Backup Solutions
2011 Information Summary
Various backup options, benefits, drawbacks, and associated
costs.
Alex Scheidel
5/23/2011
Executive Summary
Primarily to add an off-site location for backup data, in addition to our current backup
methodology, several off-site storage and backup solutions were researched for their benefits,
drawbacks and price points. The solutions researched ranged from very simple additions to our
current method to complete replacement. Refer to the comparison matrix below for a quick
overview of the findings.
Background
We currently use software called Backup Exec to backup our data (SX, Email, Stored
Files –N, O, X drives etc…) to backup tapes; we do not currently take these tapes off site, or
utilize other remote storage of any kind. With investment having all ready been expended in our
existing tape and software infrastructure that was kept in mind as options were researched in
order to maximize our ROI.
Desired Outcomes
The implementation of an off-site data storage solution that will complement or replace
our current backup solution, this would help to mitigate the impact that would occur if we had
issues with local backup media, experienced fire or water damage, or natural disaster occurred.
Risks
Off-site backups, specifically online backup storage and co-location increase the potential
of a data breach; encryption helps mitigate exposure but is no guarantee against it. Further these
same two methods put availability of data and reliability of service, to some extent, in the hands
of a third party. Risks associated with off-site tape backup are minimal and heavily depend on
where the tapes are stored. Overall risks of not having off-site backup generally balance out or
outweigh the risks associated with off-site backup.
Options
Three primary options were examined during the research.
1) Locating backup tapes off-site.
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2) Co-location of our own hardware. (Placing our own server in a datacenter)
3) Online backup – broken into two sub-categories.
A) Full fledged online backup solution
B) Raw online storage
Comparison Matrix
Option
Pros
Off-site tape


Co-location


Online Raw storage
Online backup




Cons
Inexpensive
Leverages
existing
investment
Maintain
control of
equipment
Can leverage
current
investment to
extent

Inexpensive
Leverage
existing
investment

Provides full
featured
solutions to
backup online
Some provide
full backup
infrastructure
replacement.




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

Requires
someone to
relocate tape
on schedule.
Certain things
like power and
Internet
dependent on
provider.
Internet
bandwidth
limiting
May not be as
reliable as
online backup
solutions
Internet
bandwidth
limiting
Most
expensive
option
Internet
bandwidth
limiting
Unable to
leverage
current
investment
Pricing $
Time + Gas Money
Possible rental costs
i.e. safe deposit box.
Based on quoted
pricing between
$250-$500/mo.
Price per GB stored +
data traffic per GB
to/from storage.
Avg. $30-$100/mo +
middleware cost
approx. $50.
Varies most models
per GB stored. Some
also add per GB
transferred.
Backup client
included in price
ranged from $400$1000+++
Budget
No budget has yet been allocated for this. The pricing ranges from minimal cost of one
time less than $100 investment to $1000+ monthly recurring cost. This will have to be weighed
in deciding upon a final solution.
Considerations
Some considerations not taken into account include:
1) Compliance measures we may need/want to take to achieve vendor or client certification
(think Pratt & Whitney Gold supplier)
2) Cost of downtime, even though we may be able to operate if systems or data goes down,
what is the cost of the impacted productivity?
These things were not taken into consideration during research because these were
unknowns. They should, however, be taken into consideration when making a final decision.
Summary of off-site options
Off-site tape
Very easy to implement as it is only an extension of our current backup strategy. Very
cost effective from implementation standpoint as we currently pay or have paid for the
infrastructure behind this method. One drawback pretty universal to this method is that you do
not have a great deal of distance between off-site and on-site data. There is also one other
drawback to tape media, it wears down with time and usage and can fail without warning, you
may not know a tape is bad until you need it. This is mitigated with new tapes cycled in from
time to time.
Possible off-site locations:
ASG
Implementation
Benefits
Drawbacks
Fire Proof safe located at ASG with tapes rotated in/out
 Inexpensive
 Easy to retrieve data when/if needed.
 Not located in tightly controlled environmental conditions this can be
detrimental to tape media.
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
Cost

If ASG were to ever re-locate into the same building as HESCO the
off-site storage of the media is no longer off-site.
$50-$100 for a small fireproof safe.
Bank
Implementation
Benefits
Drawbacks
Cost
Lease of Safe Deposit box with set tape rotation schedule
 Environmentally controlled
 Very safely secured
 Unable to access data at will
 Monthly recurring cost
 Transportation of tapes to and from bank
Varies depending on size of box and bank, monthly recurring cost.
Residence
Implementation
Benefits
Drawbacks
Cost
Store the tapes at an employee residence
 Inexpensive
 Not in environmentally controlled area
 Access to data may not be easy
 Introduces potential liability legal and otherwise i.e. employee quits
or is terminated.
 Not a good practice
At most cost of Fire Proof safe and possible stipend to employee $50-$150
Co-location
Probably the most complicated solution to implement, as it requires purchasing
equipment and setting it up then seeding it with an initial backup and then sending it to the colocation datacenter. Middle of the road as cost effectiveness goes, requires one time charge plus
monthly recurring charges.
Benefits
Drawbacks










Owned and controlled by us
Able to leverage current investment in backup software
Access to data whenever needed (provided no issues at data center)
Per GB in/out, preset bandwidth limits, or dedicated speed pricing
Possible to have more geographically diverse off-site location
Has to be maintained by us
Slow backup/recovery times over Internet, Internet speed limited
Higher up-front cost than other alternatives
Dependency on co-location host
Requires use of continued or additional on-site backup for fast
recovery of large qty of data.
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Cost
Varies depending on final server configuration (space wise #U) and options
Quoted 2U pricing dedicated 2MB in/out internet connection $250-$500/mo
Plus up front server cost $3k-$6k
Online backup
This option runs the gamut in terms of flexibility, configuration and pricing. The two
types primarily looked at were Raw data storage and full online backup solutions. One vendor
“Technology Partners” had a system that was a full spectrum including on site replacement
backup and online backup. They were a hybrid and complete backup replacement solution and
are placed here as a best fit. One common drawback to all online backup solutions (sans
Technology Partners’ solution) is the slow recovery time and backup time due to bandwidth
limitations, this generally requires some sort of immediate local backup in addition to the online
services.
Raw storage
Implementation
Benefits
Drawbacks
Cost
Purchase raw storage space with provider like Rackspace, AT&T, or
Amazon and use middleware (Gladinet) to mount it as network drive and use
Backup Exec to perform a B2D backup.
 Inexpensive (most of the time)
 Leverages existing backup software
 Geographically distant location
 No replication or data guarantees from provider
 Requires initial seed of data (backup to disk and send to provider to
place in storage account.
 Increased costs associated with seeding full backups (sending data to
facility) or online (increased bandwidth fees and possibly storage
fees.)
 Three vendors to deal with in event of issues, storage provider,
middleware provider, and Backup Exec (Symantec)
 Dependent on third party
Cost of disk and shipping for initial seed + $50/mo can vary greatly
depending on data to/from storage and usage.
Backup
provider
Implementation Install local backup client software provided by backup provider and use it to
backup to their backup service. Send initial seed backup to get started.
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Benefits
Drawbacks
Cost





Geographically distant location
Lots of choices/providers
Some providers offer data replication between datacenters
Client software provided
No bandwidth charges (most cases)
 Dependent on third party
 Requires seeding
 Does not utilize existing investment
 Requires additional on site backup for fast data recovery
Varies widely from $50-$1000+/mo depending on per GB cost More reliable
services providing better data reliability range $500+/mo
Plus cost to seed backup and if needed future seeds.
Technology
Partners
Implementation Complete backup solution, using either server storage or external drive (USB)
store local backup on server with backup software. Server replicates data to
remote data center online (initial seeding done). Data center replicates to
backup facility over 1200 miles away. Optional Disaster Recovery testing and
optional Virtual server host to provide local immediate restoration location
for a dead server. Service also includes remote virtual infrastructure allowing
for almost immediate recovery from complete disaster like complete server
loss.
Benefits
 Complete approach addressing local backup needs and off-site needs
 Variable configuration and data pricing tiers to be as cost effective as
possible.
 Sharp focus on recovery from data loss and disaster ensuring the
ability to quickly be back up and running.
Drawbacks
 Does not utilize current investment
 Requires purchase of server/device or at least removable storage in
order for proper operation and local backup copies.
Varies, quoted estimated proposal $500-$700/mo plus one time cost of
Cost
server/device or removable media $100-$3k Optional cost of disaster testing
$1200-$1500 and virtual appliance $3k-$5k
Monthly cost can be variable as pricing is based on per GB storage and data
can be tiered resulting in different prices.
Conclusion and Recommendation
We currently have an in place backup software with support which is paid for through
August of this year, and a warranty extension on our tape drives paid through next year. As we
have all ready invested in our current backup methodology the research focused on solutions
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which complement our current strategy in order to maximize ROI. However, due to some
limitations of tape and in anticipation of additional information in terms of lost income due to
lost productivity and possible compliance issues we may want to revisit our options, focusing on
whole replacements in a time frame closer to the expiration of the service contract on our current
backup software. Doing so might better allow us to analyze and determine the better long term
solution for us.
As far as a recommendation I will say I was very impressed with Technology Partners
solution, and a case study of the Hotchkiss School has been attached as well, however, with an
investment all ready in place with our existing solution I cannot bring myself to recommend it at
this time, though I think this certainly warrants a revisit at some point in the future. From a
purely management of off-site backup perspective I currently recommend investing in raw
storage space and purchasing Gladinet to allow us to leverage Backup Executive to store backup
data to this remote storage, with an initial seed of course. From a cost perspective this is not the
most inexpensive option as it involves recurring monthly charges, but it allows us easy
management and can be more easily automated that off-site tape storage. Further it provides us
with a more geographically distant location than tape storage would, and while the data is not
replicated as some online backup solutions offer we are storing off site data primarily in case of
catastrophic failure, natural disaster, or server room disaster.
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