Useful Cloud Services: Data Recovery and Replication in the Cloud
Reading the news or watching commercials one begins to think that everything is now "in the cloud." Since this can be confusing, in each issue of CloudStrategies News we will feature valuable services any company would benefit from, that can most easily be obtained over the internet.
This issue's featured service:
Data Back-Up
Companies have been backing up data since the earliest days of building-sized computers. Nothing new there. What many managers will acknowledge, however, is that there has been an inadvertent lack of discipline and vigilance over the back-up process that has plagued many of them for many years. Back-up becomes "set it and forget it" and everyone simply assumes it just keeps working. Eventually they become lax about changing tapes or other media, and very few check to confirm that their backup tapes can be restored. Tape head misalignment or other technical failures can render tapes useless without the user knowing for months, even years.
Online data backup externalizes the discipline. With a secure, encrypted connection to the internet your data is automatically backed up regularly without any intervention or even awareness on the part of you or your personnel. Since most of the top-rated backup services only update the changes that have taken place since the last backup, the periodic process can take place relatively swiftly in the background. This also provides users with the ability to "dial-back" to an earlier time before they accidentally clobbered a document and retrieve the earlier version.
When selecting an online data backup provider, be certain to review their regulatory compliance measures to confirm that the requirements placed upon your company are fulfilled. Remember that regulatory compliance does not guarantee security, so you should also satisfy yourself that your data will remain segregated from anyone else's and that access control is rock-solid.
Finally, prefer a provider with multiple data centers located preferably around the world. Take comfort in knowing that your business is insulated from disaster no matter where it occurs.
Personal Note: Anyone who uses their computer at home can probably remember a time when they wish they had backed up their data. Most of us have suffered from the loss of valuable documents. The good news is that we no longer have an excuse. There are several high-quality backup services from well-known major providers who charge as little as $5 per month to backup your personal computer over the internet. Your friends at CloudStrategies.net will be glad to direct you to the right provider for you and your company.
Cloud Replication Services: Continuous Availability
Of course traditional backup does not provide an adequate strategy for true continuity of business and disaster recovery. The time required to restore lost files from backup may be prohibitive and, at the very least, will create downtime no matter what. Continuity means no disruption to user routine, no delay in restoration of data.
The best solution for business continuity and disaster recovery has always been the provisioning of replicated redundant servers. When the primary server fails, the system instantly cuts over to the replicant without delay or requirement for users to log out or log back in. In a properly designed redundant environment the users never know that the primary server has failed. They just keep working without interruption.
This is true in the cloud as well. Quality cloud providers not only provide redundant servers, they provide entire redundant data centers, so replicating your critical servers is a matter of course for them. The best replication solutions and strategies are designed to be aware of the logistics of the applications your business depends upon. By being application-aware the failover from primary systems to redundant replicant takes all the steps necessary to assure that your people can continue to work despite the cutover with no interruption or disruption of daily procedures.