The online backup solution

By Ken McCall, MBA, MCP, CDIA+

A routine yet essential part of any firm’s IT requirements is the regular backup of data for recovery purposes. This process is so routine and essential that it is part of the “plumbing” of any IT shop: You just expect it to work.

The problem is that behind the scenes, there is a lot of work to do to make a backup process consistent, reliable and ready when needed. The time your IT staff spends working on this task is time they can’t spend on strategic projects that give your firm a competitive advantage.

Is there a way to get the reliability and safety you need while freeing time for your IT staff to concentrate on higher payoff activities?

The answer is “yes.” The better way is through use of an online data center to control and store backups.

This article explores online backup as an alternative to traditional tape backup and draws upon the experiences of two outstanding firms – DiCicco Gulman & Company LLP in Woburn, Mass., and Goldstein Schechter Price Lucas Horwitz & Co., PA, in Coral Gables, Fla. Both firms are members of the Boomer Technology Circles.

Tape: The traditional solution

First, let’s consider some issues you might encounter using traditional disk-to-tape backup.

Increasing volumes of data and shrinking windows of available time for backup. As firms go “paperless,” they steadily increase the amount of digital data that has to be backed up regularly. As the data volume grows, it takes longer to stream it to an analog device such as a backup tape. At the same time, many firms are utilizing remote-access technologies and flexible scheduling plans, which often mean that people are working on files at all hours of day and night. Thus, the traditional overnight window of time when all files are closed and nobody works has shrunk so that many firms can’t back up the volume of data in the time available.
Reliability of backups when recovery is needed. Tape backup involves lots of moving parts: the tape, tape drive and backup software, just to name a few. If any of these encounter a problem, the backup may be incomplete or unreliable when needed to restore a lost or damaged file.
Safety and availability of the backed up data. To preserve data from harm in the case of a disaster, tapes must be stored away from the firm’s server room. In some cases, system administrators take them home at night. While this may be sufficient in the event of a fire or other localized disaster, a flood, hurricane or other wide-area event may still leave the tapes in danger. If they are stored off-site at a regional storage center, there will be a delay in retrieving them if a full or partial restoration is required.
Security of data. Backups must be encrypted to protect the data stored on tapes. This will keep it safe while in transit or in storage. However, encrypting data as it is written to tape slows the process even more and introduces another point of failure.
Updates to hardware and software. Backup software, like other applications, undergoes periodic updates, which means systems must be upgraded as new versions are released. As servers are added to the backup mix, additional licenses may be required. Over time, particular models of tapes and tape drives may become obsolete, requiring the firm to keep older equipment on hand in case corresponding tapes need to be read sometime in the future.
Manual processing. Someone, often from the firm’s skilled IT staff, must be involved to insert, change (if necessary) and remove the tape on a daily basis. Additional handling may be involved for offsite storage. Tapes must be manually tested periodically to ensure that captured data is retrievable and accurate. These are critical tasks, but ones that often divert time and attention from strategic IT initiatives that benefit the firm in more significant ways.

The online process

Fortunately, backing up over the Internet to a remote data center addresses all of these problems. To better understand how this approach benefits a firm, consider how the technology works.

Backup: The initial full backup of data can be extensive and unmanageable over an Internet connection. When DiCicco Gulman performed its initial backup, the firm’s service provider, AmeriVault (www.amerivault.com) delivered a hardware storage device so the initial data “seed” could be done while attached directly to the firm’s network. According to Network Administrator Rico Barrasso, this ensured that a complete starting point could be done in a manageable time period. Ensuing backups are done over the Internet.

What makes recurring backups suitable for Internet transmission is a technology called “block level change” monitoring. This allows the backup agent to monitor each file, recognize when it is changed and only transmit those portions of the file that have been altered. This, coupled with robust compression ratios, reduces the size of files transmitted to the data center so the firm’s broadband connection can easily handle it. Management of the backup process – including required servers, scheduling, notifications to administrators and so forth – is handled from a central management console. This simplifies the process and reduces the hands-on time needed by administrators. Of course, since the process is handled remotely, there are no tapes to change, store, catalog and test.
Restore: If a file must be restored due to accidental deletion or corruption, a user simply selects the filename and a date/time snapshot from the management console. The complete file, original with all block level changes, is assembled and delivered over the Internet to the desired location.

Advantages

What are the advantages of online backup over traditional tape backups? There are several.

Faster backup times due to isolation of small changes and data compression.
Easier access to backup files when needed for restoration.
Security. Data is encrypted prior to transmission and while in storage at the data center. The data center provides replicated storage (redundancy) and is likely to be far removed geographically from the firm’s location, providing additional protection from regional disasters.
Less time required by IT staff to manage the backup process, freeing up time for strategic projects that make a significant impact on the firm.

Actual applications

With an understanding of how the online process differs from traditional tape backup and considering some of the potential advantages, what do firms using this technology have to say about it?

When asked about the advantages of using an online backup solution, Amelia Regalado, director of technology at GSPLH, quickly cited the security of data storage at a data center far away. As a south Florida firm, GSPLH is acutely aware of regional weather threats and includes remote backup storage as an integral part of its disaster recovery plan. She and Rico Barrasso cited the security of data encryption during transmission and storage as key comfort factors.

Regalado, speaking of her service provider EVault (www.evault.com), said, “Our data is stored with a choice of the highest levels of encryption in a secure environment that our medium-size office could not easily or cost-effectively produce for ourselves.” In addition, Barrasso listed the freedom from swapping tapes, managing tape libraries and quick recovery options as significant advantages over tapes.

Of course, no solution is without downsides. When asked about any negatives, both Amelia and Rico focused on costs. Because the cost is based upon the volume of data stored, both suggest that firms carefully estimate the amount of storage they will use in order to make accurate cost comparisons. In addition, the cost of online storage must be compared against the full range of hardware, software, licensing and staff involvement when making a comparison of the two options.

On balance, both our case-study firms are well satisfied with their decisions to invest in online backup strategies. When asked if, given the chance to do it all over again, he would choose online over traditional backup, Rico Barrasso said, “Online is the way to go.”

Perhaps it’s time for your firm to consider following these industry leaders and look into a whole new backup strategy for its data. Put the power of the Internet and the security of a hardened data center to work for you, and allow the firm’s trained and talented IT staff to turn its attention away from “plumbing” to projects which accelerate your business.

Ken McCall, MBA, MCP, CDIA+, is a senior consultant with Boomer Consulting.