| Businesses have been using tape to back up their | | | | backed up in less time. |
| data since the early days of computing. Tape has | | | | • Disk storage has greater longevity than tape, so |
| its limitations, but it was much cheaper than the | | | | the data is going to be there and accessible when |
| alternatives, so its use continued. | | | | you need it. |
| Today, the situation is changing. The price of disk | | | | • Random access to data on disk saves time |
| storage has come down dramatically and the | | | | when trying to restore specific files. |
| performance, longevity and use characteristics of disk | | | | • NAS devices are independent, complete |
| are far superior to tape. As a result, many | | | | systems that connect directly to your network so |
| businesses are looking to move away from tape for | | | | they don't impact your other systems. |
| their backup and disaster recovery needs. | | | | • Tape rotation schemes are possible with |
| The key requirements of an ideal backup scheme | | | | disk-based systems and sophisticated ones can |
| are: | | | | eliminate duplicate files for more compact storage. |
| • It must be economical. Large amounts of data | | | | • For smaller amounts of data, removable disk |
| need to be accommodated (due to the need to | | | | drives mounted in hot-swap enclosures can provide a |
| keep multiple versions of the data), but in many | | | | competitive alternative for offsite data storage. |
| cases the data will never be accessed. Its | | | | • Locating a NAS system in another office and |
| contribution to the company's bottom line only comes | | | | backing it up over the network provides a fast, |
| if the data is needed, otherwise, it is an unnecessary | | | | automated remote backup. In the event of a |
| expense. | | | | disaster, the backup system is immediately ready to |
| • It must be reliable over the long term. Some | | | | step in for rapid recovery and business continuity. |
| data must be stored for long periods of time, | | | | Many businesses are implementing a staged approach, |
| perhaps decades in some situations, to meet | | | | where an onsite NAS provides fast backups and |
| regulatory and business needs. If that data is ever | | | | restores for servers and workstations. Then, to |
| needed it must be readable and accessible. When | | | | prepare for a disaster that destroys or prevents |
| tape sits unused for a long period, it gets brittle and | | | | access to the primary place of business, the data is |
| is prone to breaking and data loss. | | | | automatically replicated to a second NAS at another |
| • It must be quick and easy to set up and | | | | location. For rapidly changing and highly important |
| operate. Back-up windows are getting tighter as | | | | data, the on-site and off-site systems can be set up |
| the hours of operation increase and the amount of | | | | to mirror each other, so that little or no data is lost if |
| data continues to grow. As a result, the speed of | | | | disaster should strike. |
| the backup is critically important. If the backup | | | | There are other reasons for deploying a NAS |
| process can be automated, human errors and costs | | | | system. By accomplishing multiple goals, the NAS |
| are reduced. | | | | can be even easier to justify. Examples include: |
| • Restoring data, either individual files or a whole | | | | • Additional end user storage. Centralized |
| system, must be quick, easy and reliable. Today, it | | | | storage is easier to back up than data stored on |
| can take a long time to retrieve tapes from their | | | | many end user systems. |
| offsite storage. Data on tape is stored sequentially | | | | • Ideal for central repositories for workgroup or |
| so access to specific records can be cumbersome. | | | | departmental data that must be shared. |
| Reading the tapes can be problematic if the tape is | | | | • Regulation compliance, such as email retention |
| old, brittle or distorted. All this uses precious IT | | | | requirements for HIPAA or Sarbannes-Oxley. |
| resources that would be better spent elsewhere. | | | | Even if you decide not to abandon tape backup |
| Disk storage has none of these issues. | | | | entirely, you can use a NAS as a rapid staging server |
| The NAS Approach | | | | to gather the data from other systems quickly during |
| With prices in the $2 per GB range, Network | | | | your backup window. Then let the NAS feed the |
| Attached Storage (NAS) systems are rapidly | | | | data to the tape unit without worrying about time |
| becoming the ideal, cost-effective back-up solution. | | | | constraints. This is referred to as |
| • Disk-to-Disk data transfer speeds far exceed | | | | disk-to-disk-to-tape backup. |
| those of writing to tape, so more data can be | | | | |