An ideal use case for the cloud is for backup. It automatically creates an offsite copy; most cloud providers automatically replicate that backup to another cloud region, and now some providers offer disaster recovery services. One of the upfront challenges organizations face as they consider a cloud option is, do they try to extend their current data protection application to the cloud or do they completely replace it?
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Unlike other cloud initiatives, most, if not all, organizations have an existing backup process in place, so the concept of cloud backup often comes with the baggage of replacing what they have now with a new cloud-native solution. The migration to the cloud is a burden with the cost of learning a new solution, paying for that solution and maintaining maintenance on potentially two backup products while the transition occurs.
The cloud-native solutions typically appeal because they claim to offer a seamless path to the cloud. These solutions claim to remove all of the challenges of connecting to and running applications in the cloud. Sometimes this transparency also includes forcing the organization to use the provider’s cloud and only that provider’s backup software. The problem is that often these cloud solutions don’t have the robust support for on-premises environments of more traditional backup solutions.
Most traditional on-premises backup solutions have cloud support, and some have several different ways to leverage the cloud depending on the organization’s need. Some of these cloud connections are from third parties and support multiple clouds. A choice is good, but it does create some complexity in deciding on which option to choose and how to implement it the best way possible.
Years ago, there were value-added resellers that specialized in implementing backup software and integrating it with hardware. Today there are Custom Cloud Providers. These providers can help customers integrate their existing on-premises backup process and the organization to leverage the cloud to the extent that they want and at the pace they want. For example, many organizations want to leverage the cloud to hold a redundant copy of data, where others want to use it for full-scale disaster recovery.
StorageSwiss Take
The cloud is all about choice, except many providers force organizations into a single locked-in solution, all in the name of convenience. This approach is especially challenging for enterprises that already have a significant investment in their backup process and more than likely want to “add cloud” not “replace with cloud.” Organizations should look for providers that will allow them to keep their current investment and guide IT through the implementation and configuration of the solution.
To learn more about Enterprise Cloud Backup Strategies join Storage Switzerland, Veeam, and KeepItSafe for our on demand webinar “Moving Enterprise Backup To The Cloud – A Step By Step Guide”.
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George Crump is the Chief Marketing Officer at VergeIO, the leader in Ultraconverged Infrastructure. Prior to VergeIO he was Chief Product Strategist at StorONE. Before assuming roles with innovative technology vendors, George spent almost 14 years as the founder and lead analyst at Storage Switzerland. In his spare time, he continues to write blogs on Storage Switzerland to educate IT professionals on all aspects of data center storage. He is the primary contributor to Storage Switzerland and is a heavily sought-after public speaker. With over 30 years of experience designing storage solutions for data centers across the US, he has seen the birth of such technologies as RAID, NAS, SAN, Virtualization, Cloud, and Enterprise Flash. Before founding Storage Switzerland, he was CTO at one of the nation's largest storage integrators, where he was in charge of technology testing, integration, and product selection.
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