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Remote data backup services and software |
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By Jerome Wendt
10 Jan 2007 | SearchStorageChannel.com
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New data backup services and software are making it quite appealing for VARs and systems integrators to enter the remote backup space. Take a look at some of these new remote backup products and features.
Agentless technology: This eliminates the requirement for either the customer or the VAR to install agents on each remote client and keep them updated.
Configurability as an appliance: VARs only need to ship an appliance preloaded with the data backup software to the remote office, plug it in and configure it with the appropriate network settings.
Two copies of data created: The primary copy of the backed up data is kept in the remote office for local restores. However, a second copy is sent to a central site for offsite disaster recovery protection.
Deduplication, compression and encryption of data before it is sent offsite: Deduplication and compression features minimize the amount of data sent over the network and stored at the central site while the encryption option protects data in flight and at rest in the central site.
Capacity-based licensing: VARs license it for the amount of storage they need initially and then grow their licensing as their storage backup capacity increases.
Of course, there are some caveats to using such data backup software in a remote office. One is that the remote office must use a directory service such as the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Microsoft's Active Directory (AD). The other is that the software must be given the appropriate LDAP or Microsoft AD security permissions to access and backup client data.
However, with software already available from Asigra and existing vendors like Symantec and EMC baking some of these features into their existing products, VARs have an opportunity to create new ongoing revenue streams without creating a lot of headaches or oversight for either themselves or their clients.
About the author: Jerome M. Wendt is the founder and lead analyst of The Datacenter Infrastructure Group, an independent analyst and consulting firm that helps users evaluate the different storage technologies on the market and make the right storage decision for their organization.
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