Cloud Backup & Disaster Recovery

With today’s reliance on data integrity, having up-to-date and easily restorable backups is essential not just to fulfilling compliance obligations, but also to business continuity and disaster recovery strategy. Lose even a day’s worth of data and it can be devastating to any business.

• Legacy Backup
• Cloud Backup
• How It Works
• Security

• Overview

  In our experience moving data over the internet to a secure data centre is very different to moving data within an office to a file server – legacy offerings from well-known brands often can’t process large amounts of data efficiently over the Internet where bandwidth can be limited, meaning backup windows can be missed and that impacts operations and business continuity.

  Many companies facing the decision to review their backup strategy have continued to choose on premise solutions because the alternatives have simply been too expensive or complex to implement. However, with data storage costs coming down, the availability of good internet connectivity, certified security standards and the arrival of intelligent Cloud Backup services – online backup now represents a credible, efficient and affordable alternative to tape.

   

• Cloud Backup is a fully scalable, Pay-Per-Use, online backup service that uses the latest in client-side de-duplication and Intelligent Data Motion techniques to deliver a significantly faster, more reliable and less costly backup service than traditional on/off-premise backup solutions.

  Benefits Summary

  • Pay Per Use – no large up-front investment cost, no waste, just a simple monthly charge for what resources used
  • Scalable – suitable for small or large data stores, does not use a central database, no back-end limitation
  • Highly Efficient – Block Level Incremental Backup/Restores mean only the data that has changed is backed up or restored at the most granular level. This equates to a daily average of less than 1% of the total data.
  • Intelligent – Client side De-duplication and unique ‘Cabinet’ data packaging technology enables the flexible transfer of data even under low bandwidth or interrupted connectivity scenarios.
  • Reliable – No middle layer greatly improves the reliability and stability of the software and leaves no space for malware to interfere.
  • Lightweight – commits lowest footprint possible for bandwidth, storage & CPU
  • Secure – client side encryption at 128/256 bits AES or 448 bits Blowfish, ISO 9001 and SAS 70 compliance
  • Offsite + Local Speed Vault – data is stored both offsite in the Cloud and in the user’s Local Speed Vault enabling quick, incremental data restoration via whichever is the fastest route
  • Simple-to-use – fast, reliable restoration of the data needed, not what you don’t, via classic Windows Folder View

   

• How Does Cloud Backup Work?

  After a quick and simple installation of the backup client software, you will be asked to select the files and/or directories you want backed up. You’ll only have to do this once, but it’s also possible to change your selection as and when required. A full backup of your selected data is then taken, encrypted and compressed, before being sent to our Cloud platform through an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connection for safe storage and monitoring. After this point, only the individual file data that has changed is backed up at block level (using a technology called True Delta Discovery). This not only saves on bandwidth, it maximises Backup & Restore performance (individual file restores can be performed in minutes not hours or days), and minimises the amount of storage space you need to use (and so costs you less).

  What is the Charging Structure?

  Cloud Backup operates under an on-demand, pay-per-use model that lets SMEs start using cloud backup services with no up-front costs, paying only for the storage they use. It’s fully scalable, meaning you will always be able to add new user backups onto the same platform, and keep all relevant business data in one place as opposed to distributing it across other tape or disk media.

  Can I configure where my Backups are stored?

  Yes. Cloud Backup can be configured to simultaneously backup to your ‘Local Speed Vault’ storage, and also remotely to the Cloud, giving you maximum assurance and flexibility when it comes file restoration. The local backup can be used where it is faster or where bandwidth is limited, while the offsite Cloud backup works seamlessly in a disaster recovery scenario.

  What Amount of Data is Suitable for Cloud Backup?

  With Cloud backup you can store data from a few GBs to tens of TBs. Large amounts of data, regardless of format complexities can be processed without overloading the client thanks to unique data packaging technology which means that large data stores are broken down into smaller ‘cabinets’, allowing for the flexible transfer of data even under low bandwidth or interrupted connectivity scenarios.

• How is our Confidential Data Stored in the Cloud?

  Cloud Backup data is stored in ‘cabinets’. These cabinets contain compressed, de-duplicated, encrypted blocks. The average size of the cabinets is 6 MB. There is no central database. At the start and the end of a backup session the journals containing statistical information are sent to the storage and are also kept client-side. The Metadata (backup register) is also sent to the storage and kept client-side too. This constitutes a highly secure, SAS-compliant, offsite storage solution.

  What Kind of Encryption is Used?

  Users can choose their own encryption, 128 or 256 bits AES or 448 Blowfish.

  Can you Read my Data?

  We cannot read customer Data. The way the data is encrypted client-side places the emphasis on end customer responsibility for keeping keys safe. There is no Masterkey, no Backdoor.

  Who can Access the Storage?

  Only selected certified staff can access the storage for maintenance. It is NOT possible for customers/resellers to access the physical storage.

  Security Certifications

  Security is paramount when it comes to backup. Our Cloud Backup installations incorporate the following certifications:

  • ISO 9001: Quality management Systems
  • ISO 14001: Information Security Management Systems
  • ISO 27001: Environmental Management Systems
  • ISO 50001: Energy Management Systems
  • OHSAS 18001: Health & Safety Management Systems
  • PCI DSS Chapter 9
  • SAS 70 Compliant
  • ISAE3402 and SSAE-16

   

  When I Want to End the Service, what Happens to my Data?

  Clients must make provision for the transfer of any data that is still needed. Stopping the service will result in automatic deletion of all data.

  What Happens if the Service is temporarily Unavailable due to a Major Incident?

  • The Local Speed Vault can still provide clients with restores if requested.
  • Our Cloud Backup management is a separated process hosted in three different locations. If cloud management is not available, backups and restores can still be performed. There is zero impact for clients.
  • If the storage is unavailable, cloud management can automatically redirect to another storage node, backup data can still be sent. Again there is zero impact for clients.