Tag Archives: Asigra

Controlling your Cloud Data in the Face of Outages

November 29, 2016 Kris Price

It’s hard to imagine that one quick lightning strike could disrupt the business of several companies across Europe, but this is exactly what happened in the summer of 2011 in Dublin.

After a lightning bolt struck a utility pole, causing an explosion and fire, power supply was cut to several businesses and data centres in the surrounding area. According to Amazon and Microsoft — the two companies whose data centres were worst affected — the bolt disrupted power supply to their massive data centres. While Microsoft was able to kick start its services after a few hours, Amazon’s services weren’t resumed until a good 48 hours later. Amazon’s customers spent several frustrating hours waiting for Amazon to report on the status, as the company struggled to set things right and quickly restore their services.

You might say, this is an old news that happened more than five years ago, but this very instance shows how unplanned disasters can strike at any time. With this in mind, Backup Technology Limited (BTL) believes there are several lessons to be learnt from this and many other data centre outages.

Complete dependency on the service provider’s ability to maintain uninterrupted service is foolhardy, to say the least. Customers signing up for cloud services must ensure that they maintain control over their data by making local backups of their data in addition to riding the cloud for all the benefits that accrue from it. BTL urges its customers to take advantage of its Asigra powered software, a hybrid cloud backup solution that ensures full-proof data availability.

BTL is equipped with local and remote management features, which allow users to seamlessly perform local backups to their private cloud infrastructure or offsite backups to a public cloud. Even more beneficial, they can do so even while they’re away from the office. A web-based management console allows one to control and manage all backups and restores via an Internet connection.

To ensure full business continuity, BTL stresses the importance of performing both local and offsite, cloud backup. If backing up data to the cloud, BTL recommends that customers add disaster recovery and business continuity to their list of services.

Unlike larger cloud customers such as Amazon’s public cloud users, BTL users who backup data locally to their private cloud infrastructure, in addition to a cloud service powered by BTL, will not have to wait endlessly for reports about the restoration of services in the event of an offsite data centre disaster. They can connect their network to the local copy of the data and resume their business activities almost instantaneously.

When handling business data backup plans, smart IT admins look at all their options and will not hesitate to implement local backup AND offsite cloud backup with an MSP to ensure security and business continuity at all times. BTL recognises the ground realities surrounding data management by large third parties. This is why BTL focuses its attention on customer needs and urge its customers to build in an extra resilience and maintain data redundancy.

What is Continuous Cloud Backup and What are its Many Advantages – Part II

November 3, 2016 Callum Huddlestone

In Part I, we defined continuous cloud backup, and discussed its effects on bandwidth. In Part II, we will further discuss the benefits of continuous cloud backups.

Frequently Modified Files

Regardless of the myriad advantages brought about by continuous data protection, most enterprises do not implement this function for all their files, with a hybrid arrangement of both continuous and scheduled backups usually resulting in the most efficient overall backup scenario. Oftentimes companies will choose to implement continuous backup only on files that are frequently modified and thus more potentially subject to being saved incorrectly or even corrupted during the saving process.

File Size

It should be mentioned that, as far as the taxing of system resources and disk write operation are concerned, continuous data backup works better for smaller files than it does larger ones, so usually the administrator of the cloud backup account will designate a cut-off point for file sizes to be backed up continuously, avoiding potential bottlenecks that could take place if multiple employees happen to all begin modifying relatively large files at the same time.

Data Corruption

In addition to helping to protect companies from data loss, continuous online data backup can also protect you from file corruption as well. In the event of data corruption, due to either disk write errors or even computer viruses, continuous data protection can allow you to easily retrieve previously saved, clean versions that may not still be saved on the company’s computers or databases. Of course, some data loss might still occur for any file information that was generated after the corruption took place. However, having said that, the implementation of a “journaling file system” (a method of saving data that can be configured in some operating systems, wherein changed data is stored on a “journal file” before being committed to the main file system) can bring about a scenario in which companies can even restore file information that was created after a file became corrupted!

Powered by Asigra

Needless to say, Backup Technology Limited (BTL) knows a little bit about continuous cloud backup. In fact, so much so that its Continuous Backup technology, powered by Asigra, is one of the key components of its suite of cloud backup services for small to mid-sized to enterprise businesses, is a very important feature that only select few cloud backup service providers can offer! Using this technology, BTL constantly monitors your system for files or folders that have been modified and then continuously copies just the part of the data that has been changed, compresses that data and then encrypts it so that it can be sent quickly and safely back to its servers in order to be instantly ready for retrieval if ever the need arises!

Network Traffic

BTL’s state of the art client software automatically senses how many employees are accessing the system at a given time and throttles bandwidth appropriately when usage levels are at their highest, so your company’s system performance will never be compromised in any way due to the continuous backup process.

For more information, visit www.Backup-Technology.com

Finding the Balance Between Value and Cost of Data Protection

September 4, 2016 Callum Huddlestone

The need to align value to cost of data protection is not new. What is new is the pressure for data protection in cost effective ways. The emergence of cloud computing is largely responsible for increasing pressures and redefining ways in which data can be protected.

IT administrators in charge of Information governance strategies in the cloud must:

Streamline processes;
Reduce costs and risks;
Leverage information effectively, and;
Evolve effective information delivery protocols.

IT Administrators migrating data to cloud storage servers, begin by assessing the available backup and archiving infrastructures in use and match it with policies and processes to arrive at an understanding of what needs to be done. They prepare a recovery service catalogue that aligns business needs to backup and archive solutions. This leads to the creation of high level architectures for the environment and development of business cases for illustrating current and projected costs, estimated savings and firm recommendations to the management for investing in cloud based backup infrastructures.

Therefore, cloud solution architectures that align value to cost of data protection, are considered to be critical to business processes and decisions that impact organisation growth, risk and profitability. Information optimised cloud backup and storage solutions are built around concepts of appropriate infrastructure, data management and data delivery. Tiered storage and information centric data storage solutions and services that pan across heterogeneous environments are desired for driving down costs and aligning value of data to protection of data. In short, the cloud platform is viewed as a means for storage managers to logically transmit data to secure storage tiers for matching information attributes, establishing enterprise wide business continuity and managing data stores from a central location with user-friendly application interfaces.

Businesses need to take care of their information assets in cost effective ways. Forward-looking organisations take this stewardship seriously and ensure quality, compliance and information protection in the cloud. The cost of data protection is rightly aligned with data protection as they appreciate that data breaches are expensive in terms of reputation, brand image, customer satisfaction and litigation under the different regulations that govern the enterprise. They leverage the best practises of the cloud to meet industry standards and data security objectives. They create value based information governance objectives that clarifies individual roles and responsibilities and provides necessary guidelines for effective management of information in the cloud across the enterprise.

Backup Technology Limited is proud to provide a value-cost balanced cloud backup services to small and large enterprises globally. Why not give our services a try? Contact BTL for more details — www.Backup-Technology.com

Importance of Cloud Application Programming Interface (API)

June 8, 2016 Kris Price

As technology is becoming increasingly dependent on the cloud, Application Programming Interface (API) in cloud computing has come into focus. APIs can be understood as the technical facilitator of the cloud. APIs enable users to write applications on the cloud by interpreting the user commands and converting it into the necessary semantics that can be understood by the back-end systems. An API describes a certain operation in the system while providing syntax to achieve the same. It also gives information to the user about the kinds of inputs and outputs the system generates when a certain API is used. They can either be in a specific programming language or exist in a standard language like WSDL. It includes a set of defined protocols, which interact with the underlying system. It can be said, an ineffective API for a cloud would be equivalent to having a desktop computer without a keyboard or a mouse!

APIs can offer several features, which in turn increases the flexibility of the cloud. It allows the user to scale up or down the computational power as required and provides the user a rich set of features to work with. It plays a vital role in maintaining the cloud platform security and helps with rapid cloud access. The API takes care of the integration of a system as well as the portability and interpretability of an application on the cloud. Cloud service providers work very carefully to develop a robust APIs to provide the user with an exceptional cloud computing experience.

An example of a cloud API is Representational State Transfer (REST). It follows a SOA (Service oriented architecture) model, which allows for web service development using Object Oriented programming language. Most REST APIs communicate to the system through a web browser or web servers. Since cloud computing is distributive in nature, REST APIs use the web as the ideal solution for the implementation of API on the cloud. These APIs are typically catered towards a certain kind of service model like PaaS or SaaS, which focus on providing software solutions to the customers. Online Maps are a classic example of REST based SaaS API. For users trying to create applications for taxi services or moving services, these APIs can help build the necessary platform with their varied tools! It can help with the dispatch of drivers or movers real-time upon customer request while taking into account the proximity of the service provider.

APIs form an integral part of the cloud ecosystem. Since it plays a critical role in deciding the type of service model a business will require, choosing the right API, is crucial for successful application development!

As a cloud computing, cloud backup, and disaster recovery company, Backup Technology is happy to assist you with your cloud computing needs, including APIs. Contact us here: https://www.backup-technology.com/about-btl/contact

Why is Asigra the Most Reliable Cloud Backup Software Solution?

December 10, 2015 Callum Huddlestone

The significance of a technology is evaluated through its capability to accomplish various business targets. One such technology we want to discuss today is a cloud backup and data storage software.

Asigra, founded in 1986, is considered the most reliable cloud backup and recovery software. Asigra offers security, affordability, reliability and manageability. It is one of the leading software providers for cloud backup and data recovery. Asigra has made managed business backup system very simple.

Managed backup service providers are attracted to using the Asigra solution for the profit margins, recurring revenue, marketing support, client retention model, FIPS certification, and the company ethics. In addition, Asigra allows its partners to go to market fast, in unprecedented ways. Partners are able to enjoy the various support services that are developed by Asigra.

By developing customer base and increasing margins, Asigra partners get the possibility to make a lot of money. By giving high tech value added services, Asigra’s partners can avoid channel conflict, triumph over technology restraints, improve customer satisfaction, receive ecosystem support, and access marketing and sales support to flourish their business.

Asigra reduces ownership risk by minimizing the operational threats. Asigra’s Hybrid Partner Program gives access to resources like programs for sales certification, training and market readiness kits. With the help of Asigra’s automated backup software, it becomes easy for partners to concentrate on different business activities to achieve their target. Partners are given choices to select the level of involvement and stay responsive to meet the demands of clients with hybrid, public or private cloud services delivery.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are valuable for demanding clients. SLAs develop trust of customers. Asigra cloud backup and recovery software can protect several Petabytes of data from one or many sources. In addition to maximum storage capacity, Asigra software is legally compliant for acts, such as: PCI-DSS, Data Protection Act, HIPAA, and Sarbanes-Oxley. Additional point that make Asigra trustworthy for backup service vendors and end users is its flawless reputation.

Asigra has developed a robust ecosystem with passion meticulously. It provides cost effective and perfect support program to beat the competition in the industry. Asigra has spent a great deal of time and energy in developing such a system. Partners are given immediate access to CDM (Channel Development Manager). Additionally, peer network is also within access of partners. Free partner conference is held annually to make Asigra ecosystem friendly and to exchange information and experiences among partners.

Asigra covers all avenues that lead towards business growth. It gives surety to manage risks, client retention, and profit optimization. Asigra partners provide reliable cloud backup services that are scalable, robust, risk aware and consistent to worldwide clients. Asigra cloud backup offers great features and has the ability to examine backup repositories to find out errors and when it finds one, it activates algorithms to rectify the error(s).

If you are interested to introduce services concerning data recovery and online data backup, Asigra is the ultimate destination to achieve your goals successfully.

We, at Backup Technology, know Asigra software inside out; and we have been Asigra’s partner since 2005, and 3D Hybrid partner since 2010. Let us help you with your cloud online backup, data storage and recovery needs.

The Importance of Support Levels in Partnership

November 30, 2015 Callum Huddlestone

Lack of support in any project can easily result in failure even with simplest project or activity. It is important for you to know that sending or moving your mission-critical data to a third party service provider online is never an easy attempt. Doing such thing without employing proper support can lead to very serious issues that can cripple the entire activity and/or the organisation.

Therefore, you need to examine your service provider, whose mission is to bring to the table a particular skill set to your organisation. More so, exploring the skill sets of the service provider should provide you with the freedom you need to develop the particular talent you have. If your service provider can say that they can bring talents to complement your business, then you are in good hands. Otherwise, it is time for you to search for the partner that will provide you with the freedom you need.

Cloud based services can abstract software and software infrastructure maintenance from your company at the same time optimising on the current hardware you already have. The service provider should be responsible for upgrading hardware and software, without any kind of downtime. Also, there should be availability of data system for your enterprise at all times. The data should be considerably scalable as well as activity that involve trouble shooting at the service provider’s end should flawlessly transfer you to the “hot site” or even to the “disaster recovery site” so as to provide your business with enough convenience option. Disaster recovery procedures must also be an integral part of the offerings. Data mirroring features should be automatic. Compliance to legal mandates must be incorporated into the backup process and archiving.

On a daily operation, there must be support services available for you to carry on your activities; and you should be allowed to refer or contact your technical support team members, assigned by your service provider, for any kind of problems. Customers that are using their services should be sure that they can get not less than 99.99% uptime. Ideally, 24/7 help desk should be provided by the service provider in order to make it easy for customers to get the help they need for their service. That can also make the customers to be sure of getting response from the service provider within 24 or at most 48 hours.

Another thing expected of the service provider is to regularly monitor the health of all customer accounts. If any suspicious activity is detected in the account, such activities must be logged in to the system and reported. In order to automatically trigger off warnings when there is any form of spur-of-the-moment activities, the software alerts must be configured right.

The cloud based support services must help to improve your return on investment (ROI). It must give evidence about the data storage model being marketed by your service provider to assist you in your exclusive business prospect.

Backup Technology is proud to be a 3D Hybrid partner of Asigra, which gives us the best support to reach our business goals.