Why Existing Corporate Backup Solutions Do Not Work?

Let me begin by explaining what is considered a 'successful backup and disaster recovery.' A successful backup and disaster recovery must address the following issues:

-Backup: Covering all relevant data whether files, databases, server images, etc.    
-Recovery: Ability to restore those files, databases, and servers to their previous usable state.
-Disaster Recovery: Hosting the data 'on the fly' when a disaster occurs at the  location of the business.
-Security: Maintaining the same level of security, whether within corporate confines, in transit, or at destination.
-Enforcement of retention policy

Although many companies promise the features listed above, it is the constraints that exist, and are not discussed during the sales cycle that dooms these types of projects. So what are those constraints?

-Hardware Restrictions: Most backup and restore software assumes the user will be restoring the system on a similar platform but this is not always possible since hardware vendors change components on monthly basis.

-Speed of Restore: Some of the backup jobs that are allowed to take place automatically can run as large as 20TB or more, making the ability to restore in a meaningful time questionable. In addition, most backup systems don't allow the user to pick a certain file from the entire job forcing him/her to go through an entire backup cycle to recover a small component.

-Disaster Recovery Hosting: This issue comes up when a disaster strikes and the site and equipment is no longer accessible. Most companies assume that by having tape backup or remote storage they can recover the data. The fact of the matter is that unless that data is pre-staged to be hosted, the amount of time and delay involved in recovering the data and hosting almost always has an extremely adverse affect on the business.

-Security and Retention Policy: An effective Security and Retention Policy must maintain similar settings for data whether in storage, on the wire, or at a remote site. This presents an additional component to the backup and disaster recovery system since security and retention settings are usually dynamic in nature and therefore require the backup and disaster recovery system to have the ability to sync those settings at all times.    

So, what is the solution?
In our quest to find the right solution for our customers, we realized that companies have different cultures and different requirements and therefore the solution must be highly flexible day one. We opted to create multiple components which our clients may pick and choose from, allowing them to custom build the solution desired. These components are based on leading technologies from Citrix XenDesktop and XenServer, CrashPlan Pro and VEEAM, HP and others. CrossRealms Inc.'s approach simplified what is otherwise a daunting project and allowed companies to move forward with their disaster recovery plans without having to build up their solutions from scratch.

CrossRealms an expert in data recovery in Chicago has expertise in both onsite and offsite replication and hosting of your applications and data providing complete resiliency and recovery regardless of the emergency.

About the Author

CrossRealms Inc, a Chicago based information Technology Consultant specializes in providing Data Recovery Solutions in Chicago. For more information visit www.crossrealms.com.

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