Why are our Backup Policies and Procedures So Difficult?
Let’s agree to make 2009 the year we stop having to ask this question! If we accomplish nothing else this year, we’ll probably chalk it up as a win.
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So why are backup’s still a problem? I think the problem stems fundamentally from the need of IT folks to continually re-invent the wheel. For some reason, we operate under the misconception that our IT shop is so totally unique that an already tried and true solution just won’t work. How in the world can that be?
If you look at most shops today you’ll find a moderate number of servers, perhaps 50-100 (or less depending on your virtualization success) and a moderate amount (by today’s standards) of data, perhaps 10-50TB, mostly Windows, some flavors of Unix, running databases like Oracle or SQL, email servers like MS Exchange, a couple of file servers and perhaps some homegrown applications. Oh, and a smattering of infrastructure things like DNS, Active Directory and domain servers. All connected by GigE networks, sharing storage in a SAN. You get the picture.
Does this sound like your shop? Close enough? OK. Thousands of folks have solved this problem to a greater or lesser extent in a hundred different ways. Each way being somewhat unique (though there are only so many technologies and technology permutations available), but each attempt taking far longer than it should have.
Hundreds of enlightened folks have solved this problem by installing an appliance. Nothing unique: each appliance looks essentially the same: there is a backup server, some disk, some tape and some software (common in the thousands of solutions too). One fundamental difference though: the appliance vendor put all the hard stuff together before it ever arrived in the data center, ensured that it all functioned together and performed as designed and that the customer was ready to implement. The big difference: the solution was completely implemented in a week or less. In all cases.
How can this be? Most enterprise backup solutions take months to implement and even then many systems aren’t participating or key aspects of system restore or disaster recovery haven’t even been tested. Why? Months are spent re-inventing the wheel, that’s why! Most IT folks will implement one or two enterprise wide backup solutions in their career. The Appliance vendor does this for a living, perhaps having implemented thousands of such solutions. Who has a better chance of getting it done correctly in your shop? That was a rhetorical question.
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Case Studies
Dare County Schools Chooses
STORServer to Ensure Data
Weathers Any Storm.
Decore-ative Specialties likes
the look of their backup with the STORServer Backup Appliance.
HarborOne Credit Union saves
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LTD Financial Services finds
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STORServer put the New Mexico State Highway
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STORServer Backup Appliance stores $800 million worth of assets for NuUnion Credit Union
Olmsted County increases the level of data protection, while reducing the amount of time required to backup and restore.
STORServer Manager eases the workload for Security Mutual Life in an
existing Tivoli environment.
St. Charles Med. Center operates in a 24x7 environment – network downtime for backups is not an option.
Unicco virtualizes their environment and installs STORServer Appliance for
VMware® Consolidated Backup.
STORServer hits the mark for
X-Dimensional Technologies, Inc.
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