Tag Archives: Asigra

Why Does Backup Technology Choose to Partner with Asigra?

November 2, 2015 Damien Garvey

Asigra is a disk based cloud backup and recovery software known for its certainty, dependability, as well as its ability to guarantee absolute security. It has been placed in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Disk-based Backup and Recovery in the recent reports. Among the enormous parameters that were considered for this placement was its military grade security feature. Asigra is, therefore, known as the best and most reliable backup and recovery software ever.

Asigra is unique due to its more than a quarter of a century presence in the industry of cloud backup and recovery. It has provided users with quality software since 1986, without any form of breach. Due to the fact that this software does not support open firewall ports, data stored in it cannot be hacked. The data in the data centres is stored in encrypted format, and all the files and blocked data are signed digitally.

There is a built in system admin with logical check features, and with background automated healing, which made the data stored in it to be in self-describing format. In addition, in order to protect the data against any form of compromise, the digital signatures are checked and validated regularly. Asigra is acknowledged rightly so as one of the pioneers in cloud backup encryption. Asigra is only channel driven. As such, service provides have been championing Asigra software by offering it as part of their packaged services. Asigra partners are known to be on top of their game and beat the competition.

Asigra’s encryption algorithm is FIPS certified. Encryption of data takes place from DS Client to DS System, edge to cloud, disk to archive, and is retained encrypted at the end point of the storage. There are lots of encryption protocols associated with Asigra software and customers have a choice of encryption, including: DES 56 bit with an 8-character key to AES 256 bit with 32-character key.

Additionally, Asigra software has the capability for users to retrieve their data that was encrypted with older encryption formats. There is also an option for management of the encryption key. The administrator can either self-manage or optionally allow the service provider to manage the static encryption key, which was generated at the point of subscription for the service.

Asigra security has user authentication as its central focus. For easy user definition, there are elaborate user management features. The central administrator can easily assign user IDs, rights, permissions, and passwords. The password generation and rotation features associated with Asigra software can be useful to organizations that are security conscious. For specific back up user, password can be changed randomly in order to make access to the data very secure. The entire activity of users can be logged in and tracked at the central location.

This wonderful backup and recovery software is designed for existing legal provisions and greater compliance. The automated disk based solution is known to run quietly at the background without intervention of a human being. Asigra allows the generation of aggregated data for offsite storage, on premises appliance-based backup, and the opportunity for instant recovery.

Backup Technology is proud to be Asigra’s partner since 2005 and a 3D Hybrid partner since 2010. For more information, please visit Asigra’s website: www.asigra.com

Asigra, the Best Cloud Backup Software, Powers BTL

October 28, 2015 Kris Price

In case you have not heard about Asigra, a disk to disk (D2D) data backup and vaulting solution, this article will introduce you. Asigra solution has been designed to address lots of serious compliance needs and provide data protection that is cost-effective. Its effortless software manages data life cycles, as well as allows a speedy recovery of data. Organizations may need to change their remote site backup or recovery procedures that based on legacy tape with high-tech and innovative backup systems that focus mainly on security of data in flight and at rest. Among the things that make Asigra software exceptional cloud backup solution include: hard coded security, agentless solution, and WAN optimization techniques.

The unique selling proposition (USP) for Asigra is its FIPS 140 certified cryptographic model. For refined security, Asigra encrypts data on the fly and stores it in the vaults in an encrypted format. Since Asigra’s launch in 1986, data stored under its software have never had any breach. In addition, there are no open firewall ports in Asigra and that is why is has never been hacked. Among the strengths of Asigra include: user authentication, encryption, role based access, secure offsite storage, as well as the granular level reports.

Asigra handles security and data privacy with second to none technology and provides protection for the major concerns of laws like: Data Protection Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and HIPAA. Asigra makes sure that data is captured properly and accurately. It ensures that data is processed lawfully and access is limited to only authorized personnel in the organization. There is also definition of data process that does not go against the rights of the data owner. In order to ensure that all stipulations and provisions are adhered to, this disk to disk data vaulting solution enables data protection officers to speedily and simply answer to queries of data owners and establish periodic checks.

It important for you to know that Asigra Televaulting solution flawlessly protects and combines local, remote or branch office data to meet the terms on all the aforementioned legal mandates. In order to make it easy for organizations to comply with the regulatory acts that have long-term retention periods, such as the OSHA*, Asigra offers secure long-term data retention. For legal discovery and compliance, Asigra allows a much faster data access and recovery. Really, Asigra’s data lifecycle management technology makes sure that data that need to be destroyed is dealt with swiftly using proper controls of primary data preservation policies.

Asigra architecture has been recognized by industry experts as a leading cloud backup and storage solution with many industry-firsts in the areas of computerization, efficiency and security. This helps to reduce boring backup jobs and puts onsite and offsite data capture in place easily, migrate data from local servers to cloud based servers, and formation of backup strategies that are compliant. Asigra also provides the user with absolute control over backed up data, and also accommodates changes in strategies.

We, at Backup Technology Limited (BTL), are proud to be a 3D Hybrid Partner of Asigra since 2010. Please visit Asigra’s website for more information – www.asigra.com.

* http://goo.gl/wBJLbU

Points to Note about Bare Metal Restore

October 2, 2015 Stewart Parkin

In general, majority of data restore systems often specify their ability to restore data to only the computing systems with similar or the same software running on them (i.e., environment like operating system, applications, and others). But the case of Base Metal restore is totally different and more unique as it is a repair and restoration technique designed to restore data to a computing system with entirely different hardware and software environment. So, the restoration process is coined “Bare Metal”, which means that the process does not need any requirement from the computing system where the data backup was done for it to restore the data.

Some Difference between Bare Metals and Disk Image Restore
Though, Bare Metal and Disk image restores work with similar process with each other, there are differences that exist between them. While Bare Metal involved installation of operating system, applications and component of data in the image file, Disk Image Restore only requires the installation of the restoration software and a copy of the disk image installed in the backed up computing system. With the help of Bare Metal imaging applications, the process of bare metal restore will be made easier. There is always replication of images of software components as well as the data to the new disk that were present at the time of backup through snapshots. This normally makes it easy for the data and the images to be restored using Bare Metal. The entire file systems in the disk images as well as disk partitions are copied using Linux Booth CD. There is also creation of new partition with either the same or larger size disk image, which resulted from the backup. Some servers support Bare Metal restores, and users can make use of such Bare Metal enabled servers to restore or recover their system in to a HyperV virtual machine.

Indeed, just with one single restore process, the entire computing system can be restored to the last known good state with the help of Bare Metal systems. This wonderful system is great and useful for recovering of data from the system during a disaster. This is made possible owing to the fact that the disk image can be useful for recreating the whole system at completely new geo-location with new hardware, using online application access. The restoration process involved in Bare Metal has been referred to as an art instead of a science, as it differs in the implementation from other system restore software. Not all online backup providers have Bare Metal services. Asigra is a powerful cloud backup software that has the capability to provide Bare Metal restore services.

Before starting your restoration using Bare Metal, you must ensure that the configuration of your system is supported by bare metal as the storage configurations of the servers may not be the same. So, confirm whether the basic partition table type of your system is supported by Bare Metal before going ahead to make use of it for your system data restore.

Backup Technology Powers IIJ Europe’s Enterprise Cloud-IIJ GIO

July 15, 2015 Stewart Parkin

We are delighted to announce that IIJ Europe Limited (IIJ Europe) has selected Backup Technology to deliver enterprise cloud solutions in EMEA.

The partnership, which gets underway immediately, is a fundamental driver for IIJ Europe, whose parent company is Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (NASDAQ: IIJI TSE1:3774) , as they look to establish a dominant place in the European and African markets for the provision of enterprise cloud services.

Backup Technology (BTL) will provide strategic licensing, sales and technical support for its public and private Asigra-based cloud solutions which IIJ Europe will incorporate into its cloud solutions’ offering to larger organisations.

Matthew Parker, Managing Director of BTL, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen by IIJ Europe to play a significant role in its partner network. This is an exciting opportunity to use our significant expertise in the strategic design and delivery of public and private cloud backup plus disaster recovery solutions to benefit larger organisations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”

Manabu Yamamoto, Managing Director of IIJ Europe, said: “We are delighted to collaborate with BTL. Adding their proven and robust Asigra-based solution to our competitively priced cloud IIJ GIO, provides significant added value to our offering. Furthermore this partnership will help us fully satisfy our customers’ service level requirements for mission critical systems. These added attributes makes IIJ GIO even more compelling to customers by catering for their complex needs. ”

IIJ Europe is a fully owned subsidiary of Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ), one of the leading cloud providers in Japan. IIJ Europe has huge ambitions to replicate IIJ’s success by providing IIJ GIO- their world-class, enterprise-ready cloud service – to the European market. IIJ GIO is a comprehensive, modular offer, based on a tried-and-tested platform, without the lock-in of a traditional private cloud or the risk and instability of a public cloud environment. IIJ Europe will offer their cloud service featuring BTL via strong partnerships in the channel.

Significant Software Features of Cloud Backup

July 15, 2015 Stewart Parkin

To overcome the chances of data deletion, businesses need offsite and onsite backup plans. Whether you are running a small business or have thousands of customers online, you must have at a minimum a local backup system. In addition, it is important to secure your data using a cloud backup service. In order to get the best possible services, you will need to hire the right cloud purveyor, and ask some basic questions or check the features of the software.

Various organizations use a variety of software systems for server, databases and virtual machines. Consequently, organizations need multiple systems for different backup applications. Lack of consistency could result in unsuccessful recovery attempts. Therefore, it is preferable to have all in one standardized backup solution.

In the cloud world, there are companies offering cloud backup services with specific features. Requirements of your business depend on risks associated with data, type of data, and privacy features. If your company is searching for cloud backup plan, check software features before selection. Some of the significant features are as follows:

Importance of Granularity

To search data, it is basic need of businesses to have granularity, as it helps in e-discovery procedure. Granularity is a process that checks bulk of data to get required information therefore software must accomplish search depending on:

Type of data: Microsoft Office Documents, PDF, emails, and etc.
Source of data: Search should be based on financial app, particular server file or Microsoft SharePoint
Analyzing information on the basis of Social Security numbers, bank account and credit card numbers

Logs & Alerts

It is one of the software features of cloud backup to monitor backup and give alerts concerning current backup status and failed backup jobs. Email alerts are sent on daily, weekly and monthly basis to keep your company ahead of customers. In this way, issues can be fixed before they change into catastrophe.

Customized Storage Option

Some of the benefits of customized storage are low risk, improved form of information, reduced capital, and use of secondary data for analysis and reporting. When data archive expands, it is troublesome to see search results with many copies of one file. To cope with this problem, deduplication engine is used to avoid copying of similar files. For data security, backup plans are used; always select software that offers fast recovery procedure.

Flexibility of Data for Cloud Backup

Flexibility of data archiving software supports various platforms at a time. Moreover, it can handle different data targets and data sources for extraction.

Secure and Fully Protected

Cloud vendors must have impenetrable system to enhance data security feature. Advanced features such as round the clock surveillance and biometric access controls should be used to make sure that cyber criminal cannot access cloud backups.

Backup with Server Configuration

One of the great advantages of getting cloud backup is to store folders, OS, files and settings according to their present status. It gives benefits to enterprises as backup is much more than folders and files backup. In fact, it covers whole system and recovers data in minutes based on your RPO and RTO.

Role of Cloud Backup Services in Disaster Recovery

July 10, 2015 Rob Mackle

Regardless of using external hard drives, USBs or cloud backup system to protect your data, more than 60% companies have lost valuable data. Usually, companies select either local backup or cloud system for data storage. You might have implemented both local and cloud based strategies to provide an ultimate solution. As a cloud backup company, it is in our interest to make customers aware of risks and benefits of data recovery plans. Small businesses and big enterprises must understand that system crashes directly affect on their business.

When system is down, it is ridiculous to imagine productive results. In fact, companies pay for each and every hour that is wasted due to disaster. Businesses cannot overlook disaster recovery plan, as a minute of downtime reduces the amount of profit. This downtime spoils company’s reputation. As a business, you need to get professionals to help you plan for your data. Let us find out factors which can lead towards debacle. When system stops working, our plans help in recovering data and running things in systematic manner. Within a short time span, employees can return to their routine operations. In order to avoid data loss in the future, selection of an effective recovery method is necessary.

Valuable data of companies is exposed to blunders, hackers and infections round the clock. It is auspicious that technology has given a solution in form of cloud backup and local environment. If you select our services — powered by Asigra — we give value to local level storage, as well as cloud based storage.

Cloud as Catastrophe Proofing

Backup in cloud form assists businesses in several ways. It supports operation and software distribution. It can be used for deploying services, infrastructure constituents and operating systems. Cloud offers flexible and convenient way of storing data that is the reason it is ranked as dependable source of business continuity.
If your business is struck by a disaster (theft, virus, fire), cloud backup works just like insurance policy that is responsible to recuperate your treasure. It is directly linked with virtualization so companies can restore backups on virtual machines. If your business needs to devolve routine responsibilities and pay attention on productivity issues, consult with professionals for disaster recovery program.

Cloud Friendly Hassle-free Solution

When cloud solutions are offered to customers, it is part of our job to inform them about local backup. No doubt, cloud is robust and amazing technology; however systematic strategy is needed to get benefit backup regimen.

Localize and Routine Data Storage

For disaster recovery, make sure that data which is backed up in the cloud is also stored within the company locally. An effective disaster plan means to use maximum sources to retrieve data. Use of software tools and cloud do not give justification for not saving data locally.

Organized Data

Usually, small companies neglect to organize their data when all information is backed up in backup cloud. In fact, categorization enhances visibility option and makes it easy to check what type of data has been backed up, what should be added, and where important files are stored?