Tag Archives: Asigra Inc

Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Backup – Further Observations

February 9, 2011

In the recently published Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk based Backup and Recovery, the analyst firm saw a trend toward increasing consideration of a cloud-based recovery implementation. Garther found that in selected cases, large-enterprise server data is being moved to a cloud-based backup/recovery solution, but the predominant amount of interest has been for midsize enterprise servers and branch-office and desktop/laptop data.

In the large enterprise, the most common implementations have been for remote-office and desktop/laptop data. Gartner worldwide survey data suggests that, in future years, cloud-based recovery solutions will increasingly be evaluated by organizations of all sizes.

Many organizations continue rearchitecting their backup infrastructures and support procedures in an effort to modernize their approach to handle new data types and large workload volumes, and to improve backup and restore times. Disk-based solutions, including backup directly to disk, server virtualization backup features and deduplication technology, are among the key items being sought. Mission-critical workloads are increasingly being deployed in server-virtualized environments, making VMware, Citrix Systems XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V backup more of a mainstream requirement. The cloud delivery model for backup/recovery is increasingly being considered for enterprise recovery requirements � especially for desktop/laptops and remote offices. The scope of enterprise backup has expanded to sometimes include remote-office and branch-office locations, as well as desktop and laptop protection, particularly for key company executives.

Support for virtual environments is a key strength of the highest placed Niche Player, Asigra Inc. Asigra started supporting virtual environments almost six years ago. At that time, there were no backup APIs available from server virtualization vendors, so Asigra used the native APIs from VMware and Xen to provide support for VMs. Today, Asigra supports VMware through the vStorage APIs (VADP), as well as through native APIs. Asigra states that the native API method allows for greater granularity, to the file/message level. Asigra is not a household name in the backup and recovery market; however, the company is taking steps to change this. It invested significant resources in 2009 and 2010 in promoting awareness of the cloud backup market and Asigra’s place in it. Asigra is the founder and holds the position of chair of the SNIA Special Interest Group on Cloud Backup and Recovery.

Windows 2008 Hyper-V Backup and Recovery

May 15, 2009

We are pleased to say that our software partner, Asigra Inc. has today announced certification with Microsoft Hyper V. Here is a couple of snippets from the press release:

�Asigra Inc., a leading Cloud backup and recovery software provider, today announced certification with Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V. Asigra simplifies and automates backup and recovery for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V customers, providing the benefits of highly efficient data protection without the need to install I/O, memory and management-intensive backup software on virtual machines targeted for protection��.�

�Our compatibility with leaders in server virtualization underscores our commitment to deliver on the promise of virtual server efficiency,� said Eran Farajun, EVP for Asigra. �By supporting Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, users are provided another technology tool in their arsenal to achieve exceptional cost and operational advantages, allowing focus on more strategic IT initiatives.”

Asigra Inc have always led from the front on virtual machine protection.

Backup Technology were invited to represent Asigra at VM World in September last year, and we have a large number of our customers who already use our online backup service to protect their virtual environments. In addition, our recently launched Virtual Disaster Recovery solution allows our clients the chance to recover individual servers or their whole infrastructure into our virtual environment, and this can then be presented to allow remote operations to continue.

We already offer the option for VM Ware�environments where we can either protect either the base VM file (VMDK) or agentlessly protect the server in the normal way. VM Ware support has been offered since May 2006.

It is very pleasing to be a major partner of such a pro active vendor such as Asigra � who not only react to the moves from other major players but invest the R&D (and most importantly the Q&A) time to deliver robust backup and recovery for the very latest applications and systems.

2009 Gartner Business Continuity Summit (Part 2)

May 11, 2009

I have landed back in the UK after a hugely successful trip to Chicago where I presented at the 2009 Gartner Business Continuity Summit. The Summit was held in the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Downtown Chicago.

In recent research, Gartner listed the main drivers for the growth in, and maturity of, BCM programs that we see in 2008 and beyond as: 24/7 business delivery model, and globalization of business operations.

My interpretation of “24/7 business model” is the increased stress on Recovery Time Objectives (RTO’s). We have seen RTO’s shrink considerably in the past few years as technology and business demands clash. A large customer of ours has reclassified 40% of their server as “critical” in a recent disaster recovery internal review. For “globalisation of business operations” I interpret this not just in terms of larger organisations growing globally – but companies finding data distributed across their network which requires protection.

Some further observations:

1. All of the attendees I spoke to were great technologists. They all appeared to be receptive to any new approaches and ideas that could make their life a lot easier. For instance, many I spoke to were early adopters of VM technology, and were now actively considering moving their backups into the “cloud”. My presentation concentrated on deploying online backup within a private “cloud” (or WAN for us old boys) – and this struck a chord with many attendees who had previously objected to sending their data offsite to a third party provider

2. Everyone hates tapes. Everyone. Most people I spoke to still use tape either as a primary backup and recovery system (which they admit is a potential weakness), or more likely as a secondary medium to store long term archives on.

Having spent the past 9 years promoting the benefits of cloud backup (even before the term even existed!!) it gave me great heart to know that more and more people agree that tape is not suitable as a main backup system.

For those who have asked for photographic evidence, I am pleased to link you to a picture of myself flanked by Dave Russell of Gartner Inc (left) and Jas Mann of Asigra Inc (right).

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