Monday, May 21, 2012.

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PresSTORE Backup disk to disk to tape

backup_iconsynch_iconBackup server data to disk for short term retention of data and then backup to tape using either stand alone tape device or single drive tape library for off-site storage.

In the same way in which backup of data by disk-to-disk synchronisation is important for immediate access and availability, so is the short to mid-term backup of data and the additional resilience that off-site protection of this data offers.  Apart from the key facts that backing up data to tape provides: 

Tape is RELIABLE and is probably the only 'proven' media to last at least a decade; it is DURABLE and GREEN - it uses little power nor needs to spin permanently, it does offer a cost effective way to ensure data can be stored off-site; it is PORTABLE - so can be store on a shelf, locked in a safe or held in a secure off-site location. Off-site protection cannot and must not be ignored by those who wish to protect their data properly. If the data that you backup is stored on tape, what is the point of keeping this data in the same building as the server from which the data has been backed up? If the building burns to the ground, what good are the tapes then? Disk-to-disk-to-tape backup strategies offer companies protection short term with immediate access to data on disk and mid term, by backing up to tape. It is one of the most common strategies in place and should not be overlooked!

 

Synchronise backup

  • Synchronise data from server/storage to server storage.
  • Ideal for sites where downtime is not an option
  • Short-term protection of data (minutes/hours)
  • Continuous data protection
  • Store cycles
  • Keep file versions
  • Protection against hardware/building failures
  • Easy off-site replication
  • Synchronise more than one server if backup storage is available

Tape backup

  • Daily short-term cyclic duplication
  • Protection against hardware/building failures
  • Complete machine (bare metal) recover using tapes alone
  • Storing tapes off-site is generally required to achieve this
  • Reliability is key
  • Keep back up plans simple and easy to manage
  • Backup more than one server

PS-Config-DisktoDisktoTapes
Considerations
  • Identify your data protection needs
  • Decide what data should be protected short term (synchronised)
  • Decide how often data should be replicated
  • Look at total data set + how much changes
  • Should you keep file versions
  • Will cycles of data be held - 1 or more days?
  • Check Internet/VPN connection speeds particularly of site
  • Can users be switched quickly to the backup server if needed?
  • Decide what data should be protected short to mid term (backup to tape)
  • How often should your data be backed up?
  • Look at total data set + how much changes each day
  • Is an archive also required (do some files need to be stored separately for much longer periods of time?)
  • Can the backup be complimented by archive (using same tape hardware) to reduce the backup set?
  • Off-site protection of data is important - if the location of the backup server is the same as the primary server, consider where tapes will be stored and how this process will be managed. 
Backup plans should reflect the need to store data off-site. This can be achieve in a number of ways but with tape, the most common practice is to run daily backup or alternating backup plans.
The daily full backup allows users to complete a full backup and remove the tape and store off-site over night.
  • only viable with small data-set
  • simple to implement, especially if data-set fits on a single tape
  • lots of redundancy, a file exists on many tapes at once
  • as soon as FULL backup starts to take more time than you have, then it’s not viable
The alternating backup utilises a simple backup cycle and employs two sets of tapes. Rotate the sets of tapes on a daily basis and store one set off-site.

 

Features / benefits

  • Provide immediate access to data short term
  • Short to mid term protection of data is maintained with tape backup
  • No downtime
  • Easy to search and restore using file system
  • Keep versions and cycles
  • Simple set up
  • Little administration
  • Scalable - add or upgrade licences to offer new features, servers or workstations, larger tape libraries
  • Cost and time effective
  • Any general user can be permissioned to search backup and restore lost files
  • Detailed PresSTORE Synchronise features
  • Sync-to-disk/Backup-to-Tape with PresSTORE (Download PDF)
  • Detailed PresSTORE Backup features

Licencing Considerations
  • How many servers need to be synchronised?
  • The server licenced for PresSTORE will be licenced to synchronise to and from itself and other servers
  • The number of servers to be backed dictates the number of server clients needed
  • Will data be held off-site?
  • Will backup be stored using a stand alone tape device or tape library?
  • How many tapes can the library hold? This will determine the number of media management licences needed
  • How many drives does the tape library have?
  • Can the tape library be expanded and are their sufficient PresSTORE licences if early expansion is needed?
  • Will Archive be beneficial in addition to the disk-to-disk-to-tape Backup?

PresSTORE licences to consider first:

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