protect your data center by delivering consistent and reliable functionality and support in case of
data loss, corruption, or disaster. As you continue to think about moving to a tapeless backup environment, it’s essential to
keep all of the decisions and considerations from this white paper in mind to enhance your data backup, recovery, and DR
processes now and for generations to come.
ABOUT IRON MOUNTAIN
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) provides information management services that help organizations lower the costs, risks, and inefficiencies of
managing their physical and digital data. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain manages billions of information assets, including backup and archival data,
electronic records, document imaging, business records, secure shredding, and more, for organizations around the world. Visit the company website at
www.ironmountain.com for more information.
© 2015 Iron Mountain Incorporated. All rights reserved. Iron Mountain and the design of the mountain are registered trademarks of Iron Mountain Incorporated in the U.S. and other countries. All other
trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
US-DM-EXT-WP-060614-001
800.899.IRON | ironmountain.com