By Archana Venkatraman, Associate Research Director of Cloud Data Management at IDC Europe
IDC blog sponsored by HPE and Commvault
In the first blog of this data protection series,Latest Data Protection Considerations: Evolving Data Protection Needs in the Digital EconomyIDC outlined how trends such as hybrid multi-cloud, cloud-native applications, ransomware risk, and edge initiatives are challenging the status quo of data protection.
Organizations list data protection, security and compliance as their primary concern for data services. These challenges lead to spikes in data protection costs as organizations take a tactical, short-term approach to “fixing” legacy data protection environments. According to an IDC survey, 2020 was a unique and volatile year that disrupted end-user planned IT spending.
Increasing the restoring force of your data shouldn’t cost you a lot of money.
Modern data protection strategies represent a transition from tactical approaches such as point solutions, additional storage capacity, and lower expectations of recovery. Today, we are transforming our data protection environment with an integrated end-to-end data protection and data management platform to meet the latest needs.
Multi-tiered data protection or tiered recovery strategies are characteristic of modern backups. You have the flexibility to meet the needs of each application and manage the complete data lifecycle to meet your business resilience goals.
Hierarchical approaches include:
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Application-consistent snapshots for fast recovery. This is the first line of defense to protect critical data in VMs and business applications.
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External backup layer for additional restore points and relief from a single point of failure. This is the next layer for additional restoring force, incremental updates, compliance, and data reuse and recovery.
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A cost-effective, constant storage option for long-term storage and archiving. This includes a tape environment for longer backup retention, providing an air gap and immutability as an “offsite” copy. It also includes a cloud object store.
In traditional environments, these protection technologies work separately, with efficient snapshots, software-driven backups, encryption, immutable / write once, multiple read (WORM) capabilities, intelligent search and detection, It does not utilize the latest features such as AI-driven monitoring. Identify and fix problems with the backup and DR process.
Having an integrated data protection platform seamlessly integrates these layers to provide end-to-end data protection, visibility, compliance, and recovery.
The latest tiered data protection strategy is for organizations to move from infrastructure-focused data protection to application-focused data protection and leverage backups to restore critical services and recover business applications. Helps to provide a robust RTO and RPO. Modern data protection strategies increase the value of backups from “insurance” to engines that meet application availability SLAs and support zero data loss strategies.
With so much data being created in the core, cloud, and edge, it’s time to take an integrated approach and extend the reach to data services, including security, compliance, data mobility, and eDiscovery. ..
IDC integrates storage environments, data management software platforms, and hardware systems to enable IT teams to provide rapid or detailed recovery and reduce the risk of data and reputation loss from cyberattacks. We believe we can build the set of data protection methods we need to do this. Organizations are also considering tapes as part of their data protection strategy in the face of increasing ransomware attacks and tighter regulations such as the GDPR.
Intelligent snapshots, dedicated backup appliances, scalable backup software, cloud object stores, and tapes are all key to end-to-end data protection.
Of course, the power of the incumbent cannot be underestimated. Organizations looking to modernize data protection need to evaluate new techniques, such as first moving data to a defined landing zone on a large scale and then incorporating it into a new environment. This allows you to pivot from the Legacy Point Solution Backup Platform without incurring the risk of downtime, data loss, or service interruption.
Modern integrated data protection also offers significant resilience benefits, including:
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Simplicity. The ability to manage the complete data lifecycle from storage to archiving in a unified way eliminates management complexity, increases data visibility, and enables rapid action.
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Deduplication to effectively manage the growing data footprint.
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Automation to better manage failover and ensure up-to-date backups in the event of an unexpected hardware failure. This enables efficiency and smart resource provisioning, eliminates human error, and enables staff to tackle strategic tasks such as good governance.
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Consumption-based pricing. This brings the economics and scalability of the cloud to a data-protected environment with pay-as-you-go, consumption-based pricing.
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Infrastructure-independent data protection management. Data services for managing data across data centers, edges or cloud applications, databases, and SaaS environments such as O365 and Salesforce.
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Cross-cloud data mobility. The ability to move data to ensure the success of hybrid multi-cloud.
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Policy-based intelligent data management. Manage your data consistently and consistently without compromising your compliance and privacy needs.
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Ability to adopt a cloud-native environment and aggressive cloud migration strategies. Transparency, robust protection, automation, and a policy-driven approach help mitigate the risk of cloud and edge migration journeys.
The fundamental value of modern data protection is that it gives data-driven organizations better control. all Important data. Reset your data protection architecture for data resiliency, faster backup and recovery, continuous compliance, and 24/7 availability.
The final blog in this series explores best practices for improving data resiliency and requires organizations to evaluate technologies, skills, risks, and processes.
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