Tag Archives: Cloud Backup

Effects of Bandwidth in Cloud Computing

October 9, 2015 Rob Mackle

The term “bandwidth” has been used in Electrical Engineering for years to mean “the difference between the upper and lower frequencies in a continuous set of frequencies, measured in hertz”. In the early 1990’s Telcos started to use the term “bandwidth” to describe the volume of data handled and defined it as “the transmission rate of data across a network”. Bandwidth in data transmission is measured in bits per second and it represents the capacity of network connection. Increase in the capacity means improved performance, considering other factors like latency. We will further discuss the effects of utilisation of bandwidth to the challenges associated with cloud computing.

Cloud computing providers usually calculate required bandwidth of customers just by considering the available quantity of bandwidth as well as the mean bandwidth utilisation needed by variety of applications. In addition, cloud computing providers consider latencies in transmission to calculate the required time to upload both the initial backup and all subsequent backups. For that reason, Internet based cloud backup service providers work hard to enhance the overall Internet bandwidth. They also do everything within their power to reduce the amount of data that flows through their pipes. There are many things the cloud service providers do to achieve such goals. They can use incremental backup technologies, link load balancing technologies or even some exceptional binary patching to transmit and extract file’s changes so as to reduce/ balance the transmitted amount of data. In addition, both de-duplication and file compression techniques may be used to decrease the quantity of files that are transmitted over the network.

Information Technology administrators are often advised to determine, as accurately as possible, the quantity of bandwidth that will be needed by the organisation for both data storage and transfer operations in the cloud, and also the latency, expressed in milliseconds. Therefore, they have to consider the number of users and systems that will be responsible for pushing data into the available network space for data storage and other functions at non-peak and peak hours.

The online backup that is built with self-service enabling features, augmented by administrative interface that is user-friendly can easily be built with tools that allow customers to select the things that can be backed up at any point in time. There is also inbuilt filter, which enables users to add or remove files as well as folders from their sets of backups. There may be scheduling of backup sets for upload at different points in time in the Internet based servers. Massive data transfers can be scheduled during off-peak times of the organisation, increasing the speed of the transfer of data to when there is enough bandwidth.

Nevertheless, it is important for you to know that there is interconnection between bandwidth and latency. The connection speed of the network is the function of latency and bandwidth. Latency cannot be decreased drastically, however, bandwidth can be increased at anytime.

The Power of Activity Logs in Cloud Backup Services

October 5, 2015 Damien Garvey

Since your online data backup is hosted at a third party company, there are chances that you will have oodles of questions for your online backup provider. Do you know that your data can easily be compromised before it can actually reach the vaults of your online back provider? How are you sure that your data is adequately and securely stored in their vault once transmitted? What exactly make you think that your data will continue to be safe in the Internet-based datacentre? These and more are what you need to think before hiring an online backup service provider.

Majority online backup providers normally send manual or automated alerts to their customers at different stages of their data backup recovery or storage processes so as to pro-actively manage the anxiety of their customers. The main purpose of customer alert, which most online backup providers normally send to customers, is to inform them that something was not done properly the way it should have been done, so that they can either contact the service provider immediately or attend to the problem at their own end. The providers typically configure the alert when the customer first subscribes for the service. So, the client’s machine is installed on the network by the software agent and that helps to check the status of the service repeatedly and generates alert for the benefit of the provider and the customer.

One popular type of customer alert is simply known as logs. The logs are known to document the steps on the executed process. Also, all activities on the system are known to be supported by logs. There are backup logs, which inform the customer whether the backup process was smoothly done or there is/are error(s) that prevented it from being completed. If there is failed backups, the administrator will be able to notice it the moment (s)he logs into the system, as it will pop up in the form of a message or a report.

Furthermore, the user logs track and control the activities of the users and check against unauthorised attempts to access the system with the use of authenticated identity of the user. Also, passwords are recorded on the user logs, and required alerts can be generated. There may be other logs that are used to track behaviour on the network.

Custom alerts are being used to keep track of the system’s functionalities for most cloud backup service providers. Indeed, the alerts are designed to point out problems that need solutions so as to avoid problems in the system. So, the backup providers may just resolve the issues at their end without the need to contact the customer. Alternately, the service provider could notify the customer through email to handle the issue at their end. If the problem requires advanced knowledge to solve it, then the service provider may send specialised technical experts to guide the customer to resolve the issue.

The Role of Telco Companies in the Cloud

September 30, 2015 Kris Price

It has been observed that Telecommunication companies are now moving to the cloud. The Telecom companies are now being driven to the cloud revolution by economic necessity. These companies are putting themselves into the cloud in such as way that shows their network assets as well as other network related capabilities. In addition, Telecom companies have been observed to be taking their place in the cloud and ceasing the opportunity to provide oodles of services including retail services for organizations, software developers that based on consumer applications and also in building network controlled services. These processes help the companies to enhance their business models making it easy for them to play vital roles in supply chain of cloud services.

Then, you may like to ask about the roles Telecom companies do play in the cloud — data backup and cloud computing services. You may like to know whether they are not just providing themselves opportunity to get their own share of the profit or they have important contribution to make in the cloud network. Telecom companies are the major providers of cloud service. These companies were said to have been in the cloudspace for many years through their sheer tenant which they normally use to render their services like: network enabling services and dial tone for both intra and inter switching, as we as other routings that make connection between point to multipoint connectivity possible, IP telephoning, Audio conferencing and others. For that reason, you should not be surprised to see them transforming the the network from just wires and cables to a globally optimized applications.

There are lots of benefits which telecom brought into the cloud revolution and some of the benefits include: High availability and scalability services based on inexpensive models. In addition, these companies normally make use of anchored data centres to manage functionality of users, and centralize services using a service delivery model known as front-end cloud. Really, Telecom companies define quality levels, optimize on the use of resources, as well as provide multiple services to multiple customers.

Telcos have definite contributions in the cloudscapes categorically. Telco’s can anchor themselves in either Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) or Platform as a Service (PaaS) and they have the ability to monetize their network by selling on wholesale. These telecommunication companies can come up as full service telecommunication companies using a data centre footprints. With the use of data center footprints, service delivery platform Telco’s can handle oodles of services, including creation, distribution, as well as management of the infrastructure and other application-oriented capabilities of organizations, consumers, SMBs, prosumers and partners. In fact, there are more to what Telecommunication brought to the cloudscpace than listed on this article. Therefore, the cloud is expected to provide Telco’s with both opportunities and challenges.

How to Avoid Data based Cyber-Crimes

September 28, 2015 Rob Mackle

If you want to take pleasure in the comfort and relaxation you have created for your organization and yourself, you need to have good sense of self-defense. It is true that you need not to panic or visualize your enemy running and following you always, it is important for you to be conscious of precarious enemies that can occupy your environment to harm your data and other confidential information in your organization. For that reason, you have to always be prepared to deter enemies and protect yourself and your environment against any form of attack. While your digital data is transferred across the Internet, you have to be aware of the hostility agencies responsible for Cyber crime as they can easily pose threat to the safety of your digital data.

The major cause of Cyber crime is often pure unprofessionalism of employees. Thousands of Internet devices like laptops and mobile devices loaded with confidential information get lost every year. The problem is that the majority of these lost laptops and mobile devices are not protected with hard drive encryption or even anti-theft software. In addition, some employees often share passwords with each other and even with their co-workers that are not originally granted access to the password simply because of their ignorance about the value of the data in their procession. Some employees normally go as far as using file sharing tool to share files with contractors and suppliers. The worst of all is that some employees may unkindly create data branches for either retribution or for personal gain.

At times, there can be threat to the security of your data by some of the employees that have left your organization. An Ex-employee whose right and privilege has not been deleted or removed from your computing system can easily exploit the information either for personal benefit or to the advantage of competitors. Disgruntled ex-employees can go as far as infecting your computing system with malware and virus so as to corrupt, modify or even change the entire data stores of your company. You can easily avoid this by ensuring that you remove the right or privilege you gave to any employee when he or she leaves your organization.

Though, threats from external data are rare yet, they cannot be overlooked while considering the Cyber crime that can affect your data. Information transmitted over your network can easily be hijacked by eavesdroppers by listening at open ports. Your data can be susceptible if you store them to a third party Internet based cloud backup provider. This can easily happen when their system is compromised, access is granted to unauthorized personnel by employees, the provider goes bankrupt or drop their servers maybe due to financial difficulties or other similar reasons. And you need to know that your data can be vulnerable when you share them over the Internet.

So, there is a need for you to be careful and security conscious about Cyber crimes. You need to make some required safety precautions to protect and safeguard your data.

Some of the ways to protect your data against Cyber crimes include:

Educating your employees about the need for data protection,
Encrypting data in while in flight and at rest,
Interviewing and auditing users activity logs, as well as other activity logs,
Ensuring adequate user management of data, and
Giving adequate and frequent attention to data against any form of data crimes.

Backup, Storage and Hardware Requirements when Considering SaaS

September 23, 2015 Damien Garvey

SaaS (software as a Service) is software delivery process that permits to access data from various devices by using web browser and Internet connection. SaaS is changing backup, storage, and hardware requirements. It is the job of software vendors to maintain codes, databases and servers that represent the application.

Hardware
In SaaS model, notable hardware changes occur in server closet. SaaS is given to customers running web browser and operating system to get access to required services. If your workers execute only one task by using web browser, IT is capable to scale back specifications of the computer. It is a bit risky as employees get help from various programs to carry on their job. Most of utilized programs need local resources like advanced graphics, processing power and storage. For instance, users select Autodesk and Adobe to design projects on desktop. Later on these projects are uploaded to cloud to carry on data analysis. What is more critical is massive file size that is troublesome to move even if clients have fast Internet connection.

Storage
It is often noticed that SaaS providers presume that companies are given cloud storage by default. IT professionals are well aware that data storage in the cloud is very practical, but it is not acceptable when companies need to store very sensitive information.

Google Docs and Gmail are the two options to signify how companies can store their information in the cloud. Gmail users believe that their contacts, calendars, and emails are stored in the cloud. On the other hand, Google Docs are synchronized between local drive and Google’s servers; therefore, it is not obvious where the document is actually being saved.

Here question arises, is it possible for SaaS customers to trim down storage on laptops and desktops by using small and fast SSDs? Answer is not definite. If customers are using a product with offline mode, they can save data in cloud as well as locally. Conversely, when office type docs are designed that require only small space, one can get away with a smaller local storage.

Backup
Hosting companies offer backups and maintenance to SaaS customers. What is important for customers is to get an idea of data type for backup and how frequently data will be used.

Backup keeps old data that is still important for the company and used for compliance. Businesses are required to comply and maintain data retention laws. It is highly important for public companies. Due to complicated nature of the compliance law, the industry has attracted a huge number of compliance professionals and lawyers, who are eager to help companies achieve their and are giving their data retention and security goals.

Millions of companies depend on SaaS providers to run applications. However, applications keep data saved in internal databases. Though it has extended the SaaS definition, it demonstrates the tremendous pressure that forces companies to keep sensitive information safe from data breaches.

It could be confusing for workers to move between local backup and online clouds while working on their workstations. Employees must know in detail where the data is present and how to get access to information. That is where the duty of SaaS providers gets started.

Significant Linux Backup Practices Helpful For Administrators

September 11, 2015 Damien Garvey

Linux is an operating system that is preferred for reliability, security and steadiness. However, like other operating systems, it has issues concerning data protection due to:

Electrical surge
IT data breaches
Fire
Failure of hardware
Physical theft
For Linux administrator, it is important to have online backup plan to avoid downtime and loss of important data, money and time.

Planning before Backup
Planning is crucial stage to check various sections of strategy in detail. Ask some questions to find out your requirements for backup plan, such as:

What type of data you need to have backup?
What kind of backup will support your system?
Do you need incremental of full data backup?
How often you need to access to stored data?

Automate Tools
There are backup utilities that need to use command line to perform work. SPX is specifically made for Linux that gives opportunity to administrators to check backup jobs and restore systems to virtual environment or hardware within a few minutes. This automation is helpful in executing management tasks when disaster recovery plan is activated.

Backup Storage Needs Investment
If you have an online backup plan, you will need to revise your strategy for storage. Though backup software can compress all files to increase storage space, storage practices require handling copies of files. If Linux box is connected to NAS appliance or hard drive, you can develop solid foundation.

How to Cover Security Challenges?
While selecting data for online backup, you must keep in mind all of the security threats. For data protection, you may need to have lock-in key. Linux provides Seahorse as encryption tool to manage passwords, create Secure Shell keys, and PGP keys to improve security features.

Protection of Backups
It is counter intuitive to keep backups onsite because disaster can ruin years of hard work in a short time. There are two options available for security perspective:

Remove & Transfer
DVDs and tape are inexpensive and removable media that can be used for backup. Save copies of important data by using local backups. It might be a bit difficult to transfer data and swap out media, however, it gives satisfaction as important files are kept offsite.

Network Transfer
Network transfer is one of the easiest ways for offsite backups when you have given access to a distant server. Time required for transferring process depends on backup size, however, the process is fast and just like uploading files. Recovery time is improved through network transfer as there is no need to find and use physical media.

Backups Assessment
It is suggested to check backup plans and strategies on regular basis in order to avoid catastrophe. Automation is perfect to skip monotonous processes. If there is information that is worthy to save on a tape, disc or server, it definitely needs to be checked up time and again.