https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • Analytics
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud
    • Data Centers
    • Desktop
    • IoT
    • Mobility
    • Networking
    • Open Source
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Virtualization
    • Voice/Connectivity
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Best Practices
    • Business Models
    • Channel 101
    • Channel Programs
    • Channel Research
    • Digital Transformation
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Leadership
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Specialty Practices
  • MSSP Insider
    • Back
    • Business of Security
    • Cloud and Edge
    • Endpoint
    • Network
    • People and Careers
    • Training and Policies
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501 Application
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Our Sponsors
    • From the Industry
    • Content Resources
    • COVID-19 Partner Help
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • EMEA
  • Awards
    • Back
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Partners Evolution
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
  • Channel Mentor
    • Back
    • Channel Market Intelligence
    • Channel Educational Series
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Digital Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • CHANNEL PARTNERS ONLINE
 Channel Futures

From the Industry


Private vs. Public Cloud Backup: Two Copies or One?

  • Written by Zetta Guest Blog
  • August 19, 2015
Storage is expensive. That raises a question for anyone engaged in cloud backup or considering hosting a backup service for others: Should we keep one copy of data or two?

Storage is expensive. That raises a question for anyone engaged in cloud backup or considering hosting a backup service for others: Should we keep one copy of data or two?

The immediate answer is two, but economics can enter in. Keeping a single copy of data will be the most cost-effective approach, but there is a downside: It leaves you without any insurance should something happen to the primary copy. During Superstorm Sandy, for example, a New York healthcare firm found itself badly exposed when its DR site in New Jersey suffered from flooding. It took it more than a week to get its systems up and running, at a colossal loss of revenue.

That’s why keeping two copies is the best bet. But that comes at a price, as building and maintaining this infrastructure means doubling your storage acquisition and operating costs.  

Probably the simplest way to achieve this is to add tape storage and send tapes to an offsite facility. Tape cartridges, after all, are relatively inexpensive and readily available. But buying a tape silo comes at an expense similar to that of a disk storage subsystem. Further, an offsite storage company is needed to retrieve and store tapes. That’s an added expenditure. Since tape drives tend to be upgraded every 18 months, MSPs will have to keep legacy drives under contract should you have to restore data from older backups.

But there are other factors to consider in a tape-based system. In most backups, tapes are read sequentially, especially if you are trying to recreate a system from a full backup. If one of those tapes is bad, your disaster recovery efforts will be lost. Unfortunately, this happens more than one could imagine. Gartner analyst Dave Russell placed tape backup failure rates at anywhere from 10% to 25%. MSPs can’t afford to risk their reputation by relying on tape.

Another approach, and one favored by many reputable MSPs, is to create a copy of the data in a secondary storage subsystem. This allows for the MSP to have a warm backup of its data that can be accessed quickly in the event of a disaster. However, the cost of building and maintaining this infrastructure is significant.

Balancing Concerns

So what is an MSP to do? Perhaps the best option is to hand this duty off to a cloud storage provider.  The economics of doing so are typically favorable, but, more importantly, the service can be offered to existing customers without tying IT staff by doing a point-in-time recovery. 

It’s as simple as selecting the date when the issue occurred and start the recovery. There’s no waiting for the tapes to arrive; no need to recover the data sequentially, tape by tape, from the last full backup; or even worry if the tapes actually work.

Telling a CEO that you will have the spreadsheet recovered in 30 minutes sounds much better than telling him or her that the spreadsheet will be recovered within the next 24 hours. Such challenges have caused some MSPs to drop backup from their repertoire. But if you could hand it over to a reliable backup partner, you could use its services to increase profitability while leaving IT staff free to work on strategic initiatives.

For more information, here’s an MSP tech brief on what you need to know about building out a private vs. public cloud.

Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly and are part of MSPmentor’s annual platinum sponsorship.

 

 

Tags: Cloud Service Providers Digital Service Providers MSPs VARs/SIs From the Industry

Related


  • IT Training
    New Year Means Time to Make Room for New IT Training
    IT training is a vital component of any MSP’s resource planning strategies and staff development.
  • Staged Approach to Security Services
    The Smart Money’s on a Staged Approach to Security Services Provision
    Countering threats to customers is best achieved with a staged approach to security services.
  • Public sector IT
    Public Sector IT Funding Outlook for 2021--and What It Means for Our Reseller Partners
    Public sector IT resellers must anticipate customers’ changing priorities to most effectively position offerings.
  • Tactical Threat Intelligence Has a Critical Place in a Layered Cybersecurity Strategy
    Tactical threat intelligence typically focuses on the latest methods threat actors are using to execute attacks.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How the SASE Model Helps Secure Remote Workers, Branch Offices
  • Three Ways MSPs Can Improve Supply Chain Security
  • Disaster Recovery Planning Includes Ensuring That Data Can Be Recovered
  • MSPs: Grow the Business with Marketing (While Focusing on What You Do Best)

Galleries

View all

From The Second City: How to Use Improv as a Business Tool

March 3, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

Multi-Cloud: Strategy or Inevitable Outcome? (or both?)

March 3, 2021

Backup Vulnerability: 4 Targets Hackers Might Utilize to Infiltrate Your Backup Solution

March 2, 2021

The “Roaring 20s” Are Coming

February 25, 2021

Webinars

View all

A Partner’s Perspective on Channel Success in 2021

March 23, 2021

XDR and Why it Matters to MSPs

March 24, 2021

Top Security Trends Impacting Technology Security Providers In 2021

March 25, 2021

White Papers

View all

Why Fortinet for my MSSP?

March 2, 2021

Small and Mid-Size Business Security: 4 Steps to Success

March 2, 2021

How SMBs Can Secure Endpoints and Remote Workers for the Long Haul

March 2, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

FASTCHAT: How SOAR Eliminates Security Challenges and Elevates Service Provider Revenues

January 6, 2021

Happy Holidays from Channel Partners & Channel Futures!

December 21, 2020

FASTCHAT: How Old, Unpatched Technologies Are Creating New Security Threats for MSPs and Their Customers

December 3, 2020

Twitter

ChannelFutures

Kelly Leonard of @SecondCity talks to us about how improv can be used as a business tool to improve the company cul… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

Another amazing day at #CPVirtual. Here's what you missed and what's on tap for Day 3. @Channel_Expo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 4, 2021
ChannelFutures

Learn how @VMWare can help you build and deliver a #multicloud strategy. #hybridcloud #cloud #AWS… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

Learn about the merging of our media websites; plus, a new #MSP Summit this fall. @Channel_Expo… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@KnowBe4 acquires @MediaPROInc to beef up #cybersecurity training. dlvr.it/RtvdpB https://t.co/FzseCn4K6A

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

#COVID19 is ramping up #socialengineering – time for MSSPs to step in. @Electric_AI dlvr.it/RtvRQc https://t.co/ebTJNJcOxz

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@pluribusnet launches expanded, simplified partner program. #SDN dlvr.it/RtvGtQ https://t.co/bRDqYLEhXJ

March 3, 2021
ChannelFutures

#SupplyChain agility is changing global distribution patterns and #ictservices, says @NeecoICT.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

March 3, 2021

MSSP Insider

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Channel Partners Online

Want more? Find more channel news and analysis on our sister site, Channel Partners.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Online
  • Channel Partners Events
  • MSP 501
  • MSSP Insider
  • IoT World Today
  • Webhostingtalk

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X