@34162 As data volumes grow, there's a bigger problem meeting
recovery time objectives (RTO). We depend on
our data, and we have set recovery times for our systems that
are zero (no downtime) in some cases, though most companies set
recovery times from eight to 24 hours. Whatever the case may be,
we typically will not be able to meet our RTOs because there is
simply so much data to be restored. This is especially true with
file servers, and clients are regularly telling us that it takes
a full weekend to do a full
backup of their file server using
traditional backup methods, like tape. Now, if it takes a
weekend to back up a file server, it will simply not be restored
in 24 hours -- probably two to three times longer -- and the
RTOs are not met. Traditional tape restorations are also
hampered by media reliability issues, offsite storage costs and
retrieval delays. There is also a lack of prioritization in
determining what data to restore first. Many companies respond
to this by investing more money in faster backup platforms
(e.g., disk-to-disk
replication).
Remember that backups also tend to multiply the volume of data
that you're trying to protect. Not only do you need several full
backups over time, but you must also contend with numerous
incremental backups. For example, if you make weekly full backups
and keep each backup for a month, you'll have four full backups on
hand at any given time, not counting incremental backups. As your
corporate data grows out of control, that spiraling volume is
simply multiplied in your backups. The time and tape storage costs
can become significant. This is a case where
data deduplication technology can play an
important role in backup, though it will never replace sound
retention policies and decision making.
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