| Unfortunately deduplication is also considered by | | | | the ‘data centre’ talent pool or highlight how |
| many as ‘hype’, ‘the latest buzz’ or | | | | on-site data retention of up to 3-months simplifies |
| ‘not a priority’, so how do you position this | | | | the restore process and makes nearline data more |
| technology internally to ensure that budget is | | | | accessible. |
| released? | | | | 3. Increased Reliability: If existing infrastructure is |
| Overview | | | | prone to failure outline at a high level how |
| The average UNIX® or Windows® disk volume | | | | instantaneous verification of reliability and self-healing |
| contains thousands or even millions of duplicate data | | | | capabilities of a solution would benifit. |
| objects. As data is created, distributed, backed up, | | | | 4. Speed: How does the implementation of |
| and archived, duplicate data objects are stored | | | | deduplication increase the recovery time Objective |
| un-abated across all storage tiers. The end result is | | | | (RTO) ? |
| inefficient utilisation of data storage resources where | | | | 5. Maximise Capacity: By eliminate data redundancy |
| backups now take so long that full copies of data are | | | | will massively reduce nearline data sets and optimise |
| impractical and recovery times fall well outside | | | | storage capacity thereby giving a better return on |
| expectations of the business. | | | | investment (ROI) |
| Eliminating duplicated data gives immediate benefit | | | | Other areas to highlight |
| through storage space efficiencies and shorter | | | | 1. Lack of Capacity: Managing an ever-increasing |
| backup windows. Put simply, save storage space by | | | | amount of backup and archive data and a constant |
| reducing duplicated data. | | | | need for extra storage capacity. Deduplication of |
| Commercial Benefits | | | | data reduces the need to keep adding more storage |
| In today’s economic climate if the cost/benefits | | | | 2. Cost Pressures: Constant pressure to reduce the |
| are not clear it is unlike that budget will be signed off. | | | | costs associated with primary and nearline storage. |
| We can all be guilty of getting our heads turned by a | | | | 3. Complexity: Operational errors including human |
| shiny new piece of technology without a full | | | | handling errors (e.g. storing/retrieving the wrong tape) |
| appreciation of how our organisation will benefit. | | | | and procedural errors (e.g. backing up wrong or |
| There are four important questions you should ask | | | | empty files).a. Operating multiple data backup |
| yourself to determine if the investment is truly | | | | solutions for different operating platforms (i.e. one |
| justified: | | | | solution for UNIX and a different solution for |
| 1. Will the solution meet your organisation’s | | | | Windows).b. Not able to effectively backup VMware |
| Service Level Agreements (SLAs)? | | | | environmentc. Ensuring new applications and storage |
| 2. Does the proposed solution improve your | | | | systems are protected/integrated into the existing |
| regulatory compliance? | | | | backup process |
| 3. Can the solution be reasonably integrated into your | | | | 4. Unreliable Backups and Restores: Tape solutions |
| current environment? | | | | incur high failure rates and have difficulty meeting |
| 4. Does the solution have a clear and measurable | | | | their backup windows.a. Length of time taken to |
| ROI, not just future savings? | | | | backup datab. 30% of all Data restores failc. |
| These are tough requirements, but important to | | | | Ineffective backup for remote sitesd. Existing backup |
| consider as budgets get tighter and you are | | | | solution does not carry out incremental backups. |
| expected to do more with less. Identify how it | | | | 5. Disaster Recovery: Many companies do not have a |
| specifically benefits your business. | | | | secure, cost-effective or reliable disaster recovery |
| (1) Management Benefits: How does the ability the | | | | plan.a. Not having effective backup for DR |
| store “more” data per storage unit, or retain | | | | purposes.b. Not being able to restore data instantly |
| online data for longer periods of time help. For | | | | Design a Deduplication Plan |
| Example, highlight what benefits your business will get | | | | Whiteboard and map things out. Planning for |
| by being able to recover a file version from 3 weeks | | | | deduplication is different than merely adding disk. |
| ago without the need to start the process of | | | | Why? Different deduplication technologies provide |
| identifying which tape it’s on, where the tape is | | | | different ways of de-duplicating your data. This also |
| and how long will it take to source the tape and | | | | requires a fresh look at the sources of backup |
| physically recover the file. | | | | streams and backup software licenses. Is your |
| (2) Cost Benefits: How does deduplication reduced | | | | environment media-, drive- or capacity-based? Will |
| your storage acquisition cost and will this provide | | | | your tape rotation plan change when you are able to |
| longer intervals between storage capacity upgrades. | | | | store much more backup data on disk?. Engaging an |
| What reduction in capital expenditure (Capex) can be | | | | independent systems integrator at this stage can pay |
| achieved? | | | | dividends and cut through the some of the |
| Questions to answer | | | | ‘marketecture’ |
| Measure & Analyse your Backup and Recovery | | | | Summary |
| The first step is to outline the goals for your | | | | Data Deduplication provides the ability to help reduce |
| deduplication project. Benchmark your current backup | | | | overrunning backups as de-duplication at source |
| environment, and measure those results against your | | | | means lower volume data is backed up helping to |
| organisation’s Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) | | | | alleviating strain on managing backup environment. |
| and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) i.e. how long | | | | It can provide a reduction of the backup window by |
| will it take to get back the way I was?. | | | | up to 50 times by not backing up multiple copies of |
| • What issues do you currently have surrounding | | | | the same file allowing you to gain the ability to |
| your backup window?o How is this affecting your | | | | effectively manage the backup of all remote offices |
| business?o Is your backup window increasing due to | | | | from one central location. You will also be a position |
| data growth, and long term how will you meet this | | | | to better manage rapid data growth whilst managing |
| requirement?o How often do you have issues | | | | risk, the majority of time spent on data protection is |
| surrounding failed backups? How does the business | | | | spent dealing with recovery following an event as |
| suffer?o How many simultaneous backup jobs are | | | | opposed to proactively managing against such |
| being run? | | | | occurrences, proactive. |
| • Are you running or planning to run a virtualised | | | | Conclusion |
| environment and if so what issues are you having | | | | If you are a medium to large sized multisite |
| anticipating having backing up this environment? | | | | organisation and are currently using a tape-based |
| • If you have remote sites, Who is responsible | | | | solution or looking at disk-based solutions and storing |
| for managing their backup?, What issues do you | | | | at least 100 GB of nearline data who is motivated to |
| have in relation to backing up remote sites? | | | | reduce financial, operational and business costs |
| • What are the costs in relation to tape | | | | associated with nearline storage, including backup and |
| management? (Purchase, taking off site, storage, | | | | disaster recovery you should investigate the data |
| recovery charges etc) | | | | deduplication solutions in the market place today. By |
| • What benefits would your business get from | | | | preparing some documentation prior to this will not |
| having on-site retention times of more than two | | | | only help you crystallise what problem you are trying |
| weeks? | | | | to solve, but what potential budget is available and |
| • Briefly detail your current disaster recovery | | | | whether you have a convincing commercial argument |
| solution.o Are you meeting your backup and | | | | for implementing this technology. |
| recovery objectives/ SLA’s?o Do you have | | | | Upon installation, be sure to adjust your backup |
| Offsite replication for disaster recovery and longer | | | | software to get the maximum value out of your |
| term retention?o How do you ensure remote office | | | | licensing model. Make sure you validate the |
| data protectiono When was the last time you tested | | | | deduplication backups, can you meet all SLAs? Did |
| your plan? | | | | you meet your project goals? Do both local and |
| • How would your organisation benefit from?o | | | | remote sites have the right data? Did you prove that |
| Significantly shorter backup windows?o Extended | | | | the data is on disk and not on an offsite tape? Did |
| on-site/on-disk data retention, typically 30–90 | | | | you get the data reduction ratio you expected? |
| days?o Faster restores from disk? | | | | Management savings are often the most difficult to |
| Value Propositions | | | | quantify, but that does not make them any less |
| Now collate the answers to highlight what value your | | | | important. Set up a review process to test RTO and |
| business would receive i.e. | | | | RPO at unexpected points. Finally, validate the cost |
| 1. Reduce Costs: Quantify what reductions in backup | | | | savings and let your Financial Director know that the |
| and recovery costs could be made by eliminating | | | | ROI is real. |
| tape based systems. Include Capital (Hardware, | | | | About Alpha |
| Software) and Revenue (maintenance, wages and | | | | Alpha offers independent advice on Data |
| support) Expenditures. List out the potential savings | | | | Deduplication technologies including Data Domain, |
| so that you have figure that you can compare | | | | NetApp, Overland Storage and Quantum. Our solution |
| alternative solutions against | | | | set can offer significant cost savings to customers |
| 2. Simplicity: Document how, for example and | | | | who are still using tape, using VTLs to cache backup |
| Automated/centralised management of remote sites | | | | data before moving them to tape and who are |
| could eliminates complexities and make better use of | | | | already using disk. |