Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection

Transcription

1 Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection Gain Net Savings of $15 for Every $1 Invested in Image-Based Data Protection Technologies Such as Quest vranger Written by Quest Server Virtualization Management Group Quest Software, Inc. BUSINESS BRIEF

2 Contents Executive Summary... 2 Estimating Image-Based Data Protection Return on Investment... 4 Why Have Legacy Backup Methods Methods Failed?... 5 What s Different about Virtual Servers?... 6 What s Better with Image-Based Data Protection?... 7 Understanding Image-Based Data Protection Architecture: Two Methods... 8 Obtaining Image-Based Data Protection Benefits in Legacy Backup Methods Environments Conclusion Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 1

3 Executive Summary Traditional backup methods are reaching their technology end-of-life. Designed more than two decades before the current datacenter infrastructure, traditional systems use inefficient methods for data collection and transmission, and offer limited recovery options. They are also dependent on their own set of complex infrastructure that includes backup agents, along with extra servers, networks, and storage systems. Such complexity adds cost and administrative burden to already over-burdened environments. Ultimately, traditional backup methods termed legacy backup methods are proving too costly to operate and maintain with insufficient recovery options. Beyond cost and recovery issues, legacy backup methods systems are also out of step with modern data center priorities. These include infrastructure consolidation, cost cutting, and simplification of operations. Yet instead of furthering these initiatives, legacy backup methods systems run counter to them by adding complexity, consuming data center floor space, and increasing energy consumption. To support current trends, data protection systems must evolve by taking advantage of new server capabilities. Image-based data protection solutions are the next generation in data protection technology. The breakthrough that enables simply better data protection is the use of system images to make backup copies, rather than individual files. Figure 1. Image-Based Data Protection Solutions Offer Simply Better Data Protection by Reinventing How Data is Collected in Backup, Transmitted and Recovered. Virtual servers create image files that encapsulate virtual machine (VM) systems. Protecting the images is far faster and easier than scanning for the thousands of individual files these images represent. With simple conversion tools, equivalent image files can also be created for each physical system. By applying the advantages of image-based data protection learned in virtual environments to physical systems, image-based data protection solutions make better data protection possible for all environments. The use of images reinvents the way data is collected, transmitted and recovered. Image-based backup collects and protects more types of data in a single step, transmits and stores it more efficiently, and offers faster recovery at more frequent points in time. The resulting return on investment (ROI) for image-based data protection is significant; conservative estimates are at least $15 returned for every $1 invested in image-based data protection solutions. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 2

4 Unlike migration between backup software brands, adoption of image-based data protection solutions is fast and easy in most environments. Image-based data protection solutions can be added to Legacy backup methods deployments. Configuration options enable image-based data protection jobs to be merged into existing legacy backup methods cycles. Console systems already in place can be used for environment-wide scheduling. Existing SAN storage can be leveraged for secondary sweep-to-tape of all protected data in a single job. These consoles and systems are already familiar to backup administrators, thereby easing the adoption process. Operating a single console system that manages all data protection for the environment is a priority for most organizations, and the task of managing various data protection tools is already a familiar one. Adoption of image-based data protection is expected to occur incrementally in existing environments, and is gaining in acceptance in most organizations. Over time, as more and more organizations become aware of the benefits of image-based data protection methods, adoption is expected to accelerate. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 3

5 Estimating Image-Based Data Protection Return on Investment Table 1 provides a breakdown of how image-based data protection methods offer significant savings and ROI in all of the key steps required to protect data. ROI calculations are based on conservative cost estimates for traditional backup agents, servers, network and storage resources, plus the impact on productivity. This model assumes that at least one backup agent can be removed from each system in a deployment. In practice, most systems require more than one backup agent. Depending on the number of backup agents deployed, ROI saving opportunities can be substantially higher. This model also assumes that the time required to manually rebuild a server impacts the business for the duration of the rebuild. Additionally, the model is based on the notion that it takes about six hours to rebuild a server, resulting in roughly $1,000 per hour in costs to the business during that time. Different types of servers have disparate business values. Depending on the nature of the server and the time required to rebuild it, business costs from lost productivity can be much higher. In worst-case scenarios, prominent Table 1. Image-based data protection ROI offers net savings of at least $15 for every $1 invested. studies, such as disaster recovery reports from analyst firm Kingwell, show that the loss of some types of servers for more than a few days can threaten to bankrupt a business. Lastly, this model supposes complete adoption of image-based data protection technology for all systems in the deployment. In reality, the adoption of image-based data protection technology is expected to happen more gradually depending on the given environment. The exact ROI realized in an environment will depend on many factors, including the pace of adoption. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 4

6 Why Have Legacy Backup Methods Failed? Back when legacy backup methods were invented, file systems were smaller and the overall size of data in an environment was exponentially less than what is typically found in modern datacenters. Scanning file systems to collect data for backup was logical: it was easy, and it didn t take very long. Sending data over networks and retaining multiple copies of the same data on storage was likewise straightforward and cost-effective. As datacenter deployments grew and became more complex, Legacy backup methods struggled to keep pace. Complex topologies for handling data volumes like network attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN) architectures were invented to alleviate the burden of backup data on business networks. Shared storage architectures make large storage systems easier to share among backup systems. Disk-based backup alleviates the performance challenge associated with streaming data to tape. De-duplication technologies seek to further streamline backup by removing duplicate blocks and files from stored backup copies. Despite all of this effort, however, backup systems remain more of a problem than a solution in most environments. With all of their agents, workloads, jobs, and servers, legacy backup methods systems are simply too costly to purchase and maintain. Provisioning the infrastructure required to operate legacy backup methods and keep jobs running at sufficient performance levels consumes larger percentage of IT budgets every year. Likewise, the burden required to operate, troubleshoot, and maintain these complex backup systems is too high for already over-burdened administration teams and requires dedicated specialists just to complete the basics operations. The expense of traditional data protection systems comes in large part from their complexity. Disk scanning methods require the integration of expensive, specialized backup agents with file systems and applications. These agents must be installed on every system that organizations need to protect. The agents must be maintained with versions that match the applications and file systems. Licensing must also be tracked and updated. Traditional methods also require a large number of backup servers including master servers, media servers, and proxy server systems. The cost of provisioning all of these agents and servers is significant. The ongoing cost and burden of keeping this software operational has proven to be too much for most IT operations. Despite so much cost and effort, legacy backup methods fail to protect environments sufficiently. In most environments, getting all of the data that must be protected copied into the available backup window is still an enormous daily challenge. The result is that critical data is often unprotected at adequate intervals, so recovery point objectives aren t met. Even when data is protected, meeting recovery time objectives remains a challenge because options are limited. Recovery choices do not include whole environments and systems, and do not easily support restore of data across systems and onto dissimilar systems. This means that recovery often starts with a complex, time-consuming system rebuild which must be completed before restore of application data can even begin. Protecting whole systems requires add-ons of expensive bare-metal recovery tools, the creation of extra backup copies, and the management of extra steps in restore. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 5

7 What s Different about Virtual Servers? Virtual servers operate differently than physical servers and create data files at a faster pace than equivalent physical systems. Each time a new VM is created (and it happens a lot), a new VM file (called a VMDK) is written. Protecting these VM files, called images, is critical for enabling fast and comprehensive recovery of VMs. Protecting an image also secures all of the individual data files in the VM. In this way, image-based backup enables the recovery of individual files and application objects along with complete systems. The challenge in protecting system images is that the files are too large and complex to capture cohesively. Traditional backup methods simply take too long to work, and saturate server, network, and storage resources in the process. They are also hard to install on VMs, where management is difficult, because most Legacy backup methods systems can t run at the hypervisor level. As a result, most organizations using traditional backup methods do nothing to protect VM images. When they do, the lost time, resources, and productivity are unnecessarily high. Traditional data protection methods fail to fully protect all types of data and are cumbersome to operate. Due to their heavy footprint, traditional backup jobs must be scheduled to run when end users aren t working. This footprint is heavier on virtual servers, where the slowdown of one VM affects every VM on the server. The biggest challenge for backup administrators working with these tools is successfully completing jobs before the backup window expires. Most data simply cannot be protected often enough. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 6

8 What s Better with Image-Based Data Protection? Image-based data protection solutions use image files to reinvent how data is collected, transmitted, and stored for protection purposes. Image files contain an entire system, including the system state, OS and application configuration data, plus the thousands of individual system and application files. Virtual servers automatically create image files for every VM. On physical systems, simple conversion tools can be used to create equivalent images. Figure 2. Image-Based Data Protection is Faster, Protects More Types of Data, and Enables Better Recovery Options Image-based data protection methods work very quickly because they do not have to process the thousands of discrete files that images actually contain. The information captured in each VM is better than what is possible with traditional backup, because the application data as well as the system state and configuration are all included in the same backup job. Recovery options are dramatically expanded to include the rapid reinstatement of entire systems, complete with applications and individual data files or application objects. Backup processes are simplified because individual application agents are no longer required. As a result, image-based data protection software costs less, and is easier to deploy and maintain because there is simply a lot less of it. To accommodate the extremely large image file sizes, image-based data protection solutions must have capabilities to drive efficiency including de-duplication (or zero elimination), and active block management to handle deletions. When combined, these capabilities dramatically reduce the size of protected image data. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 7

9 Understanding Image-Based Data Protection Architecture: Two Methods Image-based data protection solutions can be built using one of two architectures. They can rely on central backup servers or use centrally managed (but load-distributed) direct-to-target methods. Solutions that rely on proxy servers require server systems to manage the collection of data from clients, and to move that data from the clients through the proxy to the attached storage devices. Part of the proxy server s job is to manage access to shared storage devices that are typically attached to the proxy on a SAN. In such cases, SAN deployments are often required, raising the overall cost of this set up still higher. Rather than send data through a single backup server, direct-to-target image-based data protection systems send collected images directly from source servers to target storage devices. Direct-to-target implementations deliver the best possible performance from network, I/O, and storage resources, eliminating the bottleneck from sending all collected data through a single, central server. There s no need to manage access to shared storage, since all network storage is available to every source system. This approach also avoids the additional complexity and management overhead from having one or more extra backup servers and SANs in the environment. In fact, this approach consolidates Image-based data protection server infrastructure to the bare essentials, further reducing backup costs and associated burdens. Figure 3. Direct-to-Target Image-Based Data Protection Methods Offer Shortest Possible Backup Windows and Fastest Recovery: Use of Proxy-Based Method Preserves SAN Investment As it does with backup, direct-to-target architectures speed up restores, in this case by sending images directly from storage to client systems. In this way, the bottleneck from a proxy server and single backup server is eliminated, enabling multiple recovery processes to occur simultaneously. Direct-to-target implementations raise ROI still higher by creating an architecture uniquely suited to adding efficiency capabilities. With direct-to-target, efficiencies can be added where they will provide the most benefit: right at the data source. There, data can be collected more efficiently, and with better compression and de-duplication before it s transmitted over networks and finally stored. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 8

10 Advanced efficiency capabilities are considered critical for handling image-based backups and should be present in direct-to-target implementations. They include: Zero Elimination removes empty blocks to provide image compression before transmission Active Block Management removes inactive application and file data that was deleted within the image before transmission De-duplication eliminates duplicate blocks from within images Integrated Change-Block Tracking uses system-tracking of changed blocks to avoid the need to scan systems during incremental image-based backup Direct-to-target architecture used in combination with advanced efficiency capabilities reduce the amount of data that must be protected across an entire environment. This makes data collection faster and more efficient, as well as data transmission faster with lower bandwidth-requirements. This combination also reduces the amount of storage required to protect and retain backup images. Equally important, recovery times are improved since there is less data to restore. In short, image-based data protection solutions with direct-to-target architecture are necessary to achieve the smallest global-backup windows, as well as recovery point and recovery time objectives. Organizations may have significant investments in SAN-attached storage managed by proxy server systems in their environments. In this case, image-based data protection solutions can leverage these systems for LAN-free backup and restore. SAN resources can also be shared to store legacy and image-based data, including disk and tape systems. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 9

11 Obtaining Image-Based Data Protection Benefits in Legacy Backup Methods Environments In environments using legacy backup methods systems, new Image-Based Data Protection methods can be added without removing older systems. Most traditional backup deployments treat VMs as physical servers, and do nothing to protect the VMs themselves. In these environments, the first priority must be to get a VM protection strategy in place. To do this, it s not necessary to remove the legacy backup environment. Instead, the recommended approach is to incrementally add image-based data protection to work seamlessly alongside traditional Legacy backup methods environments. Using the same systems already in place, including those from Symantec, CommVault, and Tivoli, image-based data protection image-based backup can be managed as part of a traditional protection process. The process of adding image-based data protection capabilities to legacy backup methods environments is simple when working with vranger the best direct-to-target image-based data protection solution available on the market. Proxy-based Image-Based Data Protection implementations have performance bottlenecks and lack client-based efficiency capabilities required for large-scale image-based protection. vranger s direct-to-target image-based data protection implementation is scalable and can be configured to work as part of the backup cycle in existing systems. This way, the value of existing proxy servers is preserved, since the servers are not overloaded with primary backup and can still be used for sweep-to-tape. Moreover, no additional operational steps are ever required to manage backup. And once deployed, no additional changes or adjustments in the vranger backup configuration are required to find new images, as these are automatically found using a query process that is part of vranger s implementation. The consoles from existing backup deployments can be used for environment-wide backup scheduling and for all legacy backup methods and image-based processes, which helps to unify the backup environment. All of these advantages add up to fast and easy adoption of vranger image-based data protection into existing environments, with no additional infrastructure requirements. In fact, the value and longevity of existing legacy backup methods deployments are preserved and maximized with vranger image-based data protection. Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 10

12 Conclusion Data protection solutions must improve as organizations continue to consolidate datacenter infrastructure, while attempting to accommodate exponential year-on-year data growth. IT budgets have been consumed just through efforts to keep up with data protection costs. Yet despite all the spending, data protection remains unreliable. Traditional file-based backup jobs don t have the necessary time for completion. Plus, they fail often and offer limited recovery capabilities. The result for business is high costs and low data availability, not to mention stressed out IT administration teams, struggling to make it all work. vranger: The Best Image-Based Data Protection Solution Arrived first on the market with image-based capabilities Recognized as market-leading solution with over 25,000 customers Powered by Quest Software, the recognized market leader among independent vendors in virtualization management software by Gartner and IDC Established as first and only product to feature image encapsulation for physical systems alongside virtual systems, including P2V2P recovery conversions The source of the problem is outdated backup methods that were originally designed for data volumes and infrastructures two decades ago. But the advent of virtual server technology offers better access to all types of data. Using images that contain all VM data, organizations can protect data without having to scan disk storage systems. This technology can also be applied to physical systems to reinvent how data is collected, transmitted and recovered in all environments. Image-based data protection offers simply better data protection with significant ROI results. For every $1 spent on image-based data protection technologies, organizations that adopt it can expect to reap at least $15 in savings within the first year. Adopting image-based data protection is not a ripand-replace exercise within an environment. Instead, image-based data protection technologies can be added to legacy deployments, preserving and enhancing the value of legacy components including proxy servers and consoles. The stakes are high. If enough IT funds can be freed up from having efficient image-based data protection, then more strategic initiatives can be launched. Launched as first product to incorporate centrally managed, distributed-load direct-to-target architecture Developed with agent-less distributed-load processing patentpending Was first to incorporate native, full catalog as part of the imagebackup process, --patent-pending Designed to be easy and fast to adopt into existing backup deployments, working alongside console systems that can be used for environment-wide scheduling and sweep-to-tape Built with true image handling to deliver backup-once-recoverany recovery Based on reality that backup of a few images is faster than backup of thousands of discrete files Ensures recovery is faster and more reliable for full environments, individual servers, single files and application objects Offers direct-to-target advanced efficiency capabilities -- including zero handling, deleted data handling with Active Block Mapping and Change-Block Tracking -- to increase performance and reduce network and storage consumption Offers image-based backup for both physical and virtual systems Simplifies migration of physical systems to virtual servers Business competitiveness will improve. And IT teams will be freed from the heavy burden of data management Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 11

13 2011 Quest Software, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose without the written permission of Quest Software, Inc. ( Quest ). The information in this document is provided in connection with Quest products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property right is granted by this document or in connection with the sale of Quest products. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN QUEST'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS SPECIFIED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THIS PRODUCT, QUEST ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING TO ITS PRODUCTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL QUEST BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF QUEST HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Quest makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice. Quest does not make any commitment to update the information contained in this document. If you have any questions regarding your potential use of this material, contact: Quest Software World Headquarters LEGAL Dept 5 Polaris Way Aliso Viejo, CA legal@quest.com Refer to our Web site for regional and international office information. Trademarks Quest, Quest Software, the Quest Software logo, AccessManager, ActiveRoles, Aelita, Akonix, AppAssure, Benchmark Factory, Big Brother, BridgeAccess, BridgeAutoEscalate, BridgeSearch, BridgeTrak, BusinessInsight, ChangeAuditor, ChangeManager, Defender, DeployDirector, Desktop Authority, DirectoryAnalyzer, DirectoryTroubleshooter, DS Analyzer, DS Expert, Foglight, GPOADmin, Help Desk Authority, Imceda, IntelliProfile, InTrust, Invirtus, itoken, I/Watch, JClass, Jint, JProbe, LeccoTech, LiteSpeed, LiveReorg, LogADmin, MessageStats, Monosphere, MultSess, NBSpool, NetBase, NetControl, Npulse, NetPro, PassGo, PerformaSure, Point,Click,Done!, PowerGUI, Quest Central, Quest vtoolkit, Quest vworkspace, ReportADmin, RestoreADmin, ScriptLogic, Security Lifecycle Map, SelfServiceADmin, SharePlex, Sitraka, SmartAlarm, Spotlight, SQL Navigator, SQL Watch, SQLab, Stat, StealthCollect, Storage Horizon, Tag and Follow, Toad, T.O.A.D., Toad World, vautomator, vcontrol, vconverter, vfoglight, voptimizer, vranger, Vintela, Virtual DBA, VizionCore, Vizioncore vautomation Suite, Vizioncore vbackup, Vizioncore vessentials, Vizioncore vmigrator, Vizioncore vreplicator, WebDefender, Webthority, Xaffire, and XRT are trademarks and registered trademarks of Quest Software, Inc in the United States of America and other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks used in this guide are property of their respective owners. Updated January, 2011 Image-Based Data Protection: Simply Better Data Protection 12

14 BUSINESS BRIEF About Quest Software, Inc. Quest Software (Nasdaq: QSFT) simplifies and reduces the cost of managing IT for more than 100,000 customers worldwide. Our innovative solutions make solving the toughest IT management problems easier, enabling customers to save time and money across physical, virtual and cloud environments. For more information about Quest solutions for application management, database management, Windows management, virtualization management, and IT management, go to Contacting Quest Software PHONE (United States and Canada) If you are located outside North America, you can find your local office information on our Web site. MAIL Quest Software, Inc. World Headquarters 5 Polaris Way Aliso Viejo, CA USA Contacting Quest Support Quest Support is available to customers who have a trial version of a Quest product or who have purchased a commercial version and have a valid maintenance contract. Quest Support provides around-the-clock coverage with SupportLink, our Web self-service. Visit SupportLink at SupportLink gives users of Quest Software products the ability to: Search Quest s online Knowledgebase Download the latest releases, documentation, and patches for Quest products Log support cases Manage existing support cases View the Global Support Guide for a detailed explanation of support programs, online services, contact information, and policies and procedures. 5 Polaris Way, Aliso Viejo, CA PHONE WEB sales@quest.com If you are located outside North America, you can find local office information on our Web site Quest Software, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Quest, Quest Software, the Quest Software logo and vranger are registered trademarks of Quest Software, Inc. in the U.S.A. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners. BBV-SimplyBetterBackup2-US-EH