The first method to talk about is leveraging the cloud as a backup target for on-prem infrastructure. This is referred to as a hybrid cloud model. The hybrid term referring to having on-prem resources using cloud resources to achieve a cost-effective solution to the challenge of data protection (DP) and disaster recovery (DR). This the least intensive and most traditional way of leveraging current data protection DP and DR methodologies. A few of the points below are generic to utilizing cloud resources and apply to all DR and DP cloud methodologies. I’ll detail those in this post and save us both time and effort by focusing on the differences in the various methods in future posts.
Most backup infrastructure sales firms now offer the ability to route backup streams in a myriad of different ways into the cloud. This is accomplished by using cloud storage targets such as a virtual tape library or a long-term storage volume such as Amazon Glacier or Azure Backup.
No more cantankerous tape libraries with a multitude of physical drives to maintain at potentially multiple sites.
This allows any firm to have a storage retention plan and storage location that geographically independent and remote. This data can exist anywhere there is a cloud vendor resource.
Even while geographically remote and stored offsite your data is readily available. The data is remote and accessible with an internet connection. No more physical media request delays due to transportation or storage vendor response times.
You only pay for what you use in the cloud. No longer will you have a hot or warm site sitting idle just waiting for an event filled with expensive equipment or personnel.
Replication is very, very easy and reliable. Having multiple backup images stored is easy to accomplish. If your organization requires tertiary storage it’s a simple cloud construct away and to be stored, again, anywhere you deem necessary per your cloud vendors offerings.
Scalability is endless. You can avoid purchasing a storage device and attempting to anticipate growth, future cost, and budget cycles for capital expenditures. Combine this with the pay as you go model and predicting growth and capacity is a thing of the past.
Next, we’ll discuss what more and more firms are considering which is moving completely into the cloud for disaster recovery and data protection.
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